By Cameron Silsbee
Begin with prayer
Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting. Take a moment in silence, in the presence of Jesus and each other. Have one person read Galatians 5v25-26 over the group and then pray to ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together.
Debrief the most recent teaching
- What did you take away from the teaching, and what has God been doing in your life this past week because of it?
Read this overview
One of the most fundamental ways we connect with our Father and go about doing Kingdom work in the world is through intercessory prayer. Asking the Father for things draws us into a trusting relationship with him and allows us to see his Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus specifically told his followers not to be easily swayed from what they ask the Father to do – keep asking and trust that the Father is good and that he always responds to his children’s requests with good things.
Discuss the following prompt
Spend a moment thinking about the last six months for your Van City Community. As you do so, recall and discuss the things the group prayed for. Feel free to look through the Community’s past communication about prayer requests. As you recall everything the group has prayed about over the last six months, note how God seemingly responded to those intercessory prayers. What stands out as noteworthy? What’s disappointing? What was brought to resolution? What is still unresolved?
Talk over this coming week’s Practice:
This week, continue to pray on behalf of people in your Community. If you haven’t written anything down yet or haven’t organized your prayers and things you felt the Spirit wanted to say to each person in your group, do so this week.
Next time you meet, each person will share what they felt the Spirit wanted them to for each person in the group.
Close in prayer
End by having someone read this prayer over the group:
Grant us, our merciful Father, that your Divine Spirit may enlighten, inflame, and purify us, and make us fruitful in good works, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who with you, in unity with the Spirit, lives and reigns as one God, forever and ever. Amen.