J Edwin Orr, the great historian on revivals and renewals, said, ‘Whenever God is ready to do something new with His people, He always sets them to praying.’ Any study of church history will reveal the truth in these words. He also said, ‘No spiritual awakening has begun anywhere in the world apart from united prayer.’ Australia needs a revival and if we were truly honest we need a renewal within ourselves. When we pray God is revealed more to us. When we pray God also reveals the true condition of our heart. It is repentance and the laying down of our idols that allows God to be on the throne of our lives and renewal begins.

Read:

• Matthew 16:13-20
• John 3:22-36

• What do these passages tell us about God?
• What do these passages tell us about you and your life?
• What did you like about this passage?
• What did you not like about this passage?

In the Sunday morning “Pressing In” prayer time God has spoken to us through the words of Peter and John the Baptist. When Peter was asked by Jesus, “Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”(Matthew 16:13-20). When John the Baptist was questioned about Jesus’ ministry becoming more popular than his he said, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.”(John 3:22-36). All of us in our discipleship journey must continually return to the point of laying down our idols so that Jesus is glorified and lifted up in our lives – He must increase, we must decrease. As we do that we are confronted afresh with who Jesus is. He asks us time and time again, “Who do you say that I am?” Every time we look afresh at that question we gain a fresh understanding of our God.

Discuss one or more of the following questions.

1. What is your personal response to the question from Jesus, “Who do you say I am? How does your answer change the way you approach prayer? What aspects of God do you find it hard to relate to and why?
2. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”Share when you failed to give God the glory in something that you did.
3. What are the idols in your life and why is it so hard to give it up? How can the Life Group help you?
4. What aspects of prayer do you find difficult? If prayer is so important what small step could you make to begin reviving this important part of our discipleship?
5. How does prayer fit into our vision of building disciples who represent Jesus to everyone, everywhere with everything?
6. Analyse the prayer life within your Life Group.  Suggest ways that it could be improved.  Choose some ideas and try them out.  Try something new and creative.

1. Is there a truth that God wants you to obey?
2. What will you do to obey this? I will…