Your Growth Group #5, Discover Prayer

Imagine this: Crisis strikes your family. You are unsure how things will turn out, but one thing you do know is that you need the Lord's help. Who do you call for prayer? For some, this may be an easy question. For others, this question draws a blank because you don't have a lot of praying friends or family. 

This scenario is one of the reasons why it is so important for you to be engaged in a growth group. Growth groups provide an opportunity for Christian community, and this involves praying for one another. You will know if you are in a good group if the members take prayer seriously and regularly and fervently pray for one other (and not just during emergencies).

Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is expressing faith. When we pray for each other, we are talking to God for one another. E.M. Bounds says, "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." When we pray for one another, we show we love one another because we are asking the Lord of all goodness to bless them from the stores of His grace (James 1:17). 

When we pray together, we are united in faith. Praying for one another and with each other brings us closer together and closer to the Lord. Deep and meaningful friendships form when we are willing to go to the throne of heaven for others and we know that others are going before the Lord for us as well.

My dream for our growth groups is that they would go beyond casual exchanging of prayer requests and short little group prayers and grow to fervent group prayer. Wouldn't it be something to see a group come together in addition to Sunday morning for the purpose of prayer. It would be grand to see group prayers answered and the faith of group members bolstered. 

How can groups grow in prayer? Members have to believe it's powerful and effective. They have to believe it is worthy of their time. Members have to be willing to let down their guard with each other and trust each other. 

If you want to see your growth group grow in prayer, then find like-minded members in the group and talk to your growth group leader to help you form a plan to foster prayer in the group. Before you do even this, pray and ask the Lord to lead you.