Can you think of a time when you had something you felt that you couldn’t keep contained? Share with the group. Bonus points if it’s an embarrassing story.

Read Matthew 6:5-8. How would you summarize what Jesus is teaching in these verses? What examples of hypocritical or empty prayer have you seen?

Read Matthew 6:1. How does our passage illustrate what Jesus is teaching in this verse?

Read Matthew 6:6. What alternative does Jesus give to hypocritical prayer? How does praying in the “secret place” guard us from hypocrisy?

Read Matthew 6:9-15. What alternative does Jesus give to empty prayer? How does the Lord’s Prayer instruct us in our own prayer?

What is one step you can take this week to move toward increasing humility, gratitude, and honesty in your prayers this week?