Greetings Church,
As we begin this new season together we want to face the next year with boldness. BOLD is our theme for the upcoming year and today we learned that God would have us pray with boldness.
Read Acts 4:23-31.
1. The Context of Bold Prayer
What trials did the Apostles face that caused them to be desperate for God and thus pray boldly?
What trials are you facing this new year that are causing you to be desperate for God and pray boldly?
2. The Content of Bold Prayer
In what ways did the Apostles focus on the character of God as they prayed?
How can focusing on God’s character increase your boldness in prayer?
Think through these character traits of God: Sovereign, Loving, Wise, Powerful. How can each of these specifically bring boldness to your prayers?
Review Acts 4:23-31. Notice that the Apostles don’t pray for any change of their situation. Rather what do they pray for? Are your prayers mostly about changing your circumstances, or about boldness to face a hard circumstance? How much of your prayer life is centered around disciple-making?
3. The Outcome of Bold Prayer
WHAT IS YOUR BOLD PRAYER FOR THIS NEW YEAR? Share this in your group and family. Spend time praying together boldly for these prayers.
Pastor Mark pointed out the paradox of praying boldly, yet praying like a child. In what ways is a child a bold “asker?” – think about the dependence and trust a child must have.
For families:
WHAT IS YOUR FAMILY’S BOLD PRAYER FOR THIS NEW YEAR? Talk to your family about how you can impact your neighborhood, community, church, or the world for Jesus this year. Help your kids think through stories in the Bible that included bold prayers (Hannah, Daniel, Joshua, etc.). Talk to your kids about how praying boldly in the Bible is always connected to growing God’s Kingdom. In the Old Testament, prayers to stop the sun from setting or to shut the lion’s mouth were about advancing God and His Kingdom. Today, bold prayers should be about seeing people come to Jesus.
Fighter Verse Questions for Groups and Families
Ephesians 3:20. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.
Share with your group a time that God showed up in your life in a way that was strange or unexpected?
Notice that last phrase “according to the power at work within us.” It is extremely important to remember that God has already placed inside of us the power of Jesus. So praying for boldness, for example, is not a prayer for power (you already have that), it is a prayer to know and respond FROM that power. How does knowing that God has already supplied you with everything in Christ, allow you to pray with even greater boldness?
