Group Study:
Pray Like This

Sessions
Study Resources

Session #7: Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil

Connect20-25 minutes

Connect with your group about life in the past week, then discuss these questions.
What are the temptations that we face today? What temptations distract you from spending time with God?
Reflecting on Action Steps from Last Week:
If your group decided to do the prayer together, reflect on the prayer together as you feel comfortable. “Lord if there are people I need to forgive, relationships I need to mend, or areas where I’m not bringing my best, please reveal those and give me next steps to move forward.”
If your group read Luke 7:36-50, answer these questions together. Reread the verses in Luke about Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman. Reflect on the passage. What do we know about her past? What was her heart posture toward Jesus? What was Jesus' heart posture toward her? What can you learn from this passage?

Learn5-7 minutes

You will watch a short clip of the message from this series to set up your group discussion. The full version of the message is also available online to reference before or after your group meeting.

Discuss20-30 minutes

  1. How did you sum up last weekend’s message in a sentence? Give time for each person to share and see how your takeaways were similar or different.
  2. In what ways do you struggle to fully admit a sin to God without a "but"?
  3. Have you ever fallen into the habit of excusing your own shortcomings?  We can pray, "God, please reveal one of my blind spots to me," and then listen for His voice.  Jesus did not come to condemn you (John 3:17).  He wants to save you from that sin so He can move into closer relationship with you. 
  4. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. Here, Paul promises that God will provide a way out when we’re tempted. What practical steps can you take to notice the way out during temptation?
  5. Read Ephesians 6:10-17. What does it look like for you to put on the “full armor of God” in your daily life?
  6. Read Romans 8:31-39. What promises from Scripture can you hold onto during times of spiritual attack?
  7. How can you remember the victory that you have in Jesus and rest in his love this week?

Pray10-15 minutes

Ask for prayer requests and then close your time together with this prayer:
Good Father,
You are holy, merciful, and all-powerful. Thank You for sending Jesus to defeat death, sin, and give us a new way of living in Your kingdom.
Please strengthen us and be with us to resist temptation in this world. Help us slow down, listen, pray, worship, and be reminded of Your promise to provide a way out when we are tempted.
Help us do what it says in Ephesians 6:10-17, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” and “put on the full armor of God.” Help us rely on you in our time of need and live victoriously in who You are and what You have done, Jesus.
In Jesus’ name, amen.

Action Steps5-10 minutes

Between now and next week, here are some suggestions for action steps.
Attend the Weekend Service: If you could sum up the message in one sentence, what would it be? (Write this and any other takeaways in the Pray Like This notebook and bring it with you to group.)
If you and your group want to go deeper, here are some additional action steps. With your group, select one of these to commit to this week:
Memorize Scripture together: As a group, work to commit this scripture to memory this week: 1 Corinthians 10:13.
Diving into the Bible: Read Matthew 4:1-11. What can you learn from Jesus about resisting temptation?
Write a Victory Speech: Spend a few minutes writing out a short victory speech, as people do after winning a competition or battle. Use this speech as a space to reflect on the conflict between spiritual forces and how, though the battle is not yet finished, Christ has already achieved victory on the cross. Put this speech somewhere you will see it this week and read over it in prayer each day.
Print Session Content

Sessions:
8
Audience:
Everyone
Format:
Video
Type:
Bible