Groups Discussion Guide
Read Scripture. Go Deeper. Ask Questions. Take Action.
Miracles Ahead. Miracles Now.
Scripture
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Main Idea
When we pray for miracles, we must be prepared for God to work not only in our situations but also within us. Sometimes, the miracle we need is not a change in our circumstances but a change within ourselves. Our prayers should include a request for God to make us bolder and strengthen us to endure. What we see in the book of Acts is that the believers did not pray for God to remove their persecutors or make their lives easier. Instead, they asked for boldness to speak God's word in the face of threats and challenges. They recognized that God's power was not just about changing their circumstances but about changing them from within.
Build your case on what God has done, not on what you deserve.
Discussion Questions
- Consider your Sunday morning routine. Think about your attitude toward church, your posture during worship, and your expectations. Have you become desensitized to God’s power and glory? How can you change your worship posture and how you experience church to recognize God’s power?
- Select a scripture you can incorporate into your prayer life this week. How will this scripture ensure you are praying for God’s will and not your own agenda?
- How would you describe your pattern of prayer? Are you simply making requests of God? Are you asking God to deliver you from a situation? Or, are you asking God to transform you and make you bold? Which way is more effective in seeking miracles? Why?
- Acts 4:30 demonstrates the results of praying boldly and expecting God to show up. What unanswered prayers do you have that may be a result of your inaction? What actions can you take to help God answer your prayers?
Summary
When we come together as a church to seek God, His presence becomes tangible, and His power is unleashed in our lives. We can build our case in prayer by reminding God of His past faithfulness and incorporating scripture into our petitions. When we pray for miracles, let us not only ask for God to change our circumstances but also for Him to transform us from within. May we be bold and courageous, trusting in God's power to strengthen us and help us endure. And as we pray, let us be prepared to act in alignment with our prayers, knowing that our actions often serve as the catalyst for God's miracles ahead and miracles now.
Announcements
- Today we kicked off our new SZN. We are calling it. Miracles Ahead. Miracles Now. It’s a declaration of faith-filled possibility and recognition of God’s present power. Invite a friend to join you next week.
- Speaking of next Sunday (2/18/24), we will hear from a special friend of Velocity, Pastor Kevin Gerald of Champions Centre in Tacoma, Washington.
