The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Week 7: Chapter 6 — The Pleasure of God in the Prayers of the Upright
Read Chapter 6 of The Pleasures of God. Key Scripture: Proverbs 15:8; Revelation 5:8; Romans 8:26–27.
Previewing Week 7 of The Pleasures of God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Prayer is often described as a duty or a discipline—but Piper invites us this week to see it as something far more startling: an activity in which God himself takes pleasure. What would happen to our prayer lives if we actually believed that?
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Proverbs 15:8 says 'the prayer of the upright is [God's] delight.' Piper takes this verse as a foundation for the whole chapter. When you read that God *delights* in prayer rather than merely receiving it, what shifts? Does it make you want to pray more or does it feel like too high a bar (needing to be 'upright')?
2.Revelation 5:8 pictures the prayers of the saints as golden bowls of incense before the throne of God. What does that image say about how God values your prayers? How does it compare to how you value your own prayers when they feel weak, distracted, or repetitive?
3.Piper addresses the obvious objection: what about our inadequate, wandering, impure prayers—can God really delight in those? How does Romans 8:26–27 (the Spirit interceding for us) and the work of Christ as our High Priest answer that objection?
a.How does knowing that the Spirit helps us in our weakness change the way you approach prayer when you don't know what to say?
b.What would you pray differently if you truly believed your prayers arrived before God purified and perfected by Christ's intercession?