In Quieter Moments

There is a deep well of spiritual connection that is available to us, but we often overlook the chance to spend personal time with God.  How could dedicated time that we share only between us and God shape the rest of our daily lives?  What could our lives be like if we had a more intimate and vital personal relationship with God?  This week we’ll explore several important ways that we can experience God beyond Sunday mornings, learning how to feel and rely more on the presence of God in our lives.  Watch Full Service Discussion Guide  To view the Leader Guide for this week, click here. To view a .docx version of this guide, click here. Begin your time together with prayer  Introduction  Take some intentional time to discuss what you determined you will be more involved in when it comes to serving, being in community with others, and/or generosity, like we talked about last week. How is that going? This week we will be discussing being intentional to spend time with God.  Connect   What was one small moment from this week that was meaningful or made you feel grateful?   When you really need to focus on something (work, school, hobby, etc.), what do you do? What helps you block out distractions?  Opening   Life moves quickly and it can be hard to stay focused on what really matters. Between distractions, worries, and our own plans, our connection with Jesus can easily get pushed to the side so we it is important to stop and take a moment of quiet to spend time talking to God. He wants us to commit our lives to Him and remain connected and when we do this, we find it easier to notice how he brings growth we could never make happen on our own. Just like our other relationships, this time spent helps us get closer to Jesus.   This leads us to our main idea for this week:  We can develop a rich personal relationship with Jesus.  Unpack  Read each set of verses out loud as a group, making observations as you go. Afterward discuss each of the connected questions before moving to the next set of verses:  Read   Lamentations 3:25-26  Psalm 37:4-5  What stood out to you about these verses?   Lamentations says the Lord is good to those who depend on Him. What helps you depend on God in your daily life?  Why do you think depending on God with everything makes a person’s life different?  How do we do this if we can’t see what He’s doing?  Read   Colossians 4:2  Matthew 6:5-8  John 15:4-8  What do you think being “devoted to prayer” looks like in a real, practical way for you?   How does knowing that God already understands your needs change the way you approach Him?  Why do you think Jesus said to go somewhere quiet and by yourself when you pray?   How can this help to keep prayer intentional and personal instead of just a routine?   Action Step   Identify when you can best spend time alone in prayer with God each day,  then prioritize that time this week.  Try to plan this time when it naturally already fits into your schedule. If you wake up early, spend some time during the morning to be alone in prayer with God. If midday or evening is best, do it then! The goal is to make it a priority so using your current schedule will be easiest for that.  If you don’t know what to pray about or find yourself getting stuck, you can read through the Bible and pray about what you are reading.   i.e.: The Daily Devotional section this week is found entirely in Psalms, you can breathe, say these psalms out loud as a prayer, then listen to how God responds during your time with him this week.   If you already have a regular “quiet time” with God, try to spend more time listening to what God is saying to you, rather than speaking in prayer. Sometimes the best way we can get close to Jesus is to listen to what he is trying to tell us.    Closing   Taking intentional moments to stop and spend time with God is important. Just like any meaningful relationship, the more attention and care we give, the closer we become and feel connected to him. And as we stay connected, His presence begins to influence not only the choices we make but also the way we think, respond, and see the world around us. This week, try to spend quiet, intentional moments with God so your relationship with Jesus grows and try to establish this as a rhythm in your daily life.   Pray Together  Pray for the Missionary Focus this week, then take prayer requests from your group and conclude your time in prayer for your group.  Missionary Focus Dennis & Denise Ahern Since 1992, the Aherns have provided counseling and care to missionaries in more than forty countries. Prayer Requests:    To continue to thoughtfully care for ministry workers with counseling and spiritual direction    For personal wisdom for Denise and Dennis as they lead their ministry     Spend a few minutes in prayer for The Aherns Reflection Verse for the Week   *Read this verse, then encourage the practice of reflection and memorization through the week.  Psalms 143:8  “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”  **When practiced consistently, memorizing Bible verses can be an important spiritual practice that centers your mind around the truth that God has given us.  Daily Devotional Verses   Use the S.O.A.P. method to reflect on the verses below.  Scripture: Read the verses several times. Reading out loud can be helpful as well. Observation: What can you see about the scripture you read? Application: What is God wanting you to believe, do, or feel, based on what you have read? Prayer: This is a chance to talk to God about what you have read and ask him for help in living out what you’ve learned.  Day 1: Psalm 150:1-6  Day 2: Psalm 18:1-2  Day 3: Psalm 113:1-9  Day 4: Psalm 19:7-10  Day 5: Psalm 69:16-18  Day 6: Psalm 142:1-7  The post In Quieter Moments appeared first on Journey of Faith.