DISCUSS: As we journey through 21 Days of Prayer together, here are a few questions/prompts to engage in as a group:
How would you define prayer?
What has your experience with prayer been like?
What could God be inviting you to in the area of prayer through this next season?
As you’ve taken steps in the PRAY (Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) practice, what has been good about it? (e.g. it feels more natural than I thought it would, I had a significant moment with God, I am feeling more centered each day, etc.)
What has been difficult? (e.g. I haven’t been able to keep the rhythm as often as I thought, it’s felt frustrating or boring, I don’t know if I’m doing it right, etc.)
Make a commitment to take a step in prayer. If you wanted to pray for a particular person in your life each day, maybe write their name on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror. If you want to start your day with prayer, perhaps you put your Bible on top of your phone when you go to bed as a reminder. If you want to pray with your roommate or family, have a conversation with them to see if it’s something they are interested in and then make a plan. If you want to do midday prayer, block it out in your calendar each day.
Whatever it looks like, share with your group a practical step you will take toward your goal.
PRAY: Here are a few prayer prompts for your group:
1. Remember Who God Is: Our Father — Focus on who God is, remembering that Jesus began teaching his disciples to pray by calling God “our Father.” Spend some time praying together by having people spontaneously name who God is. This could sound like “God, thank you that you are our Defender.” or “Father, thank you that you are Healer.” or something about God as Creator, Father, Provider, Teacher, Redeemer, Savior, etc. As each person prays, invite the Spirit to show you what it means that God is each of these things. Reflect on the personal nature of each name and thank him.
2. Remember Who We Are To Each Other: Sisters & Brothers — All through the Scriptures, followers of Jesus are referred to as sisters and brothers. We’re family. Spend some time being open to people sharing their impossible prayers. Where do each of us need help praying? As people are comfortable to share, bear their burden with them in prayer. Have someone ask God on behalf of each person who shares. Also, if this process has stirred up faith in someone, and they feel compelled, invite people to share something that they believe about God, as a way of building up the faith of others in the room.
3. Pray Scripture — Sometimes it is really helpful to pray another person’s words when you don’t know where to start, especially when you’re praying prayers of adoration. Use Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 as a template to begin conversation with God. Or, perhaps use one of David’s Psalms (like Psalm 139) to start talking with God.
4. Take Time for Intercessory Prayer — Begin to name the things in our city, in the lives of your neighbors, at your work, in your neighborhood, where you want to see God change reality — and ask him to do it. And, as you pray, also listen for God’s voice, to see if he is inviting you to participate in that distribution of Heaven’s resources. We believe that prayer changes reality and moves God’s hand to action. It’s a way by which we partner with God to see his Kingdom come and his will be done in our lives and in our world. Because of this, we believe that prayer is a form of mission. Not only does prayer actively change the world, it also changes us: in prayer we can experience God’s invitation to become an answer to the exact prayers we were praying.
5. Pray the Lord’s Prayer — Take communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup. Take time to pray as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, spending a moment praying these words, and allow time in silence to listen for the Spirit’s leading in how you might participate in the kingdom coming on Earth as it is in Heaven:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Yours is the Kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen
READ: Here are a few passages of scripture to engage in as a group:
Psalm 46; Matthew 6:5-14; Acts 2:42-47
You may choose to continue to engage in scripture through a Discovery Bible Study format using the following discussion prompts:
DISCOVER: Read the passage of scripture together:
Have someone put the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you? What catches your attention in this passage? Why?
What does this text say about God?
What does this text say about people?
GO: Commit to a step and start living it out this week.
What are you doing or believing that is in opposition to this scripture?
Is there anything in relation to this passage that God has been growing you in? Where do you still have room for growth?
How can you specifically live out this passage in the next few days (create an “I will” statement)?
What stands in the way of you really applying this? As a group, how will you hold one another accountable?
PRAY: Spend time in prayer in response to the truth of God’s word. Ask the Spirit to lead as you respond in action.
How would you define prayer?
