Mentor Ministry Wk 4- 3.14.18

Leader Prep

THEME
Make Room for the Life of God
 
SCRIPTURE
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                                                      1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
 
And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.                       Matthew 6:5-6
 
GOAL OF MENTOR MINISTRY WK4
To encourage students to be reminded of God’s love and peace flowing in and out of them.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS
Prayer often is something we see as getting us something and when we don’t get that something, we get upset at God for not “coming through.” But Paul reminds us that it is more about God’s will coming to use through prayer. Constant prayer changes our will and can connect us to God’s will. 
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Discussion Guide

​Share a high and a low this week.

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Read the Bible Verses to the left. Pick out a word or phrase that stands out to you as you read.

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Use the questions below to guide your discussion about the scripture and topic for tonight. Feel free to skip or adjust questions to your discussion.
What does “the Life of God” mean to you?
What words stick out to you from the scriptures? What makes them stick out to you? How do they relate to your high or low?
Rejoice, pray and give thanks are instructions from Paul, how do you and your family do this during the week? What are practices you could start doing?

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Pray together, using the highs and lows from the first part of your time together. Take a few moments to become calm.  Use the prayer beads, you can make a set in the narthex, to pray the prayer below.

Prayer Beads
There as many ways to pray with beads as there are beads and people in the world.  The beads are simply holy reminders to pray:
•Touch the white bead and offer prayers of gratitude for your many blessings.  Spend a few moments in silence at the end of each prayer before moving on.
•Touch the orange bead and pray for others (friends, family, the world).
•Touch the red bead and offer prayers of confession and forgiveness.
•Touch the green bead and talk to God about any personal concerns and requests for guidance.
•Touch the blue bead and invite the Holy Spirit to work within you and your life.
•Hold the purple bead and remain silent, listening for God.
When your time in prayer has come to a close, express your gratitude to God that you can bring all your concerns to God. 

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Use this blessing to bless one another, marking each other with a cross, either on your hands or forehead.
“(Name), you are a child of God.”

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