Discussion Guide
Our walk with Christ goes beyond Sundays. Jesus invites us into a daily relationship with Him, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to be with us, guide us into truth, and help us live in obedience. Walking with the Spirit begins with a willingness to trust and follow. Through prayer and practices like fasting, we make room to examine our desires, surrender our priorities, and grow in our hunger for God. Jesus brings these things together in the Lord’s Prayer: seek the Father’s will, trust Him for daily needs, receive and extend forgiveness, and ask for help against temptation.
What you will need:
A Bible or Bible app, a notebook or paper, highlighter and or a pen.
(Scripture references are included for easy access.)
Jump Start
• If your life had a warning label, what would it say? (Examples: “Says yes before checking calendar,” “Easily distracted by snacks,” or “May become competitive during innocent group games.”)
Read John 14:15–18
• What does Jesus promise the Holy Spirit will do, and how does this help us understand why He gave Him to us?
• Jesus connects loving Him with obeying Him. How might remembering the Holy Spirit is with us help us follow Jesus in everyday decisions?
Read James 4:1–7
• According to James, how do our desires affect both our relationships and our prayers? What might our requests reveal about our priorities?
• What do verses 6–7 teach us about turning toward God when our desires pull us away? What might submitting to Him look like in an everyday situation?
Read Matthew 6:16–18
• What difference does Jesus describe between fasting for others to notice and fasting before God? Why does that difference matter?
• How might privately giving something up to seek God help us recognize what has our attention and what we depend on?
Read Matthew 6:9–13
• What does Jesus teach us to pray for before bringing our daily needs to God? How might that order shape our priorities?
• What do the requests for provision, forgiveness, and help against temptation teach us about depending on God? Which feels especially relevant to your daily walk?
Optional Deeper Dive: Matthew 4:1–4
• Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He faced hunger and temptation. What does His response reveal about what He depended on?
• How might turning to God’s Word help us respond when our desires feel urgent or difficult to resist?
Action Step: This week, consider fasting from a meal, if appropriate for your health, or setting aside something that distracts you from time with God, such as social media, TV, or gaming.
Use that time to read Scripture and pray through the Lord’s Prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what is competing for your attention and guide you toward one practical change that helps you walk with Him daily.