Rooted
Life with OTHERS | week 3

For the Participant

As we think about Life with Others, we talked last time about discovering your spiritual gifts as a way to engage community life. Today, we want to give you another tool to engage in community life—and that is to learn to pray for one another.

Learning objective: to be equipped to pray for anyone, anywhere, at any time and see the power and presence of God show up in a meaningful way.

Prior to meeting with your mentor or small group, please do the following:

WATCH:
READ:
  • “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” (John 5:19–23, NIV)

    “At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.” (Luke 4:40, NIV)

    The Bible clearly teaches us to pray with the understanding that God acts in response to prayer he has inspired. When Jesus urged his disciples to “pray in his name,” he was urging them to pray as his representatives, as those who have an understanding of his will. Certainly it would be the height of presumption to do or say anything “in his name” without a corresponding conviction that it is just what Jesus would want in the situation. Through prayer we become participants with God in his work in the world. In other words, prayer changes things. God doesn’t change, but we believe that God changes circumstances and changes us through our prayers. Prayer makes a difference because prayer is a means God has provided to bring the influence of his kingdom. This reflects the fact that we were created to be partners with God; we were meant to represent him and his interests, to seek to understand his purposes and cooperate with them. Of course, God remains God while we are only and forever his creatures.
    In order to pray “in his name,” we have a responsibility to actively seek to understand his will. Too often, we pray halfheartedly because we lack any conviction regarding God’s will in a given situation. The phrase “if it by they will” doesn’t excuse us from the responsibility to seek him so we can pray according to his will. At worst, the practice of sprinkling our prayers with “if it be thy will” may simple be a cover for deeply felt unbelief regarding God’s probably activity in a given area such as healing, for example.

    —Rich Nathan, Empowered Evangelicals, pg.87
Click here to submit your reflection questions
WRITE AND REFLECT:
Rooted Content

When you consider laying hands on and praying for someone else, what do you imagine happening? What do you feel—excitement, anxiety?

What experience do you have praying for people through the laying on of hands?

Jesus reveals in John 5 that ministry is about “Doing what we see the Father doing”—and God loves to show us what He is up to! How does this help shift your focus off yourself when considering praying for others?

Because we want to respond to what God is doing, praying for others often involves listening quietly. We also want to perceive what God is doing, so we encourage people to pray with their eyes open as God’s Presence often manifests physically in a person (ex. fluttering of the eyes, trembling, sweating). Both are counterintuitive practices for many. Which will feel most challenging for you—listening quietly during prayer or keeping your eyes open? Why?

The Bible Project Content

How would you describe the Holy Spirit?

The biblical word for God’s Spirit is connected to the concept of _________.

What does God’s Spirit do?

Why was the Holy Spirit given to certain people?

Trace the empowerment of God’s Spirit in people through the Scriptures: beginning in the Old Testament and into the New Testament.

What is the work of the Holy Spirit today?
TAKE ACTION:
Practice the Prayer Model outlined in the video by praying for someone this week. Out loud. With your eyes open. If you are nervous to do it alone, ask somebody who looks like they know what they are doing if you can pray with them for somebody. Journal about your experience.

See the Appendix for an outline of the Prayer Model. This is not a magic formula; rather, we have found that it enables us to listen to the Holy Spirit and partner with God in what He is doing in a person’s life.

For the coach/mentor

As we think about Life with Others, we talked last time about discovering your spiritual gifts as a way to engage community life. Today, we want to give you another tool to engage in community life—and that is to learn to pray for one another.
Learning objective: to be equipped to pray for anyone, anywhere, at any time and see the power and presence of God show up in a meaningful way.
Coaching objective: to get participants to pray for someone this week.
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW
  • Thanks so much for here today. 
  • This week you should have covered week six in your Participant Guide and Biblical Study Guide and sent me your homework.
  • Can I have 2-3 people share from their homework in week six? How connected do you feel to the church in the way you serve? Did anyone take the spiritual gifts test and want to share the results?
  • This week introduces you the second tangible practice to foster Life with Others—and that prayer for one another.
COACHING: 10-15 MINUTES
  • Preferably, prior to your coaching session you’ve read the participants homework. As you do so, pray for God to highlight a few people from what they’ve written in the homework. This will give you a jumping off point for coaching.
  • I’d love to do some coaching around the topic of praying for others. Ask if you can coach a specific person (whom you identified from the homework).
  • Ideas to coach around: someone who has never prayed out loud for another through the laying on of hands; someone who feels stuck in the process of how to ask or how to pray; someone who feels it’s “not for me” maybe because they aren’t “gifted” to do it.
  • Potential questions to ask:
    • I’m curious: share with me what your experience and background is with regard to the Holy Spirit and praying for others.
    • Have you ever laid hands-on and prayed for someone? If so, tell me about that experience? How did you see God show up?
    • If they have never prayed for someone: what could you imagine happening if you courageously asked to pray for someone? How might God show up? What’s the worst that might happen (is that so bad)?
    • If they are stuck in the process: where do you feel stuck? What are some ideas for how you could get unstuck? Who can help with this?
    • If they don’t feel they are “gifted” to pray for others: share more about your belief that you have to have a certain gift to pray for others…help me understand? I believe praying for others is one of the universal jobs of every Christian—like giving and serving. What might God want to do in you by engaging in this practice?
    • What action are you willing to take this week around praying for others?
WRAPPING UP
  • Thanks so much for engaging today. I’m excited for the journey each of you are on in your Life with God. 
  • Let me pray to close us out for the night…alternatively, you can do prayer ministry for an individual or break the group up and have them pray for one another
Top of Page
Back to Main Rooted Page