Week 2: Unanswered Prayer
February 15 - 21 (Monday-Sunday)
Open with Prayer: Invite the Holy Spirit to be present, illuminate the Scriptures, and to have Jesus’ will be done today in the group.
Talk Together: (5-10 minutes) In groups of 2-3 ask the following questions:
Last week we talked about praying without ceasing. What was your experience as your practiced this? Talk about any challenges that you faced.
What did you learn about God in the process? What did you learn about yourself?
Going forward, what could it look like to spend more of your day with God tomorrow than you did today?
Read this Overview: (5 minutes) Read this overview to the whole Group:
One of the greatest and most annoying things about God is how He answers our prayers. Sometimes it seems like God is not getting with the program and doing what we need Him to do. Have you ever felt that way? It is okay to feel that way at times. With time, perspective, and a little bit of wisdom, most of us will come to realize that when God does not give us what we want, it’s for our own good. But what about when God does not seem to show up in the times that deeply matter? What about the money for tuition that never came in for your friend? What about the healing for a loved one that never came through? What about the need for social justice? What do we do when God does not seem to be answering our prayers? Have you ever experienced this?
How do we live in the waiting? How do we live in the tension between Jesus’ promise that, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it,” and the reality of our experience with unanswered prayer? Really, the question is: How do we live in the space of faith and doubt, hope and despair, expectation and frustration?
Rather than give an answer to this large existential question, let me provide you with something God’s people have done for centuries: pray together. A part of prayer is coming together with things that seem unanswered and bring them again before God. Sometimes we do not need a full answer; rather, we need people with us along the journey. Let’s take some time to process together.
For further study, read: Mark 11:24, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Philippians 4:6-7.
To think more about the questions of unanswered prayer read God on Mute by Pete Greig or watch the following sermon by Pastor John Mark Comer: https://vimeo.com/219603190
Talk Together: (5-10 minutes) In groups of 2-3 ask the following questions:
How can God use unanswered prayers to stretch our faith?
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul was able to accept God’s apparent ‘no’ and trust Him. How do we arrive to the place where we can say, “God, your grace is sufficient for me” when God does not seem to answer or says no?
Process the following statement, “Sometimes we do not need a full answer; rather, we need people with us along the journey.”
Dive In (25 minutes):
Take a minute to be quiet before God. Ask the Holy Spirit to make Himself known and to speak to each person in the room.
Ask everyone in the room to write down these three questions:
What prayers has God not answered that we need to keep praying about?
What prayers has God said ‘no’ to that we need to trust Him with?
What are prayers that God has answered that we can thank Him for?
Pray, “Father, you know what we need before we ask and you never miss a thing. We admit that we get tired, discouraged, and forgetful in our prayer life. Would you help us as we learn to pray? We respond to your love with our lives.”
Give a few minutes for people to listen to the Holy Spirit and write down their reflections and answers to the 3 above questions. Words, pictures, verses, or phrases may come to mind. Some people may experience a feeling or an emotion. Be open to different ways that God may speak to each person.
Share as a group what God spoke to you about one or two of the questions.
End by praying together for various prayer requests and needs among the group.
Remember, “Sometimes we do not need a full answer; rather, we need people with us along the journey.”
This Week’s Practice:
This week’s practice is to continue in unanswered prayer. Pray about the three questions above each day this week.
What prayers has God not answered that we need to keep praying about?
What prayers has God said ‘no’ to that we need to trust Him with?
What are prayers that God has answered that we can thank Him for?
Close Your Time in Prayer.