What has your experience with prayer been like?
What could God be inviting you to in the area of prayer through this next season?
As you’ve taken steps in the PRAY (Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) practice, what has been good about it? (e.g. it feels more natural than I thought it would, I had a significant moment with God, I am feeling more centered each day, etc.)
What has been difficult? (e.g. I haven’t been able to keep the rhythm as often as I thought, it’s felt frustrating or boring, I don’t know if I’m doing it right, etc.)
Make a commitment to take a step in prayer. If you wanted to pray for a particular person in your life each day, maybe write their name on a sticky note and put it on your bathroom mirror. If you want to start your day with prayer, perhaps you put your Bible on top of your phone when you go to bed as a reminder. If you want to pray with your roommate or family, have a conversation with them to see if it’s something they are interested in and then make a plan. If you want to do midday prayer, block it out in your calendar each day.
Whatever it looks like, share with your group a practical step you will take toward your goal.
PRAY: Here are a few prayer prompts for your group:
1. Remember Who God Is: Our Father — Focus on who God is, remembering that Jesus began teaching his disciples to pray by calling God “our Father.” Spend some time praying together by having people spontaneously name who God is. This could sound like “God, thank you that you are our Defender.” or “Father, thank you that you are Healer.” or something about God as Creator, Father, Provider, Teacher, Redeemer, Savior, etc. As each person prays, invite the Spirit to show you what it means that God is each of these things. Reflect on the personal nature of each name and thank him.
2. Remember Who We Are To Each Other: Sisters & Brothers — All through the Scriptures, followers of Jesus are referred to as sisters and brothers. We’re family. Spend some time being open to people sharing their impossible prayers. Where do each of us need help praying? As people are comfortable to share, bear their burden with them in prayer. Have someone ask God on behalf of each person who shares. Also, if this process has stirred up faith in someone, and they feel compelled, invite people to share something that they believe about God, as a way of building up the faith of others in the room.
3. Pray Scripture — Sometimes it is really helpful to pray another person’s words when you don’t know where to start, especially when you’re praying prayers of adoration. Use Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 as a template to begin conversation with God. Or, perhaps use one of David’s Psalms (like Psalm 139) to start talking with God.
4. Take Time for Intercessory Prayer — Begin to name the things in our city, in the lives of your neighbors, at your work, in your neighborhood, where you want to see God change reality — and ask him to do it. And, as you pray, also listen for God’s voice, to see if he is inviting you to participate in that distribution of Heaven’s resources. We believe that prayer changes reality and moves God’s hand to action. It’s a way by which we partner with God to see his Kingdom come and his will be done in our lives and in our world. Because of this, we believe that prayer is a form of mission. Not only does prayer actively change the world, it also changes us: in prayer we can experience God’s invitation to become an answer to the exact prayers we were praying.
5. Pray the Lord’s Prayer — Take communion together, whether as a full meal together or some version of the bread and the cup. Take time to pray as Jesus taught his disciples to pray, spending a moment praying these words, and allow time in silence to listen for the Spirit’s leading in how you might participate in the kingdom coming on Earth as it is in Heaven:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Yours is the Kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen
READ: Here are a few passages of scripture to engage in as a group:
Psalm 46; Matthew 6:5-14; Acts 2:42-47
You may choose to continue to engage in scripture through a Discovery Bible Study format using the following discussion prompts:
DISCOVER: Read the passage of scripture together:
Have someone put the passage in their own words.
What stands out to you? What catches your attention in this passage? Why?
What does this text say about God?
What does this text say about people?
GO: Commit to a step and start living it out this week.
What are you doing or believing that is in opposition to this scripture?
Is there anything in relation to this passage that God has been growing you in? Where do you still have room for growth?
How can you specifically live out this passage in the next few days (create an “I will” statement)?
What stands in the way of you really applying this? As a group, how will you hold one another accountable?
PRAY: Spend time in prayer in response to the truth of God’s word. Ask the Spirit to lead as you respond in action.