Prayer Walk-CA
EXPERIENCE PRAYER WALK 2 - Effective Prayer What Do I Need to Know About this Study? James 5:12-18
Background Powerful, Effective Prayer In these verses James puts an accent on “effective” prayer, mentioning “the prayer of faith” and that the “prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” In chapter 1, he mentioned that the prayer of the “double-minded,” or doubting man, is ineffective. It’s not the major concern of James that our prayers may go unanswered, it’s that he sees ineffective prayer as indicative of a lack of faith, righteousness and humility. The wise and mature believer, whose faith is fully integrated with his actions, sees his prayers answered. That’s what James means when he describes the “righteous man” whose prayers are effective.
What the Big Idea? The wise and mature believer is humbly reliant upon God and his faith is fully integrated with his actions – he “walks as he talks.” This is the “righteous man” whose prayers are powerful and effective.
That doesn’t mean that God always says ‘yes’ to our requests or always provides healing when we ask, but the principle that “the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective” is true.
Objectives • Give students the opportunity to practice the discipline of prayer together • Gain together a heart for the campus • Going deeper in the passage in James; discovering powerful and effective prayer
Leader’s Preparation • Prepare a route around campus that people will follow in their prayer walk, preferably to places where there will be a number of students or key buildings on campus. • Arrange a place to regroup and discuss the exercise. • How are you going pray for others with a humble heart? As you go about your week, take time to see those around you as God sees them, and respond in prayer.
Continued on page 2
EXPERIENCE
Time Guide Comments for leading the group 1. Make sure to remind your group to be aware that other people may be able to hear them as they walk and pray so be sensitive to that. Walk with your eyes open :) and appearing to be having a conversation with each other. 2. Recognize that students in your group may be at different places in terms of how practiced they are in group prayer and how confident they feel. Acknowledge this and create an environment of grace, reminding them that God is not so concerned with the words you are using but the attitude of your heart. 3. Encourage them to have simple and specific prayers, but also that prayer is simply talking to God. Be real with Him. 4. Give them ideas of what to pray for. Perhaps print out a campus map, a list of clubs on your campus, or send people to areas where their faculty is located. Before breaking into smaller groups to prayer walk around campus: Take 10 minutes to “expose the need” by looking up the Scripture Study together (see next page).
Regrouping after the Walk Share how each person found the exercise, what God showed you, any insights God gave you or how you felt. Discuss ideas on continuing to develop a heart for your campus, and how to be continually in prayer for your campus. Some ideas might be praying whenever you see your school’s name, having a day of the week that you pray for your campus, or praying whenever you’re walking on your own between classes.
Getting Connected—5 minutes Expose The Need—10 minutes Prayer Walk—20 minutes Regroup—15 minutes
EXPERIENCE
Scripture Study Matthew 9:35-10:1
Describe someone you know who truly exhibits a life of humble dependence. What is he like? How does he live out humble dependence? Besides humility, what qualities characterize his life?
Read James 5:13-18 1. Why do you think James emphasizes the community aspect of prayer rather than our personal prayer life? 2. James is concerned about ‘effective’, ‘humble’ and ‘reliant’ prayer. How does communal prayer uniquely address these? 3. When James refers to a “righteous man” what does he mean by ‘righteous’?
ANSWERS 1. Allow the group to answer, some thoughts are: It is powerful, effective and requires humble reliance. 2. James emphasizes the community dimension of prayer, perhaps due in part to his other two concerns: “effective” prayer and “humble” prayer. Jesus said, “where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20), so we know that communal prayer is both powerful and effective. Communal prayer is also humbling, unless you don’t find confessing your sins others humbling. 3. In light of what James has been saying throughout his book, the “righteous person” is the wise and mature believer, whose faith is fully integrated with his actions.
Note: Don’t spend too much time on the Scripture Study as you want at least 15-20 minutes to Prayer Walk as a group.
