This Sunday Pastor Rob preaches from Matthew 26 where we see Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane moments before he was arrested and crucified. This week’s message challenges us to keep praying when God doesn’t seem to answer you or outright says “no.” Watch this week’s message and see reflection questions below.
1. Warmup/Icebreaker
- How has thinking about fasting impacted your life lately? Has there been any further consideration to fast or new action steps taken?
2. Reflect on the Message
- Have you ever prayed to God out of deep desperation? If so, share your experience with the group. If you are currently in that season, take time as a group to pray together and encourage one another.
3. Scripture Engagement
Read Matthew 26:36-56
- Reflect on the verses 37-38, 40-41 where Jesus asked for His friends to pray for Him. Why is it hard for us to ask our friends to pray for us? Think about how important it is for us to pray for one another and how this was demonstrated through the Son of God asking His friends to pray for Him.
4. Personal Connection
Pastor Rob poses these questions to us in this Sunday’s sermon:
- Do we pray like Jesus?
- Are we prepared to go deep into the night to lean into God and intercede for one another in prayer?
- Are you willing to surrender to God’s will when what you want does not align with what God wants for you.
- Take time as an individual to journal down your answers.
5. Practical Application
- How might God be inviting your group to intercede more for one another. What would it look like for your group to commit to praying for one another “like Jesus” this week.
- Are you willing to surrender to God’s will regardless of how He answers your requests? If not, what is holding you back?
6. Group Prayer Time
- What areas in your life do you need to desperately pray for? Split into groups of 2-3 and share with one another. Commit to praying throughout the week for each other’s desperate prayer. If our hearts are not yet ready to surrender to God’s will, pray that our hearts' desires would start to shift and begin to align with God’s heart desires for us.
- As a group, pray that God would stir in our hearts a passion to pray and intercede for one another.
Questions written by: Annabella Sills
