Suggested questions — feel free to pick and choose, or come up with your own. You can also find the video script online here.
Q1: Can you share any answers to prayer that you’ve had recently (big or small) to encourage others?
Q2: What are you praying for that you haven’t yet seen an answer to yet? Has it become a source of pain, disappointment, or even despair for you; or do you have peace that God is in control and has heard your prayer?
Q3: Romans 12:12 says “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” which reminds us that while we constantly pray, we still need to be patient in all our troubles. In what ways do you think this verse is meant to comfort us?
Q4: Has God ever answered your prayers in a way you just didn’t expect, or in a way that was different to what you had hoped for? Or have you struggled to see this dynamic at play? (I often think the way God responds to prayer can be quite surprising, subtle and nuanced, and doesn’t always fit the idea that he always responds with a “yes”, “no” or “later”.)
Q5: For those of us that have battled in prayer over many years, how do we marry a sense of ‘holy dissatisfaction’ — that we want to see more and more of God’s kingdom come — with a sense of peace and calm when our prayers seem to go unanswered?
Q6: Have you ever prayed for your own sanctification — for God to change you, to re-mould and reform you and make you more like Jesus? And how have you seen God answer those prayers?
— Have you ever thought that this desire to be holy within you might in fact conflict or interfere with other prayers you pray?
Q7: You might describe contentment as a sense of inner peace — even when outer circumstances are bad. As 1 Timothy says “Godliness with contentment is great gain”. To what extent do you feel an overall sense of contentment as a Christian? And why is this important?
Back to Treasures of Darkness