Week 9
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ICEBREAKERS
- What is your favorite season?
- What is your favorite summer activity?
- What is your favorite fruit?
OPEN IN PRAYER
MESSAGE REVIEW
If you have a husband and a wife, and they may get in an argument. Both of them think they’re right. They both leave angry, and they go and start praying Both of them asking God to agree with their sides. And both are looking at the same thing with two different perspectives and want God to agree with theirs. The fact is there’s your perspective and then there’s God’s perspective. And the Bible says that when we are led by the Holy Spirit, that shows our maturity, that we are not led by impulses or offense. It shows we are not moved out of anger, wrath, resentment or bitterness. We can put aside all of our feelings and pray what God wants me to pray. Romans 8:26. Here’s where we go a little bit deeper. “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.” What is our weakness? He’s not talking about character flaws. “Likewise, the Spirit helps me in my weakness. For we don’t know what we should pray.” God knows something I don’t know, and His mind is so much bigger. So, the Spirit helps us when we don’t know what to pray. Let’s dig deeper in this.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT!
- Read Romans 8:14-15 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,[a] Father.” As sons and daughters, we are connected to the Spirit of God. God will teach us so that we can grow and mature. A sign of maturity is to go to the Holy Spirit to ask how we should pray. You speak spirit to Spirit when you inquire of Him first. Do you ask the Holy Spirit on a daily basis how you should pray about something?
- Read Romans 8:24-26 “24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [a]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Holy Spirit helps us when we don’t know what to pray or how to pray. He knows the secrets in God’s heart and the full story of our lives. When we follow His lead, He will help us as a “guide”. Do you trust the Holy Spirit to be your God given “guide” in your life? Do you submit all things to His counsel?
- Read Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” This is where we are talking about the two wonder twins – Spirit and word. When you pray the word of God under the direction of the Spirit of God, you have the power to create. Spirit-directed prayer is “God, what do you want me to pray?” He says, “I want you to pray that God would mend this relationship with your Father.” And then you pray, “Lord, I thank you that Jesus came and that he broke down every dividing wall. I thank you that in my family, we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bonds of it.” What happened? The Spirit of God is telling me what to pray and then I’m speaking the Word. You return the spirit led word of God back to Him. Do you incorporate the word of God in your prayers? Do you also ask the Holy Spirit to help you with what scriptures you should pray?
Reference Scriptures
- James 5:17 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.”
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “Therefore I [a]exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in [b]authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and [c]reverence.”
PRAYER FOCUS & REQUESTS
Support one another in your prayer requests and share and celebrate praise reports. Remember to pray for those in authority.