THREE THINGS TO KNOW
DON’T MISS THIS. Throughout this sermon series, we have been committed to growing in prayer through our 50 DAYS OF PRAYER CHALLENGE. Every morning, subscribers to Beyond the Weekend have received a prayer prompt in their inbox, inviting them to pray alongside our church. Have you been growing in prayer through this challenge? We’d love to hear. You can share a sentence or two with us HERE.
GROUP VALUES. This week, we begin our focus on the group value of RELATIONAL INVESTMENTS. One of the main reasons people join a small group is for the relationships. Healthy connections with other believers are essential to a healthy spiritual life. God made us for community, and when we take an intentional step toward one another, we grow. By interacting with others, we find encouragement in our faith and safety to be vulnerable. However, this is only possible through intentional investments in your small group. As a group, what is one step you can take this summer toward your relationships with one another? Commit to that step over the coming weeks.
GROW AS A LEADER. We are excited to invite you to complete our SPRING SPIRITUAL GIFT ASSESSMENT! Twice a year—in fall and spring—we offer this simple tool to help you reflect on your spiritual journey and identify areas where you might want to grow. This isn’t about us measuring you. It’s about you having a snapshot of where you are right now in your walk with Jesus and where God might be inviting you to lean in. We find it most helpful if everyone in your group takes the assessment, both leaders and participants. You can find the assessment HERE.
SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE
Welcome to another week of our sermon series, POWERFUL PRAYERS. This week, we return to the Old Testament to look at Daniel’s prayer and meditation on Scripture. His prayer reminds us of our need to let God’s Word inform our prayers.
ICEBREAKER
What is something unexpected or odd that you are a master of (i.e., juggling, accordion, etc.)?
THIS WEEK’S TEXT
Have someone read Daniel 9:1-19 aloud.
What words or phrases stand out to you most in this prayer from Daniel?
Daniel confesses, “We have sinned,” on behalf of his people, even though he didn’t personally commit the sin he’s naming. Why do you think he confesses this way?
Read verses 17-19. What does Daniel’s plea reveal about what he values most?
THIS WEEK’S SERMON
In our sixth week of POWERFUL PRAYERS, Pastor Aaron drew out key characteristics that made Daniel a master-level man of prayer. As a group, recall some of the sermon’s big ideas and main points.
Our culture tends to follow the mantras “Trust your gut” and “Follow your heart.” How does that posture differ from Daniel’s habit of grounding himself in what God has already said?
Daniel’s prayer life is shaped by years of engaging with Scripture. How does understanding prayer’s connection to Scripture differ from how you were taught to pray?
What’s the danger of using a sense of “peace” to justify a decision without testing it against God’s Word?
Through prayer, God opens our eyes to see clearly. Why do you think worship and confession are the natural response to seeing things as they are?
Take a moment to consider how God has engaged with you personally, ultimately showing his love in the death and resurrection of Jesus. What words of worship would you use to describe God’s goodness toward you?
When we fall into sin, we stop seeing God clearly and our own sinfulness clearly. Do you find it easier to lose sight of God’s goodness or to underestimate your own capacity for sin? Why?
Daniel chose God’s reputation over his own. Where do you need to do the same?
WRAP UP
This week we looked at what mature prayer actually looks like—grounded in Scripture, honest about who God is and who we are, and ultimately pointing toward God’s glory more than our own. What encouraged or challenged you most from the sermon or this conversation, and why?