Small Group Guide: A Life with Power and Prayer

Opening Prayer: Ask God to open your hearts and minds as you discuss the sermon and apply its teachings to your lives.

Key Takeaways:

1. Communicate with God in every circumstance - through prayer and praise.
2. Grace gives us the power to endure trials and difficulties.
3. Community prayer is powerful, especially when led by discerning church leaders.
4. The effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.
5. Confessing sins to one another and restoring those who have strayed are important aspects of Christian community.

Discussion Questions:

1. Pastor mentions struggling with leadership expectations while going through personal trials. How can we better support our church leaders and each other during difficult times?
2. How has prayer or praise helped you endure a challenging situation in your life?
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of intelligent, heartfelt prayer based on Scripture. How can we improve the quality of our prayers?
4. Discuss a time when you experienced the power of community prayer. How did it impact your faith?
5. Why do you think people often hesitate to confess their sins to others? How can we create a safe environment for confession and accountability in our group?
6. Pastor Rino uses the example of Elijah to illustrate persistence in prayer. Share an experience where you had to persist in prayer before seeing an answer.

Practical Applications:

1. Commit to starting each day with prayer and Scripture reading for the next week. Share your experiences at the next meeting.
2. Partner with another group member for prayer and accountability this week. Check in with each other daily.
3. Practice "storing up praise" instead of troubles. Each day, write down three things you're grateful for and thank God for them.
4. Identify someone in your life who may be drifting away from faith. Commit to praying for them daily and reaching out to them this week.
5. As a group, plan a prayer meeting focused on the needs of your church and community.

Closing Prayer: Thank God for His grace and the power of prayer. Ask for His help in applying the lessons learned from this sermon in your daily lives.