6

The Power Posture

    1. Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on another person’s behalf.

        •  Is this type of prayer a part of your daily life? Why or why not?

        •  Do you believe intercessory prayer can be beneficial? Why or why not?

        •  Have you ever prayed for someone and the prayer was answered the way you wanted it to be? If so, how did that experience affect you?

        •  Have you ever prayed for someone and the prayer was not answered the way you wanted it to be? If so, how did that experience affect you?

    2. Read Genesis 18:16–33.

        •  How would you characterize Abraham in this passage? Bold? Crazy? Audacious? Naive?

        •  Why did Abraham bargain with God to save Sodom?

    3. Genesis 18:16–33 is the first recorded instance in Scripture of a human asking God to reconsider his plans.

        •  How did God respond to Abraham’s pleas?

        •  What does this tell you about God?

        •  What does this tell you about the power of praying for one another?

    4. Perhaps it’s easier to believe God would listen to someone like Abraham, the father of the Israelite nation, than to believe God would listen to us. Do you ever struggle to believe that God listens to your prayers? Why or why not?

    5. Read Matthew 8:5–13.

        •  Why did Jesus heal the servant of the centurion?

        •  How does Jesus’ response to the centurion mirror God’s response to Abraham?

        •  What does this story reveal about the relationship God wants with us through Christ?

    6. Scripture says that in Christ, we are God’s children (1 John 3:1), ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), and a part of the holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). How do these descriptions affect the way you view the power of your prayers?

    7. Fill in the blank: “When we pray for one another, we enter God’s workshop, pick up a hammer, and            him to accomplish his purpose.”

        •  What do you think about the idea of your prayers helping God accomplish his purpose?

        •  How do you reconcile this with the fact that God is all-powerful and all-knowing? See Jeremiah 32:17 and Isaiah 46:9–10.

    8. Consider the following verses in James:

“Come near to God, and God will come near to you” (4:8 NCV).

        “When a believing person prays, great things happen” (5:16 NCV).

        James’s letter was written to a community of Jewish Christians during a time of great oppression. The Roman Empire had taken the land of those who lived in rural areas in Palestine, forcing them to work the land of wealthy aristocrats who did not treat them fairly.² The Christians probably felt powerless as a minority governed by another authority. We know they were suffering because James opened his letter with “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (1:2).

        •  Knowing this about James’s audience, why do you think he instructed them to pray?

        •  Is there a situation in your life in which you feel powerless?

        •  If so, have you prayed about it? Why or why not?

    9. Max cites a study conducted by Dr. Harold G. Koenig at Duke University that found people who pray or ask for divine assistance “cope with stress better, they experience greater well-being because they have more hope, they’re more optimistic, they experience less depression, less anxiety, and they commit suicide less often” (p. 80).

        •  What do you think about this study’s findings?

        •  Has this been the effect of prayer in your life? What is your answer based on?

  10. How can intercessory prayer activate happiness in your own life? Have you ever experienced this after praying for someone else? If so, describe that experience.

  11. Return to your answers in the first question.

        •  What new thoughts about the role of intercessory prayer has this chapter prompted?

        •  If the idea of praying for someone else is still difficult for you, why do think that is true? Do you feel powerless in the face of that person’s circumstances? Do you not trust that God will listen to you? Do you not believe you are worth listening to?

        •  Spend some time thinking about what stops you from praying for others more often.

  12. Think about someone in your life who could use your prayers. How could you place yourself between that person in need and the One who can meet that need?