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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a moment where Jesus teaches us an important lesson on prayer.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[a] have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Whether it’s because we’re busy, other things get in the way, or we just don’t feel like it, many times it can just become difficult to pray. In this part of God’s Word, we see two blind men in a desperate situation. By taking a look at their story, we can learn how to cry out to Jesus, even when it becomes difficult:
How to Pray, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It:
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Don’t let your circumstances stop you
Matt. 20:29-30, 6:6-7, Rom. 8:26, Phil. 4:6, Luke 18:1, Ps. 18:6, James 5:13-15
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Remember God’s mercy
Matt. 20:30, Ps. 103:8, 51:1, Is. 30:18
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Realize who Jesus is
Matt. 20:30, Jer. 33:3, Heb. 4:16, James 4:2-3
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Don’t let others stop you
Matt. 20:31, 18:20, 19:14
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Be specific
Matt. 20:32-33, James 5:16, 1 John 5:15, Josh. 10:12-14
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Understand how God views you
Matt. 20:34, 6:9-13, 1 John 5:14, Ps. 145:18, 1 Pet. 3:12
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Remember what God is capable of
Matt. 20:34, Mark 11:24, John 15:7
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 20:29-34 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- What thoughts might have been going through Jesus’ disciples’ minds when they heard Jesus’ reaction to the blind men?
- Have you ever been through a season of your life where it was difficult to pray? How is your prayer life during this season of your life?
Diving In
- The two blind men in this story could have made up several excuses that could have stopped them from crying out to Jesus, but they didn’t. What are some common excuses that keep you from praying? Are there any distractions in your life that keep you from praying that you can easily eliminate?
- How would remembering who God is, and how He views you help you to pray more? How can you better remember that in order to pray more?
- How specific are you when you pray? How could you be more specific, and what impact could that have on your prayer time, and ultimately your faith?
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?