Intercessory Prayer
LG Leader Guide
Welcome
Briefly welcome the group & pray before eating.
Welcome to life group! Life group is a safe, committed community to walk out our journey with Jesus together. Let’s pray and then eat!
Dinner Discussion (30-40 mins)
Usually dinner discussion will focus on reflecting on last week’s practice. Tonight, spend time first connecting with each other before diving into more focused discussion on last weeks’ topic. Here are some questions to get you started. Encourage people to share, not report.
Welcome to life group! Life group is a safe, committed community to walk out our journey with Jesus together. Let’s pray and then eat!
Dinner Discussion (30-40 mins)
Usually dinner discussion will focus on reflecting on last week’s practice. Tonight, spend time first connecting with each other before diving into more focused discussion on last weeks’ topic. Here are some questions to get you started. Encourage people to share, not report.
- What were some of the challenges or distractions you faced while doing the Prayer of Examen?
- Share one way you felt you grew in peace or power through last week’s Practice.
- What did you think of the idea of “contending” in prayer? Have you ever done that with God?
- So far, what is this practice of prayer stirring up in your heart about your relationship with the Father?
- Does anybody have a story of answered prayer?
Vision / Prayer / Bible Reading
Vision & Prayer (5 mins) (optional)
This is to help transition into the night’s practice.
Tonight, we’re focusing on intercessory prayer. We'll do this together by making and engaging with prayer lists. Let’s first pray over the evening again.
Father, help us to have open eyes to see you, ourselves, and others clearly.
Jesus, help us to engage each other in light of your sacrificial love.
Holy Spirit, help us to walk in your grace and power.
Amen.
Bible reading (10 mins)
Together, read Luke 11:1-13 out loud. Leave time after for reflection.
Here are some questions to think about while listening to the passage. This is not for discussion but for individual reflection.
This is to help transition into the night’s practice.
Tonight, we’re focusing on intercessory prayer. We'll do this together by making and engaging with prayer lists. Let’s first pray over the evening again.
Father, help us to have open eyes to see you, ourselves, and others clearly.
Jesus, help us to engage each other in light of your sacrificial love.
Holy Spirit, help us to walk in your grace and power.
Amen.
Bible reading (10 mins)
Together, read Luke 11:1-13 out loud. Leave time after for reflection.
Here are some questions to think about while listening to the passage. This is not for discussion but for individual reflection.
- Which words or phrases resonate with you or your season of life at this moment?
- What do I need to remember, sit in, or practice in light of the text? What does this mean for my life today?
Practice: Practicing His Presence using the Prayer of Examen
Overview (5 mins. Read through this together.)
Intercession is a form of prayer that finds its home in our desperation and desire to see God radically move – to change both lives and circumstances around us. Simply put, intercession is the place where we join with Jesus in praying for God’s will to be done in the lives and circumstances of those we love “on earth as it is in heaven.”
In this Practice you are bringing people, including yourself, and circumstances before God, and then waiting. We wait on the Holy Spirit to show us how to pray in order that we would be able to pray God’s will. We ask the Spirit to quiet our perspective and desires, since they are much smaller than God’s, and we allow Jesus to shape the reality into which we pray. It’s in this space that we boldly pray, “Your will be done” (Matt. 6v10) Remember that God’s will always looks like heaven coming to earth – life over death, healing over sickness, freedom over bondage, and so on…
But it doesn't stop there. Intercession sometimes means that we contend or wrestle with God in prayer until we “win” or until we see the outcome that we desire. To be clear, contending doesn't mean that we always get what we want, but if we really do believe prayer moves the hand of God, then we have to press into this reality and trust that God will hear us and will respond.
Intercession isn’t easy because it requires faith, persistence, and boldness. It will demand that we pray from a place of confidence in God and his ability to not only patch things up, but to completely redeem them. It’s through this type of prayer that we see miracles happen, freedom given, and lives rescued and changed forever.
Intercessory Prayer (10-30 mins) (need paper and writing utensils)
Break up into smaller groups (3-4 people) and designate a leader within that group. Put away your phones or any other distractions and get comfortable.
ONE: In your smaller group, make a prayer list together - a short list of people or circumstances where you desire to see God radically move.
TWO: Invite the Holy Spirit to come and teach you to pray…
THREE: Spend just a minute or two in silence as a group.
