SERIES: 21 Days of Prayer
Week #3 – What Can We Expect from God in Response to Our Prayer and Fasting?
Daniel 9:1-19
BIG IDEA: God always responds to our prayer and fasting; reassuring us of his character, presence, and promises.
ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS:
Begin your session with prayer and use the following questions/discussion to get the conversation started…
How are you doing? How’s your heart? How’s your soul? How are you doing on the inside? One of the challenges in a time like this is to become so focused on the challenges before us and the uncertainty that awaits, that we lose sight of how God is working in the midst of it all.
Read Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” This verse reminds us of an important truth: The way we overcome evil in the world is not by focusing on the bad, but by focusing on and pursuing the good.
It’s easy to focus on the negative during a time like this, but let’s redirect our focus as we begin.
TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD! Take some time to go around and answer this question: What good are you seeing during this time of quarantine and crisis? How is God working for your good and for those your love?
Then take time to pray, thanking God for his goodness to us in this crazy time.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Re-read the key scripture passage and then use the following questions to guide your discussion.
- What was going on in Daniel’s world at the time of this prayer? What prompted his turning to God in this time?
- When hard times come, we can either run to God or to something else. Where do you run? Are you tempted to run to something other than God? If so, what? Why are we tempted to run to other things during hard times?
- What were the three parts of Daniels’ prayer? What can we learn from both how he prayed and what he prayed?
- What was God’s response to Daniel’s prayer?
- What does God’s response teach us about His character? What does God’s response teach us about what we can expect from Him?
- How have you seen God respond this way in your life during times of prayer and fasting? How has that strengthened your faith?
- Why does God sometimes not bring immediate relief or deliverance from a situation or trial? Has there been a time when God responded to your prayers, but did not bring immediate relief or deliverance? How did God work in your life during this time?
- Read Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 26:38-39. What does his example teach us when it comes to how we should pray during difficult times?
- How can we be reminded of God’s promises during difficult times – believing that they are both promised and true?
- What is your one take-away from this week’s message? What is God saying to you, specifically?
- What are you going to do in response to this Sunday’s message? How can you apply these truths to your life over the next seven days?
CLOSING RESPONSE:
This week begins with what’s often called Holy Week. It’s the week leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. If you’ve not joined in on the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting emphasis, it’s not too late. Start today!
- Download the 21 Days of Prayer Guide at www.bayarea.church
- Choose one meal each day to fast—set it aside for the Lord.
- Take time to pray during this meal time. Read the scripture for the day from the Prayer Guide and ask God to speak to you. Write down how God is speaking and how this is impacting the way you live.
As you conclude, take time to pray for your group. Pray for their needs, challenges, and celebrate the good that God is doing! Pray that God would empower them to take the next steps to respond to how He’s been speaking to their life. Pray for this next week – that as they read, pray, and fast – God would work in mighty ways in their life.
SCRIPTURES FROM THIS WEEK’S MESSAGE:
- Daniel 9:1-19, Deuteronomy 7:9, Matthew 26:38-39
NEXT WEEK’S MESSAGE: Certain Future Series Begins