A Prayer for Experiencing God (08.16.21)
Processing and responding to the Sunday sermon
Opening Prayer
After the group welcomes one another, have one person open in prayer and then take 2-3 minutes of silence. As you sit in silence, ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart in love toward God and your group mates.
Building Dedication
Sunday marked our first, full-open worship services in our church since March 2020, and it happened in our new church home! The sermon(s) Sunday emphasized how much we aim to dedicate our church building as a sacred space for experiencing God’s presence.
Today’s group guide invites your group to join in your own prayers of dedication for this new church home.
Practice: A Prayer of Dedication
Read aloud Psalm 73, a prayer on the transformative power of meeting God in His sanctuary. And then reflect on these prompts.
- How do you hope God meets you personally in this new church space? What needs or desires do you have that you hope for Him to respond to?
- If our church really experienced the real and tangible presence of God, how do you think that would transform us?
- What invitations into growth and transformation do you believe our congregation is invited into by moving into this new building?
After silently reflecting, take these thoughts into a time of group discussion.
- What are some hopes you have for yourself and our church in this new building?
Lastly, join together praying into a hopeful vision for this new church home, all together as a group. Offer your hopes and gratitude to Jesus.
Closing Intercession
Pray for your group, our church, our city, and our world.