The Way of Jesus:
Making Space for Prayer

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

As we begin this Disciple Path journey, we hope you come with doubts.  We hope you come with uncertainty.  We hope you start this process, not really sure that you’ve got what it takes to follow Jesus yourself, much less lead someone else in the ways of Jesus.  We hope you are aware of your own inadequacies and acknowledge your own limitations.  Come convinced of your own inability, but equally convinced of Jesus’ ability. 

Jesus can do anything.  Jesus is able to work in you. And Jesus is able to work through you.  The work of making disciples is always his work.  Our work is to learn to increasingly depend on him.  What he says is true: apart from him, we can do nothing.

And so we start our Disciple Path journey at the place of dependence.  We’re beginning this journey with the most important thing—and that is learning some key practices which will help us “remain in him, and he in us”—practices that keep us closely connected to Jesus. 

We do this because we deeply believe that to be fruitful, to be disciples who make disciples, our fundamental task is to simply be with Jesus, and then obey what he asks of us.

We’ll be reading Scripture a lot as we journey through Disciple Path, because that’s one of the primary ways we know Jesus’ heart and learn to imitate his ways. Scripture helps us “remain” in him.  And in this first chapter, we’re also going to dig into what a vibrant prayer life looks like. 

Prayer is the most fundamental practice in the life of a Jesus follower. It’s like oxygen for our souls! Your life with God can only be as good as your prayer life. No matter how often you go to church or how many Bible studies you’ve done, they can never make up for a lack of prayer.

So, what does Jesus teach us about prayer? Plenty. Let’s look at his example in the Bible:

“While Jesus was on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God” (Hebrews 5:7 NLT).

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12).

“He [Jesus] took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray” (Luke 9:28).

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).

The lesson for us here is simple: Jesus prioritized prayer.

There was no amount of busyness, nothing so urgent, and nothing so spectacular that could keep Jesus from regular times of focused, meaningful prayer. His life was saturated with it.

Not only do we see Jesus prioritize prayer, but we also catch a glimpse of how he engaged with his heavenly father in prayer. Did it surprise you to read that Jesus prayed with tears and pleading (Hebrews 5:7)? Jesus didn’t hide his honest emotions from God. Rather, he revealed them to God, offering them up in an expression of trust. This act of honest prayer laid a foundation for humble surrender. It’s this kind of prayer that allows us to process our life with God, and it will move us to deeper trust and devotion if we will engage with him honestly and with transparency.

A life that prioritizes honest prayer. This is the way of Jesus.

As disciples following the way of Jesus, we pattern our prayer life after his. A great prayer life rarely comes to us naturally, though; a flowing prayer habit begins as a prayer experiment. No matter how you’d describe your prayer life right now, it can get even better. That’s what this practice is for.

One of the simplest ways to deepen our prayer life is to pray as we read the Bible. We’ve provided some Scripture passages for you as well as some prompts to bring some structure to this time.

Over the next several days, plan time into your schedule to read the passages provided and follow the prompts. See what happens.

Begin by making space.

Remove external distractions like other people, your phone, and your task list. If it’s helpful, find a place where you can be away from the interruptions which often punctuate your day. Know and trust that God is in the room with you (even if you don’t feel it yet) and let the Holy Spirit help you. Perhaps even picture Jesus sitting with you like a friend.

Interact with God’s Word.

Go over the day’s passage more than once to let it sink in.

Start a conversation.

You’ll see there are some prompts provided. Complete them in a new way each day. Don’t just fill in the blanks like you’re taking a test. Talk to God as you write and be honest with him. He hears your prayers whether you write them out or not. The action of writing it down is for you, not for him. But we think this is an important practice because it will help you process, slow down, and listen.  Writing gives the Spirit time and space to speak to you. 

So, work through this daily process slowly.  Even if you take your time, this may only take you 15 minutes.  We believe it’s time well spent—time that will help you to be fruitful because you are “remaining” in Jesus’ presence as you write your prayers.  As you write, take time to pause and listen.  When you think you might be hearing God’s voice, respond. 

The first prayer you will write this week will be a time to share your honest thoughts with God about the Disciple Path process, and specifically your thoughts and feelings about how you will connect with pre-Christians.  You’ll find instructions in the Action Step below. 

The following days, you will write your prayers after reading Scripture.  We hope you are able to approach these times of prayer with a willing spirit, believing that Jesus is eager to work in you and through you as you engage with him humbly and honestly. Remember that your connection to Jesus is the only source of lasting fruit he promises you will bear, so let your roots sink deep into his presence.

 “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:8).

Action Step

On your first day, spend a little time writing a prayer to God about your connection to pre-Christians. Share with God your honest desires and fears about what it might require to be a disciple maker. Ask him for a willingness to be stretched.

Daily Scripture

Read each day’s Scripture passage. Choose a prompt and journal your response as a prayer.

John 15:1-17 | John 14 | John 17 | Romans 8 | Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21

God, here’s where I am at today…

God, you’re good because...

Thank you for…

Today this feels heavy. I need to hand over…

God, I wonder about…

I’m asking for...

I find this passage challenging because…

What to do when you meet
with your group:

Begin with a short prayer.

Ask God to open your eyes to his perspective on things. Take turns each week opening in prayer.

Questions.

Begin by discussing how you are loving others.

What opportunities has God given you to love other people through serving, speaking truth in love, or pointing them towards Christ since we last met? How did you respond?

Talk about what God has been stirring in you through your time in the Word.

Share about one of your quiet times in God’s Word. What has God been teaching you and how did you respond?

Questions about section 1.

Who are you praying for who doesn’t know Jesus? Share with your group some of your prayers for this person.

Do you have prayer rhythm? What does it look like?

If not, what’s a change you need to make? What are the roadblocks?

End your time by praying for each other.

Pray over each other’s discipling efforts and for people in your lives who don’t yet know Jesus. Pray for boldness and a willingness to take steps of obedience.