Forgive and Deliver Us | The Lord's Prayer | Matthew 6:12-13

Before we begin

Table Communities are community gatherings for the purpose of:

• Building meaningful relationships through intentional time together
• Engaging in mutual discipleship through directing one another towards Christ with truth shared in love
• Multiplying grace through love, prayer and gifts of the spirit

The notes will guide you through praying together, reading scripture and engaging in intentional relational time together. There are also notes and practices for this month's habit of grace. We know that most groups will not have time to discuss the habit of grace during their time together, but they are available if time allows and are available for those seeking to intentionally engage with God's grace during the week. If that desire is within you, please read the notes on your own time or go through the habit of grace practices with a spiritual friend or your spouse, so as to build one another up in truth and love. Finally, this gathering is not about getting through all the note content, but rather this gathering is about building meaningful relationships, engaging in mutual discipleship and multiplying grace. Let those values shape the direction and pace of your time together.

***Reminder: Wednesday 19 November is Prayer & Worship Night @ Church***

Kick off with prayer

You can use the kick off prayer below (if you are not comfortable praying aloud), and give time for others to pray into the night together. 

Example prayer, if needed. Ideally pray freely as you feel called:

‍Father we praise you for gathering us together. Despite whatever weighed on our hearts as we entered this house, we pray that your Spirit guides our time together and free us from anything that is not of you. We pray that by the strength of your might we may speak truth in love to one another. We pray that we are led by the gifts of your spirit, so that we may build up one another and your church as a whole. As we read your word, we pray that we may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner pleasing to you.  

Passage: The Lord's Prayer

We will read the text together seeking for God to give life to the text through his Spirit. "Lord please help us to hear your word and receive what you have for each of us"

Matthew 6:

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:  

“Our Father in heaven,   hallowed be your name. 10  Your kingdom come,   your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  11  Give us this day our daily bread,  12  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

This week's sermon will be on verse 12-13.

• How aware are you of your need for forgiveness day-to-day?
• Do you believe God is eager to forgive you—or reluctant? Why do you think you believe that?
• Who do you currently find it hard to forgive? Note: we are most likely to form bitterness towards those that are closest to us, and it is often over small offences.
• Forgiveness is always at the cost of the person forgiving, what would it cost you to forgive? i.e. what would you be denying yourself, if you forgave? 

[Note: the resolve to forgive can happen in a moment, it could happen right now. However, actual forgiveness can often be a journey requiring the help of the Holy Spirit and continual prayer]

• Where does temptation come from and what is it's purpose? [Hint: James 1:13-15]
• Where in your life do you feel most vulnerable to temptation right now?
• What do you think is God's desire for you in relation to that temptation? 
• How does our shared need for forgiveness and protection draw us together as a community? How can we support each other in these areas?

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End your time together praying, inquiring God to speak through gifts of the spirit so that you may build one another up. Be bold in sharing any thoughts, pictures or words that come to mind and test if they are given by God for the building up of the Saints. Is God highlighting anything to you personally? Share (confess) and get others to pray for you.

What is Solitude?

Solitude is the intentional practice of stepping away from people, noise, and activity in order to be alone with God. In solitude, we make space to rest, reflect, and re-centre our hearts on Jesus. This is not loneliness or isolation, but loving withdrawal—just as Jesus often did—to enjoy the presence of the Father.

Solitude is where we become attentive to God’s voice, honest about our inner life, and free from the pressures to perform, produce, or please others. Over time, it becomes a place of deep transformation, where we are formed not by the world’s noise but by God’s nearness.

Why?

We live in a loud and hurried world that is constantly shaping us. Solitude helps us resist the pull of distraction and re-learn what it means to be loved by God apart from what we do.

• Jesus Himself practiced solitude: He regularly withdrew to lonely places to pray (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16).
  
• It slows us down: Solitude interrupts the addiction to busyness and reorients us to God’s pace and presence.
  
• It forms us: In the quiet, we become aware of what’s really going on in our hearts. God meets us there not with shame, but with grace
• It strengthens our witness: A soul anchored in God speaks with greater compassion and clarity in the world.

Week 3 – Solitude as Prayer

• Focus: Solitude is a place of listening and communion (1 Kings 19:11–13).
• Practice: Use 5 minutes of silence at the beginning and end of a prayer time this week. Don’t rush to speak—just be still and attentive to God’s presence.
• Challenge: End one of your solitude times by writing a letter to God about what you're sensing—not as a journal, but as a prayer.

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