Be With Me: Experiencing Jesus in Prayer
An Intentional Journey to Deepen Your Relationship with the Divine
Week 5: Everyday Mercy
Preparation:
Song: “I Can’t Live Without You” by Tye Tribett
(Chorus) Tell me what can I do; Cause I can't live without; I can't live without you.
So here's my heart. Here's my mind. I give you my soul. Need you to take control.
Cause I've tried it; Tried it on my own but what I found is I can't make it; on my own; on my own. I can't make it; I can't make it on my own; on my own. I can't make it; I can't make it.
(Chorus)
On my own; on my own. I can't make it I can't make it. | Vamp | Ooo oh. Ooooh. Ooooh. (repeats)
I can't walk without you; I can't talk without you; I can't sing without you; I'm nothing without you. I can't live without you; I can't breathe without you; I can't be without you; There's no me without you. Repeat & Chorus
Scripture: Psalm 51 as a guide to confess your struggles, temptations, anger, bitterness etc.
Personal Practice:
Postures of Prayer: Pray through Psalm 51:1-12 using different body postures. Note how your spirit follows your body. Read the verses out loud and pause to meditate briefly after each section:
- Kneel for verses 1-2
- Prostrate yourself on the ground for verses 3-4
- Sit up and bow head for verses 5-6
- Sit up and raise head for verses 7-9
- Stand up and spread your arms open for verses 10-12
Group Prayer:
Today, invite your group to pray with different postures during your prayer time. Encourage everyone to move their body into at least 3 different postures anytime throughout your prayer session. Feel how it changes your listening and words.
For a long time I prayed, “forgive my sins” when asking God’s forgiveness. Something powerful changed when I began to pray “show me my sins” and then confessed them as I named them. After confessing self-righteousness, impatience, lust … day after day, there becomes a real sense that God invites me, and us, to repent from our sins and actually walk in a new direction.
Imagine the love of Jesus surrounding you, and reflect on any situations or behaviors, thoughts or words that were outside of God’s heart for you. Verbally, (whispered if you’d like) collectively, voice your specific sins to the Lord speaking out loud at the same time. If uncomfortable with the silence, play a worship song quietly in the background. Let the leader end with a general confession, asking Jesus’ forgiveness to cover each one. Declare to each other that God has forgiven and offers grace to live joyfully by the Spirit!
Download this rescource here BWM Week 5.pdf
Created by Beth Paz. The selections of multicultural worship are an invitation to remember the global nature of God in our prayers.
Photos courtesy of UNsplash.com. Spiritual Disciplines courtesy of “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, IVPress.
Posted by