Created by P2C-Students Adapted from Cru.comm 'James Study'—with permission 2012
Background Powerful, Effective Prayer In these verses James puts an accent on “effective” prayer, mentioning “the prayer of faith” and that the “prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” In chapter 1, he mentioned that the prayer of the “double-minded,” or doubting man, is ineffective. It’s not the major concern of James that our prayers may go unanswered, it’s that he sees ineffective prayer as indicative of a lack of faith, righteousness and humility. The wise and mature believer, whose faith is fully integrated with his actions, sees his prayers answered. That’s what James means when he describes the “righteous man” whose prayers are effective.
What the Big Idea? The wise and mature believer is humbly reliant upon God and his faith is fully integrated with his actions – he “walks as he talks.” This is the “righteous man” whose prayers are powerful and effective.
That doesn’t mean that God always says ‘yes’ to our requests or always provides healing when we ask, but the principle that “the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective” is true.
Objectives • Give students the opportunity to practice the discipline of prayer together • Gain together a heart for the campus • Going deeper in the passage in James; discovering powerful and effective prayer
Leader’s Preparation • Prepare a route around campus that people will follow in their prayer walk, preferably to places where there will be a number of students or key buildings on campus. • Arrange a place to regroup and discuss the exercise. • How are you going pray for others with a humble heart? As you go about your week, take time to see those around you as God sees them, and respond in prayer.
Continued on page 2
EXPERIENCE
Time Guide Comments for leading the group 1. Make sure to remind your group to be aware that other people may be able to hear them as they walk and pray so be sensitive to that. Walk with your eyes open :) and appearing to be having a conversation with each other. 2. Recognize that students in your group may be at different places in terms of how practiced they are in group prayer and how confident they feel. Acknowledge this and create an environment of grace, reminding them that God is not so concerned with the words you are using but the attitude of your heart. 3. Encourage them to have simple and specific prayers, but also that prayer is simply talking to God. Be real with Him. 4. Give them ideas of what to pray for. Perhaps print out a campus map, a list of clubs on your campus, or send people to areas where their faculty is located. Before breaking into smaller groups to prayer walk around campus: Take 10 minutes to “expose the need” by looking up the Scripture Study together (see next page).
Regrouping after the Walk Share how each person found the exercise, what God showed you, any insights God gave you or how you felt. Discuss ideas on continuing to develop a heart for your campus, and how to be continually in prayer for your campus. Some ideas might be praying whenever you see your school’s name, having a day of the week that you pray for your campus, or praying whenever you’re walking on your own between classes.
Getting Connected—5 minutes Expose The Need—10 minutes Prayer Walk—20 minutes Regroup—15 minutes
EXPERIENCE
Scripture Study Matthew 9:35-10:1
Describe someone you know who truly exhibits a life of humble dependence. What is he like? How does he live out humble dependence? Besides humility, what qualities characterize his life?
Read James 5:13-18 1. Why do you think James emphasizes the community aspect of prayer rather than our personal prayer life? 2. James is concerned about ‘effective’, ‘humble’ and ‘reliant’ prayer. How does communal prayer uniquely address these? 3. When James refers to a “righteous man” what does he mean by ‘righteous’?
ANSWERS 1. Allow the group to answer, some thoughts are: It is powerful, effective and requires humble reliance. 2. James emphasizes the community dimension of prayer, perhaps due in part to his other two concerns: “effective” prayer and “humble” prayer. Jesus said, “where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matt. 18:20), so we know that communal prayer is both powerful and effective. Communal prayer is also humbling, unless you don’t find confessing your sins others humbling. 3. In light of what James has been saying throughout his book, the “righteous person” is the wise and mature believer, whose faith is fully integrated with his actions.
Note: Don’t spend too much time on the Scripture Study as you want at least 15-20 minutes to Prayer Walk as a group.
Created by P2C-Students Adapted from Cru.comm 'James Study'—with permission 2012
