Community group discussion guide Week of October 9, 2011 This Week’s Text: 1 Kings 18:41-46. This Week’s Focus: The prophet Elijah’s humble and effective prayer that brought rain to a dry land. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. James 5:16-18. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent, and such fervency ever speeds and returns with victory out of the field of prayer. The mightier any is in the Word, the more mighty he will be in prayer. William Gurnall. “Life is full and running over with opportunities to see God’s hand in little things. Only the most sensitive of His servants see them, smile and live on tiptoe. Charles Swindoll. Related Texts: Joshua 23:14, James 5:16-18. Observations and Questions for Discussion: What has God spoken to you about regarding the sermon? Share with your community group your earliest memories of prayer. What are some of the “universal” promises of God that are an encouragement to you? According to 1 Kings 18:1, Elijah knew that God would send rain. If God had promised to send rain, then why did Elijah need to pray earnestly for it? o Read also James 5:16-18. According to these verses, what was the key to the power in Elijah’s life? Do you pray, “expecting” to see the power and glory of God? If not, why not? One way to increase the effectiveness of prayer is to be humble. What does the life of Elijah and James 4:6-10 say about humility? How can humility help increase the effectiveness of our prayers? Praying with consistency also increases the effectiveness of our prayers. What do Jesus’ words in Luke 18:1-8 and the prayers of Elijah say about persistent prayer? Do you presently have prayers that are still unanswered? Have you given up on any prayers? Read James 1:6-8. How can praying with expectancy, belief and strong faith help increase the effectiveness of our prayers? Where have you seen God show Himself to be powerful and effective in your prayer life? Pastor Perry said that we should not be “sitting on the premises of God but standing on the promises of God”. Do you ever feel like God’s promises are for “others” but not you? What are the difficulties of “standing” on God’s promises? How does our scripture lesson enhance our understanding of God? The gospel? Living on mission? Our Response: Praise God for His promises! Ask God for wisdom as we seek in prayer to know Him and do His will. Ask God to increase our “faith” so that we pray with the expectation of seeing His power and glory. Repent of our lack of prayer and lack of faith in God’s promises. Prayer Focus: That we will be a people of persistent and expectant prayer, asking God to display His sovereign power and glory as we live on mission with Him. Next Week’s Text: Genesis 3. .