Introduction

God wants a relationship with you and waits for you to make room for him in your life. We want to help you create some space and grow your desire to connect with God in your daily life. In this three-week series, we’ll find the rhythms and practices that will help anchor us to God, his family, and his mission. In week one, Pastor Jesse taught us about Bible reading and prayer.

Discussion

1. Before you heard the message from Pastor Jesse, what would you have said is your default mindset was (or is) about the Bible? (Just something to read, a list of suggestions, a story, how God speaks to us, a chore, his Word, or something else?) Why?

Revisit and read Psalm 119:9-16. The Psalmist’s Mindset about the Bible:

• He believes it’s God’s Word; how God speaks to him.

• He feels joy in their heart about it; it’s precious to him.

• He expects to obey it; to make it his way of life.

2. In reading the Psalmist’s mindset about the Bible above, is your own mindset similar? Why or why not? In what specific ways do you feel the same or differently?

3. Revisit and read Luke 11:1-3. When you approach God’s Word with the expectation that he’s going to show you what obedience looks like, you begin to feel the joy and value of his Word as you live that out. And you’ll grow more and more confident that it’s more than just a book; it’s the God of the universe speaking specifically to you. Have you ever experienced this kind of reality with the Bible? If so, share about it with your group.

4. Revisit and read Psalm 119:97-105. There’s a connection between praying and reading God’s Word. When you read it with a prayerful mindset and practice, it goes from a book to a lamp. Is prayer currently a part of your Bible reading? How has, or how could, the addition of this practice brought more meaning to your time in the Bible?

5. Spend time in the application points below to talk and share about how you can take some practical steps this week to engage with the Bible and prayer.

Application

• Make the time and space sacred. That can look different depending on who you are. Set it apart from the rest of your day and protect it from the stress, noise, and distractions that typically come your way.

• Approach it conversationally. Talk to God before and while you read his Word. Create space for you to become present in prayer. Then, have a conversation with God as you go. It’s not a one-way relationship with a book; it’s a two-way relationship with a person.

• Share it in some way. Think of it like an outcome or fruit of your prayers – giving what God has given you. Few things are better or more satisfying than when you’re able to bless someone else with a reminder, or a truth, or a promise, or an insight.