Starting Off: |
This is a time for the group to have a cup of coffee or a soft drink and get acquainted. Name tags may not be sophisticated, but if yours is a new group, they will be a big help. A no more than three minute long bio from each person can help, too. It's a good idea to make notes as people tell you a bit about who they are, what they do, and a little about their spiritual journey.
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| Preparation for this Session: |
Ahead of time, read the Introduction to Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To, and jot down your thoughts and questions as you go along. Respond to the Talk About This questions, too, and share your answers with your Study Group. Then you're ready to… |
Talk About This:
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• What do you hope to get out of this study?
• What have been your past prayer experiences? Talk about some that were positive. Talk about some that were negative! How did you react to these?
In the Introduction to Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To , Anthony DeStefano says that every prayer is “evaluated by God in light of a long-term goal: What direction , spiritually, are we going to go in if he says yes? What will it mean for our soul if he says no?”
• So, if every prayer is evaluated by God in the light of your journey toward heaven, might that give you a different perspective on some past prayers where God disappointed you by saying no? Or might it give you more faith for future prayers?
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Action:
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Time to pray for one another. Keep your prayers short and simple so there's time for everyone who wants to join in. Keep your voice at a conversational level so everyone can hear you and agree with your prayer. On the other hand, if you've divided into smaller groups to pray, be careful that you don't pray too loudly and distract others around you. You want to keep the focus on God. |
Closing Prayer:
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God, give us hearing ears and open hearts so we can understand Your ways and better communicate with You. Help us to listen! Help us to learn. Help us to practice what You preach, so there will be no prayer-barriers between us. Build our faith and give us boldness to come to You, confident of Your love.
Bless us and bind us together as we study and practice and pray. Help us to be diligent and determined! We ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit in our midst. Amen
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Assignment:
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Read Chapter 1 in Ten Prayers . Review Chapter 1 in the Study Guide and memorize the Scripture. Answer the Talk About This questions.
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