Lament: Week 18 (Feb 20-26)
Lament Practice: Week 18| Week of Feb. 20 - 26
Communities @ Grace
Overview of the Night:
15 Minutes Before Start Time : : Arrive + Set Out Food
45 Minutes : Welcome, Pray, Eat, + Mingle
15 Minutes : Review Last Week’s Practice
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion
5 Minutes : Practice for Week Ahead
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Goal for Week: We will focus on how prayers of lament can be used to address our sin.
45 minutes: Welcome, Pray, Eat + Mingle
How do you get your feelings hurt? How do you handle it?
Tell us about a time you were broke and what you did to get by?
15 Minutes : Review of last week’s practice experience
(Use all 15 minutes to discuss Weekly Practice. If you need, use the questions below in the “If nobody in your group…” section to fill the time. We want to provide gentle accountability to Community members to spend time during the week practicing.)
Review:
Think of a situation, sorrow, or grief that is a heavy burden for you.
Write down the reasons or feelings that make it so painful. Think about what could happen to change or lighten the burden. Tell God about it.
Write a lament to tell God your feelings and be bold in asking him for answers or help. Pray the lament over several days and take time to listen for God speaking to you about it.
Try several ways to do sustained listening to God such as: find times in your weekly schedule to spend a few minutes listening to God. This could be during your commute, while taking a walk, as you are cleaning, before you get up or as you go to sleep, after you finish your personal devotions. As you wait and listen, try to come without expectations or or ask for requests.
What did you discover about your ability to identify your deep emotions?
How did God respond to this lament?
If nobody in your group has completed the practice from the previous week talk through these questions:
The purpose of this time is for accountability, support, and gleaning from what God is doing in the lives of others.
What is hindering you from practicing during the week?
How can we support each other?
How was your connection with Jesus this week?
45 Minutes : Introduction of Practice + Discussion Questions
Lament comes when you allow yourself to acknowledge your broken heart. Stuffing your feelings often seems safer and more “godly” than admitting the stark reality of your situation. Lamenting is possible when you stop “faking fine”. This is done when you name your feelings and are ready to tell God the truth about your situation.
Let’s read Psalm 38:1-8 to hear David lament to God. Have several people read from
various translations.
How does David feel God’s anger? (physical pains)
How does God let you know about your sin?
How did it feel when you felt that kind of conviction about your sin?
Have you ignored sin, what happened? What caused you to finally confess it to God?
God’s way of helping us understand ourselves and connect with him is through our feelings.
What did you learn growing up about how to handle your feelings?
What impact does that have on your relationship with God?
What hinders you from looking at your messy feelings?
5 minutes: Practice for this coming week is on the last page.
10 Minutes : Pray for One Another + Close
Consider praying as a whole group or in triads for personal prayer requests.
End on time in order to honor everyone’s time.
5 Minutes : Practices for Week Ahead
Spend time this week focused on one of these ideas, or one you think of yourself.
Have you confessed a sin but still feel deep sorrow about it? Lament to God and ask for him to give you assurance of his forgiveness?
Do you feel sorrow about a sin pattern in your life, make a plan to eliminate it. Ask God for help to understand your motive or payoff for giving into the temptation. Write a plan that will help you avoid the situation or temptation. (determine what supports or enables you to sin and steps to eliminate them, consider asking someone to hold you accountable)
Continue using a prayer of lament that you wrote during this series of lessons. Journal about the shift in your thinking and feelings as you continually bring it to God in prayer. Celebrate your release from it and/or closer connection to God.
Be honest, take a good look at how you process disappointment, sorrow and negative situations in your life. Do you stuff, ignore or wallow? Ask God to help you be open and honest with him in prayer.