FOUR: Thank God for these three realities:
FIVE: Pray through your prayer list.
SIX: Pray through “the room.”
SEVEN: Close in a prayer of gratitude and expectation.
Practice for the coming week (5 mins. Read through this together.)
The practice for the coming week is to use your own intercession prayer list to regularly contend for the things God has placed before you. Initially, set aside a prayer time without distractions to make a short list of the people, places, or circumstances God is placing on your heart for him to radically move. Then in the following days use your prayer list as a guide to step into intercession. You can either spend focused time on one item daily or pray through the list. It can be helpful to use the same process as was used as a group:
Intercession is a form of prayer that finds its home in our desperation and desire to see God radically move – to change both lives and circumstances around us. Simply put, intercession is the place where we join with Jesus in praying for God’s will to be done in the lives and circumstances of those we love “on earth as it is in heaven.”
In this Practice you are bringing people, including yourself, and circumstances before God, and then waiting. We wait on the Holy Spirit to show us how to pray in order that we would be able to pray God’s will. We ask the Spirit to quiet our perspective and desires, since they are much smaller than God’s, and we allow Jesus to shape the reality into which we pray. It’s in this space that we boldly pray, “Your will be done” (Matt. 6v10) Remember that God’s will always looks like heaven coming to earth – life over death, healing over sickness, freedom over bondage, and so on…
But it doesn't stop there. Intercession sometimes means that we contend or wrestle with God in prayer until we “win” or until we see the outcome that we desire. To be clear, contending doesn't mean that we always get what we want, but if we really do believe prayer moves the hand of God, then we have to press into this reality and trust that God will hear us and will respond.
Intercession isn’t easy because it requires faith, persistence, and boldness. It will demand that we pray from a place of confidence in God and his ability to not only patch things up, but to completely redeem them. It’s through this type of prayer that we see miracles happen, freedom given, and lives rescued and changed forever.
Intercessory Prayer (10-30 mins) (need paper and writing utensils)
Break up into smaller groups (3-4 people) and designate a leader within that group. Put away your phones or any other distractions and get comfortable.
ONE: In your smaller group, make a prayer list together - a short list of people or circumstances where you desire to see God radically move.
- Any crises or emergencies in your Community
- Any illness, financial needs, etc. in your Community
- Any areas in which people need healing in their marriage or in their families.
TWO: Invite the Holy Spirit to come and teach you to pray…
THREE: Spend just a minute or two in silence as a group.
- Let your mind calm down.
- Slow your breathing. Take big deep breaths to join your mind and body in focus on God.
- Just spend a few moments “being with” God.
FOUR: Thank God for these three realities:
- God is your “Father.” He has good intentions toward you. He cares about everything in your life - small and large.
- God is “in heaven” - here, now, as close as the air up against your skin.
- Your prayers really do make a difference.
FIVE: Pray through your prayer list.
- Have each person in the group take on at least one prayer.
SIX: Pray through “the room.”
- Close your eyes and open your mind to the Holy Spirit.
- Picture yourself in a room with the Father or Jesus.
- Next, invite the Holy Spirit to bring a specific person or circumstance that he wants you to pray about “into the room.”
- Next, ask the Father/Jesus what He wants you to know about the person/circumstance.
- Ask him how he wants you to pray and what he wants you to ask for (on their behalf or in the circumstance)
- Ask him to increase your faith, and then pray with boldness according to what the Spirit has shown you or said.
SEVEN: Close in a prayer of gratitude and expectation.
Practice for the coming week (5 mins. Read through this together.)
The practice for the coming week is to use your own intercession prayer list to regularly contend for the things God has placed before you. Initially, set aside a prayer time without distractions to make a short list of the people, places, or circumstances God is placing on your heart for him to radically move. Then in the following days use your prayer list as a guide to step into intercession. You can either spend focused time on one item daily or pray through the list. It can be helpful to use the same process as was used as a group:
- Set aside any distractions.
- Invite the Holy Spirit and spend a couple of minutes becoming aware of his presence and just being with God.
- Thank God for the reality of him as a good Father, who is active and present, and cares about the things we ask for.
- Pray about your item or through your list. Be mindful of anything the Holy Spirit has shown or said about the people or circumstances - praying with faith and boldness.
- End in gratitude and expectation.
Closing
End in a time of prayer, sharing short prayer requests if time permits.