We are 23 days into Lent which is past the halfway point and your group may or may not have given up something for Lent. Wherever your group is with that decision, now is a good time to check in with them and see where everyone is spiritually.
Lent is a journey of the heart in preparation for Easter. On the Life Group calendar, you are getting ready to end another session of study and take a break as you prepare for the spring session. Life Group is about life change. Lent is about drawing near to God thru examining and reflecting on the condition of your heart and relationship with Jesus. It is all too easy to show up day after day, week after week with everything on the outside looking like it is in order in our lives. The real work comes when we take the time to examine what is going on inside our hearts and minds. This prayer experience will hopefully draw your group to a place of vulnerability. As always, that will be dependent upon what you model for your group as the leader.
This prayer experience is based on the Beatitude in Matthew, chapter 5:3-12. It gives each person an opportunity to examine their heart and see where they are.
- Set up your group time by talking about what you have seen God do in your group and in each of you as individuals during this session. Where have you seen answered prayer? How has your serve experience impacted you? If you have not served lately, is there somewhere God is directing your hearts? Maybe there is need in your community you can address?
- Spend some time reflecting on Psalm 100 and praising God.
- If you desire, you can go back to your Rooted Facilitator Guide and focus on the attributes of God listed there for you as part of your Week 3 Prayer Experience. You can also have everyone remember back to the verses on the bookmark given to everyone at Week 5 of Rooted, reminding us who we are in Christ.
- Give each member a copy of the attached passage of scripture on the Beatitudes. It is listed in two versions: NIV and Message. Talk about how the message version is the common vernacular of the passage. As they pray over each section, have them note where God is speaking to them. There should be things God affirms and for most of us, also areas that He is directing us to further examine and change.
- Give each person 30 minutes to pray over the passage and hear from God.
- Come back together and share what God revealed to each of you.
- Help each person to select one area they feel God would desire them to focus on and set a goal towards that. As the leader, make sure you note what is shared and are praying for each person in your group in that area. You could also have each person pray for another person in the group as well and set up accountability partners in prayer for the area they are focusing on.
- As you end your evening in prayer, make plans to hold each other accountable for the areas you have discussed. With approximately two more weeks until Easter, maybe plan for your last session before Easter to be an evening to revisit what you talked about this week and take communion together.
The Beatitudes // Lent Prayer Experience