Prayer was the backbone of Jesus' life and ministry. From his baptism to his crucifixion, the Gospels portray Jesus as a man of prayer who knew and deeply valued intimate communion with his heavenly Father. What can we learn from the prayers he prayed? In six engaging and interactive small group sessions, this Deeper Connections DVD study explores the prayers of Jesus, revealing new insights into prayer, the character of God, and your relationship with him.

Unlike most Bible studies available, each session begins in Israel, making it easier to experience and understand the cultural background of key teachings of Jesus. This dynamic and easy-to-understand study is written and taught by biblical experts with specialized areas of knowledge. It comes with a downloadable leader guide—so anyone can lead this study! Also available: Participant Guide (ISBN: 9781628627695).

6-Session Overview of The Prayers of Jesus

From the Lord's Prayer to the story of the persistent widow, get a fantastic overview of 6 major lessons on prayer and what they meant in first-century Jewish and Roman culture:

1. Watch and Pray: Jesus' Model Prayer Life
2. Our God Listens: The Persistent Widow
3. Joining in Jesus' Prayer: The Lord's Prayer
4. Praying to a Good God: The Friend at Midnight
5. Praying with Purpose: Jesus' Final Prayer
6. A Friend in High Places: Faith, Prayer, and Answers

Each Session of The Prayers of Jesus DVD Study Includes:

• 25-35 minute teaching sessions with optional audio reading and a flexible structure design to facilitate group discussions.
• A video introduction from Israel, showing key places Jesus walk and relevant locations of well-known Bible passages. Enjoy seeing: Nazareth, the Holy Temple, the Road to Bethany, and much more!
• Easy-to-understand commentary from top professors and experts from Biola, Wheaton, Talbot, and more!
• Incredible historical insights that will deepen your understanding of these familiar stories.
• Practical Applications. Accurate, encouraging, and challenging applications of the Bible's message to life today.

Great for Individual or Small Group Bible Studies

Anyone can lead this ready-to-use 6-session DVD Bible study! Key features include:

• 6 teaching sessions on DVD (with natural breaks for Scripture reading and discussion)
• Free downloadable leader guide (with step-by-step suggestions to get the most out of this study including a materials list, session outlines, time frame for 60- and 75-minute session options with extensions, leading tips, and more!
• Audio readings of key Bible verses

It's never been easier to lead! Perfect for small groups, Bible studies, or personal use.

About the Series

The Deeper Connections series is unique. Unlike any other Bible study available, this visually stunning DVD series is written and taught by biblical experts—six professors with specialized areas of knowledge. Don't let the word deeper scare you. These engaging and accessible studies are for everyone who wants to deepen their understanding of God's Word and apply it more faithfully and effectively. In fact, a full one-third of each study is centered on modern application of Jesus' life and teachings.

Hosted by Jarrett Stevens, who introduces each session from Israel, and filmed in locations as diverse as the Rocky Mountains, the Arizona desert, downtown Chicago, and Little Rock, Arkansas, each volume consists of six fascinating sessions. Each session is taught by a different teacher and emphasizes three components:

1. Historical and cultural background
2. An engaging, close look at the biblical text and its meaning
3. Accurate, encouraging, and challenging applications of the Bible's message to life today

Session 1: Watch and Pray: Jesus' Model Prayer Life

How do we get a life of prayer like Jesus? Follow host Jarrett Stevens into the wilderness just outside of Jerusalem and paint a picture of where Jesus may have gone to meet with God. From the healing of the boy with the demon to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, Dr. David Garland digs deeply into Bible passages involving prayer, calling, and healing. What can we learn from the failures of the disciples and Jesus' strategies to "wrestle in prayer"? Discover why it's so important to learn a habit of constant prayer, whether we're in a peaceful season or a turbulent one.

Session 2: Our God Listens: The Persistent Widow

Explore the Holy Temple in Jerusalem: the massive walls, columns, irregular steps, and imposing architecture. Unpack the story of the persistent widow with Dr. Mark Strauss and learn and how we can apply habits of regular, constant prayer to our lives. How can we strike the balance between fearing God and persisting in prayer? We can be "squeaky wheels" when it comes to prayer, but what is the key lesson and ultimate plan that God teaches us through our time in prayer?

Session 3: Joining in Jesus' Prayer: The Lord's Prayer

Walk through the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem and encounter the Wailing Wall or the Western Wall of the former Temple of Jerusalem from 20 BC. Did you know that the Lord's Prayer is a modified version of a Jewish Kaddish prayer? How does the way we pray compare with how Jesus prayed? Dr. Michael Wilkins, Biola University, walks us through the Lord's Prayer, unpacking the structure, meaning, language, and cultural relevance. Refresh your understanding of this timeless prayer and apply these incredible historical and profound insights to your life.

Session 4: Praying to a Good God: The Friend at Midnight

Visit Nazareth Village, a historical recreation of the ancient town of Nazareth, and get an idea of what an ancient Jewish home looked like in Jesus' day. Join Dr. Ben Witherington III along the trail of the Boston marathon and unpack Jesus' teaching on prayer in Luke 11. Is God really listening? Do we need to "convince" God to answer our prayers? Why does Luke encourage believers to think and pray big? Learn to apply Jesus' 4 theological views of prayer to your life and how to ask, seek, and knock.

Session 5: Praying with Purpose: Jesus' Final Prayer

Venture through the historic, but abandoned church of St. Anne in Israel and discover what it takes for a church to succeed and grow. Join Dr. Gary Burge for a lesson on Jesus' prayer for unity in an empty church in Chicago and explore John 17, Jesus' final instructions to his followers. Why was Jesus' final prayer so important and what was his "hidden anxiety" for future believers? Finally, learn how you and those you lead can practically apply Jesus' final words and live out God's greatest commandment for us to love one another.

Session 6: A Friend in High Places: Faith, Prayer, and Answers

Travel along the road to Bethany, where Lazarus was raised from the dead, and see a Jewish home much like the one where the Last Supper might have been held. Visit the California Mission San Diego De Alcala with Dr. Matt Williams and learn about the Franciscan dedication to prayer, unanswered prayer, and God's work in our lives. What does it mean when Jesus says the Father will give us whatever we ask for in his name? Does God owe us an answer every time we pray? Discover the historical context of praying in the name of a spirit or demon and learn how to practically pray for God's will above all else.