Introduction
Kick of the discussion with prayer followed by this week’s reading and discussion questions
You can use the kick off prayer below, and give time for others to pray into the night together.
Kick off prayer:
Father we praise you for gathering us together. Despite whatever weighed on our hearts as we entered this house, we pray that your Spirit guides our time together and free us from anything that is not of you. We pray that by the strength of your might we may speak truth in love to one another. We pray that we are led by the gifts of your spirit, so that we may build up one another and your church as a whole. As we read your word, we pray that we may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner pleasing to you.
Passage:
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 1:21–23.
Discussion
- Prior to understanding the Gospel we are alienated from God. How did you view God prior to coming to faith in Jesus or how has your view of God changed over the years?
- How did your previous understanding of God shape your desires or behaviors?
- What were the experiences that changed that view?
- Having been reconciled to God, what comes to mind as something you are particularly grateful for?
Share with one another and pray for one another.
Habit of Grace
Habit of Grace: Prayer
Discussion:
Jesus taught us how to pray. When you hear that you likely think of the Lord’s Prayer. However, Jesus also gave us 3 parables that instruct how we should think about how we pray.
Simply, these parables show us 3 things that we must understand in order to pray as Jesus prayed. All of which are modeled in the Lord’s prayer
- We need persistence in prayer
- We need perspective of who we are talking to
- We need a paradigm of God’s Goodness
Last week we looked at perspective. This week we will look at a paradigm of God’s Goodness
Read the Lord’s Prayer Luke 11:1-13
- What does the parable say about the character of God?
- If you wholeheartedly believed this, how would it shape the manner in which you pray?
Reflect on your current prayer life.
Encouragement:
"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." Revelation 21:3
God's eternal purposes are to be with you. It is the very reason Jesus came, died and rose. Do not hesitate to go to him because he desires to dwell with you.
Practice this week: Being with God
(Reference last week for background if needed)
This week continue in your prayer habit, but focus on addressing distractions as they arise. Do this by praying with pen and paper. When a distraction comes up, write it down. Pray “This is for later, Father help me be with you”, and continue in prayer. [Or something like this]
The hope is that you spend less time fighting distractions and more time with God. This will also help you identify patterns in what consumes your mind or is tempting you. These patterns will be helpful in shaping what you should bring before God in prayer. Why are they coming up? What does God think about them? What does he want to do about them?
Repeat your prayer practice 3-5 times this coming week.
Going Deeper
If you would like to go deeper on your own time into the Habit of Grace, consider these options:
Podcast
Check out The Rule of Life Podcast
Practice (From Practicing the Way)
This exercise — The Window of the Soul — is one way to practice beholding (or contemplative prayer). What’s important is that we bring all of ourselves to God and allow him to be present to us with compassion, kindness, and love. Setting our eyes on the God that is, and not the one we may assume or fear. It can take practice to become comfortable with this kind of prayer, so don’t worry if you
don’t fully connect the first time. The most important part is our being lovingly available to God.
Book
A Praying Life: Connecting With God in a Distracting World
-by Paul Miller
Prayer Guide:
01 Become aware — Make yourself comfortable and take a few deep
breaths. Become aware of your surroundings — the sounds, the
temperature, etc. How does your body feel today? Heavy, light, sore,
calm? Reconnecting with ourselves helps bring all of us to God in prayer.
02 Sink into your heart — Try and focus on where you feel the deepest within your body.
It may be in your heart, your chest, or your belly. If you’re not sure, try to imagine there is an elevator that descends down from your head, through your neck, past your collar bone and into your heart. Place those thoughts in the elevator and send them down into your heart. Don’t deny them or try to get rid of them, just allow them to sink into your heart’s center as you pray.
03 Open yourself up to God — While you’re in that space, begin to open yourself up to God.
If it’s helpful, imagine that there are outward opening French doors within you, where your soul feels most present. As you picture them, imagine opening those doors to God and offering him every part of who you are. The good, the not good, the celebrated, and the vulnerable or ashamed. Imagine yourself having no part of you left hidden by choice from God. All is available to be seen.
04 Look to God — As you bring your whole self to him, look toward him.
You might imagine Jesus’ face, or you may simply look toward his loving presence. In John 15v9, Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.” Allow yourself to see God gazing upon you with love, openness, compassion, and joy. Give him consent to reveal that love toward you personally. Imagine his gaze pouring through the doorway to your soul.
05 Sit with God — Without agenda, allow him to be however he longs to be with you.
You may feel or see something beautiful. If not, this time is just as important. Let yourself just be open to God in whatever way today demands, allowing him to be with you. Notice how it feels to be fully seen by God and to be fully open toward him.
06 Return your awareness — As you finish your time together, take a moment to thank God for his love and for being present to you.
Then, slowly come back into awareness of the sounds and sensations of the room around you.
Note: For each step, take a minute or two to sit and abide in the process.