Carry His Mercy Well (07.22.19)
Opening Silence
Open in prayer and then sit in 3 minutes of silence to shift focus toward this time of seeking God and practicing the way of Jesus.
Prayer of Examen
Prayerfully reflect about your life in the last day or week for 5-15 minutes. Consider journaling in a notebook or on your phone if it will help you focus.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to His working presence in your life today.
- Recount your day or week by looking for God’s goodness in the simple, mundane things.
- Look for times when you were aware of God as well as times when you were distracted or unaware of Him—or even resistant to Him.
- In times you were aware of God, what does the Lord want you to know? In times when you were unaware or resistant to Him, in what ways is God inviting you to express sorrow for sin and ask for forgiveness?
- Pray for the grace to be more fully available to God, who loves you totally.
- For the last couple minutes, transition to wordless, silent contemplation, resting in God’s presence, enjoying God, and abiding in Christ’s presence.
Take some time to share what you experienced in this examen with a friend or your group.
Hearing & Responding to Scripture
Slowly read through this Sunday’s core teaching Scripture: Mark 4:35-5:20. This narrative focuses on Jesus and His disciples traveling by boat through a storm to a place where Jesus delivers a man from demons. Sunday’s teaching emphasized the merciful and compassionate example of Jesus to serve the needy — even those we would never expect.
Prayerfully reflect with these questions for 5-10 minutes, and discuss with a partner or group:
- What stood out or surprised you in this passage of Scripture?
- What might God be trying to communicate to His people and to you specifically through this Scripture?
- In honest response to God, tell Him how His message affects you. What do you want God to know or see that is happening in your life?
- Who might the Spirit be prompting you to pray for and serve? What action might the Holy Spirit be asking you to take?
Intercessory Prayer
Take a moment to intercede with prayers of mercy: for one another, for those you know who need prayer, and for God’s will to be done in our city. Consider building a prayer list of those you want to commit to praying for consistently.