Bible Study on Persevering In Prayer

Everyone needs some time to stop, read, and reflect on God. Grab a notebook and enjoy the journey!

One of the biggest hindrances we face when trying to pray are the constant barrage of distractions we face every day. We must overcome these distractions in order to continue to pray. Ask yourself a few questions:

• How often do you pray? What does it take to distract you from prayer?
• How long do you pray? How do you compromise in your times with God?
• Do you believe it is a sin against God when you don’t pray?
• What prevents you from praying?
  • Do anxiety, temptations, or selfishness prevent you from turning to God in prayer?

We must overcome these distractions in order to continue to pray!

Overcoming Anxiety

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 

When you are struggling with anxiety, we need to turn to God in prayer

1. How does failure to pray through your anxieties affect your life?
2. When you pray, does worry consume your heart and mind, or do you cast your anxiety on God (1 Peter 5:7)?
3. What does it mean for you to be anxious?
4. How will anxiety affect your life and your relationships if you don’t deal with it?

Overcoming Temptations

⁴⁰ On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ⁴¹ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground^.

⁴⁵ When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Luke 22:40-46 

We need to pray to overcome temptations.

1. According to Jesus, why can’t you overcome your temptations? (v.40).
2. How does selfishness affect a relationship? (v.42)
3. If you don’t pray, who is running your life, marriage, decisions, etc.?
4. Do you want to do God’s will?
5. What must you do in order to do God’s will?
6. How does it feel to have no strength? (v.43)
7. Do you see your lack of strength is connected to your lack of prayer?

 Overcoming Selfishness

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.

1 Samuel 12:23 

We can’t overcome selfishness without prayer.

1. Do you have it on your heart to pray for others?
2. When you don’t pray, how does God see it?
3. Do you realize you are sinning against God when you fail to pray for others?
4. When you fail to pray, can you be close to God?
5. What decision are you going to make about your prayer life today?

Additional Scriptures for Further Study:

1. 1 Peter 3:7
2. Psalm 66:18
3. Psalm 10:4