Pray First: Praying in times of Pain (Week 3)

Worship: Listen to “I Speak Jesus by Charity Gayle” during group worship or your personal devotional time. Reflect on the lyrics that describe how faithful and good our God is. That He is both Father and Friend to us, He never leaves us, even through the tough times, those dark nights, He is with us. There’s nothing we can do to fully repay Him for what He does, all we can do is to praise Him with every breath that we have, giving Him thanks and the Glory always.

Check-In: Share the names of those you are praying for or that you have already invited to one of the Easter services. Ps Daniel shared this Sunday some “how to” of inviting people to join us… by listening to what they have said and responding to this with empathy and the invitation to join you – we all know someone who is going through something, just moved into the area or in need of a community. Spend time praying for the names of those you are inviting during the check-in time.

Bible Readings: 2 Chronicles 4:14; 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Hebrews 4:15-16; Matthew 5:3; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Romans 8:26-27; Genesis 26:12-13; Genesis 12:2; Acts 2:17; 2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Luke 10:19.

Preparation and Discussion for Group Time:
This Sunday in “Pray First”, Ps Pedro taught us how we can pray when we are in pain. Taken from the prayer of Jabez found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV), this prayer shows us the power of rising above our pain and asking God for the things we know He truly wants for our lives. Let’s lean into this scripture and focus on God instead of our problems. As we seek God, let’s fully expect Him to grant us blessing, influence, presence, and protection.

Read 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)
“Jabez was more honourable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

Let’s make prayer practical by taking time in our group to share what God has been speaking to us about for our lives and then taking time to pray into these areas. Pair up and spend time praying for one another at the end of group in the checkout.

• Pray for blessing. Prosperity: Having more than I need so I can make an eternal difference in the lives of others. (Genesis 12:2)
• Pray for influence. Ministry: Living out my faith for the benefit of others. (Acts 2:17)
• Pray for presence. Anointing: Living my life with God’s power so I can live a supernatural life. (2 Corinthians 3:5-6)
• Pray for protection. Spiritual Warfare: Confronting the enemy with the authority of God’s Name, the truth of the Word, and the power of the Cross. (Luke 10:19)

1. While God loves for us to talk to Him about our pain, and what’s on our heart, the prayer of Jabez turns our focus from our problems and onto what God has for us. How do you feel about this posture of prayer? Which prayer focus speaks to you the most, and why?
2. We are called to come before God in humility. If you have or had more than you need so that you could make a difference in the lives of others, what would you do? How does God stir you to be a blessing to others?
3. Over the past few weeks, we have spoken about places and spaces that we need to create to be able to come before God openly and honestly, bringing our humanity before Him. Share with the group about the space you have created or have been challenged to create and what your prayer time would look like if you spoke to God honestly about what is on your heart.

Check out and Prayer:
See practical prayer as we pray the Prayer of Jabez.

Love God:

• For personal study check out the PRAY FIRST resources on the website. You can download the PDF. Take time to invest in your own discipleship journey to grow deeper in your love for God and others.

• Want to know what’s happening for EASTER, then go to the home page of the website – there you will find the info about the times for Holy Week and Easter Services. You can download a devotional for all ages or an invitation to invite someone to join you. There is also a sign-up to serve for Easter as well. We have the opportunity to not just celebrate Easter and what it means, but to experience it by attending, inviting, and serving.

Love People:

• For upcoming next steps in your discipleship journey; like Baptism or serving. Sign up online at Church Center/ the website.
• Download an Easter Invite from the website to invite those you are praying for!

*Resources from Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands – Pray First.