Discussion Questions

David says Jesus did not give “basic principles” for prayer but “a specific prayer”; what does that suggest about God’s willingness to guide our words—and how does that confront the modern idea that maturity means always praying spontaneously? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David says Jesus gave a set prayer, not just general tips. What does that say about God helping us find the right words, and how does it challenge the idea that “mature” prayer must always be spontaneous?

The Didache instructs Christians to pray the Lord’s Prayer “three times during the day,” tied to early Christian “prayer stations” and “keeping watch over the world”; what view of God’s governance and of the church’s role in history is implied by the belief that their prayers “brought peace” and “held back demonic forces”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The Didache says to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day because it helped “watch over the world.” What does that assume about how God rules the world and how the church’s prayers affect history and spiritual evil?

David describes being corrected in an evangelical church for praying, “forgive us our sins,” because “all of our sins were forgiven” at conversion and forgiveness is “not based on whether or not we forgive”; how do Jesus’ words in the prayer and His follow-up (“neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”) challenge common evangelical assumptions about assurance, ongoing repentance, and conditional forgiveness? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David was told not to pray “forgive us our sins” because all sins were forgiven at conversion. How do Jesus’ words about forgiving—and His warning about God not forgiving—challenge common evangelical ideas about assurance, ongoing repentance, and forgiveness having conditions?

David insists, “Do not recite the Lord’s Prayer…always pray it,” yet he also admits even rote school recitation “probably did a tremendous amount of good”; what’s the difference between praying and reciting in terms of heart posture, and how should that shape corporate liturgy without slipping into mindless repetition? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David says we should pray the Lord’s Prayer, not just recite it, but he admits reciting might still help. What is the real difference between praying and reciting, and how can a church use set prayers without becoming mindless?

David argues that prayer meetings are typically “top-heavy” on sickness and material needs, while “no one ever prays about the kingdom” or God’s name being hallowed; if your group honestly audited the last hour of your church’s prayers, what would it reveal about what you believe God cares about most? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David says prayer meetings focus on sickness and needs but rarely on God’s kingdom and God’s name. If you reviewed your church’s prayers from the last hour, what would they show about what you think God cares about most?

Jesus teaches secret prayer (“go into your room…shut your door”), and David says his circles often idealize visible, public prayer; what motives—good and bad—might drive the preference for being heard, and what would it cost (relationally or spiritually) to re-center “secret” prayer as a norm? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Jesus says to pray in secret, but David says many people admire public prayer. What good or bad reasons might make someone want to be heard, and what would you lose or gain if secret prayer became normal again?

Tertullian and Cyprian criticize loud, showy praying and connect modesty with faith, using Hannah and the tax collector as models; how do their comments expose the way some churches equate volume, length, or emotional intensity with the Holy Spirit? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Tertullian and Cyprian warn against loud, showy prayer and point to Hannah and the tax collector. How does this challenge churches that treat volume, length, or big emotions as signs of the Holy Spirit?

In unpacking “our Father,” David and Cyprian stress the communal “our” even in private prayer and critique “just me and my Jesus” piety; what specific habits or language in your prayer life reveal an individualistic Christianity, and what would it look like to genuinely pray as “the whole people”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David and Cyprian say “our Father” means prayer is never just about “me and Jesus,” even when alone. What habits or words in your prayers show you think mostly about yourself, and what would change if you truly prayed as part of God’s whole people?

When discussing “hallowed be your name,” David says we aren’t making God holy but asking that His name be hallowed “in us,” and he uses the Westboro Baptist interview as an example of theology and conduct blaspheming God’s name; what kinds of Christian speech, public messaging, or pet doctrines today most tempt you to defend “truth” in a way that actually makes God look unholy? JumpstartAnother way to ask: David says “hallowed be your name” means God’s name should look holy through us, not that we make God holy. What kinds of Christian talk, public posts, or favorite doctrines tempt you to defend “truth” in a way that makes God look bad?

The petitions “give us…daily bread,” “forgive us…as we forgive,” and “lead us not into temptation” are presented as daily dependence rather than presumed security (“we can’t take God’s forgiveness for granted…we can’t take His protection for granted either”); what daily practices of confession, forgiveness, and vigilance against temptation would have to change if you took these lines as non-negotiable commands rather than optional spirituality? JumpstartAnother way to ask: These lines ask for daily bread, daily forgiveness, and daily protection from temptation. If you treated them as must-do commands, what daily changes would you make in confessing sin, forgiving others, and staying alert against temptation?