Discussion questions for Life Groups based on the Sunday sermon.
(Updated weekly)
November 17, 2024
*** This guide intentionally has more questions than your group could reasonably discuss in one meeting. Feel free to pick and choose questions that best encourage, challenge, and instruct your particular participants.
Read Philippians 4:4-7
1. Based on the scriptures Rob used in his sermon, we see that God hears us, knows us, has the power to do all things, and cares for His people. How can resting in the power of the very God who spoke the entire universe and all it contains into existence and holds all things together give us hope and opportunities for praise?
2. Prayer is a gift from God, an ability to talk directly to the almighty possessor of the entire universe. Do you squander that gift? Can you overuse it?
3. Philippians 4:6 warns us to not be anxious about anything and to approach prayer with thanksgiving so that we can have “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.” How can we be thankful even in our requests and supplications for issues or circumstances which emotionally cause us grief, stress, worry and concern?
4. Prayer can affect more than your anxiety. What other effects of prayer are there?
5. Read Deuteronomy 6:6-9. God’s people are being told to love Him, at all times, and to do things that constantly remind them about loving Him. Should prayer be this way too? Prayer is communicating with the God we love, so try inserting prayer into these verses and see if the instruction remains the same. What can you do to work towards these commands?
6. Do you find it easier to approach God in prayer when times are hard versus taking time just to praise Him in your prayer? Take time as a group to go around the room and offer prayers of nothing but praise and thanksgiving to God.
7. We already know that being alone, physically, can have many detrimental effects. We need some physical contact with other people in our lives. What about being alone spiritually? If you are not communicating with God, what do you think that does to you?
8. Do you believe God hears and answers prayer? What attributes of God and historical works that He has performed help to bolster our faith that He is a God who hears us and always does what is right? Why do we sometimes doubt when offering our prayers?
9. Read Philippians 4:8. What does this command show about how we should think? How should that affect your prayer life? Is your prayer life dominated by asking for healing? Do you spend more time asking for things, or thanking for things?
10. Discuss the promise made in Philippians 4:9.
11. When God does not give us the answer to prayer that we want, how can we have peace in that? Can you think of examples where God’s answer was better than the answer you wanted? How about a time when God’s answer was opposite of what you wanted, yet He still did great and unexpected things?
12. Imagine if you bought your spouse, or child, a brand-new cell phone, and they just left it in the box and never used it. They never called you, never asked for help when they were in trouble, and never called to talk about how they were sad and needed your help. They told other people all these things, but not you. Would the phone seem like a waste? Are there any correlations between this analogy and your prayer life?
13. Do you have certain patterns or practices of prayer that you have found to be helpful and encouraging to you that you can share with others in the group who may be struggling with prayer?
