From Darkness To Light

Theme:

Prayer

Title:

From darkness to light

Desired Outcomes:

The aim of this uGroup is to encourage the members to bring their struggles, sin, doubt, sorrow, lack etc. to God in prayer, instead of fighting it by themselves or feeling unworthy to seek God.

Core Scriptures:

Luke 22: 40-46 (verse 42)

Matt 6: 5-7

Welcome:

It is important that you do a fun and welcoming icebreaker and get people of their seats.

If there are new members be careful of not to create a space where they feel exposed or uncomfortable.

Word:

The uGroup leader must develop his own revelation and substance around the word. This will guide him/her with some thought points.

Introduce the message by asking the following question:

• Us as people tend to only want to seek God/pray to God when we feel we have something good, acceptable to give but try and hide from Him or are ashamed to pray and give Him the “bad”, struggling, where we lack or weaknesses that we have in our lives. Why do you think this is so?
  
  Before reading the scripture tell them of how Jesus, the Saviour of this world wanted to give up, where He sweated blood before His father in prayer, was in agony. He laid His weakness before His Father in prayer.

Read the scripture in Luke 22:40-46 (repeat verse 42)

The following could be relevant questions to ask:

• Why do you think this scripture is relevant to the question why we must pray and give God our weaknesses/struggles/sin?
• What are the things you struggle with? That you are ashamed of taking to God. (Share a testimony of something that you were ashamed of or struggled with, that you prayed about and asked God for help and how He came through for you. This will encourage your members to share what is on their hearts.)

God the Father did not tell Jesus that because He is asking Him to let this cup pass Him by that He is not strong enough to handle it, or not equipped to be the Saviour of the world.

Instead God sent angel to Jesus to strengthen Him. God the Father send an angel to help Him.

God can’t do anything with something that is “perfect” because He is not glorified then. Even Jesus, that is the Son of God increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God (Luke 2:52).

We won’t only be used by God when we are perfect, but rather through our imperfections. God gets all the glory when we give Him our imperfections, because that way the world sees how we overcome things, or go through things that are impossible. We become a testimony of what God can be and do for us.

• What prevents us from giving God our weaknesses, lack, sin etc.?
  
  Shame
  Fear of God rejecting us
  Fear of working through the pain/hurt
  Hopelessness
  
  
• Must we then go and confess our sin to the whole world or tell everyone about the things we struggle with or where we are hurting, feeling unworthy?
  
  

Read Matthew 6:5-6

• How does this scripture teach us on where to seek God?
  
  There where you are alone with God, is the best place to start and just to pour your heart, the secrets of your heart out before Him. For with God there is no condemnation.
  
  Rom 8:1-5 - He will NOT judge you.

Jesus prayed away from them (withdrawn), He told God His fear, being in agony, and in the same sentence that He asked to let it pass Him by, His heart was inclined to say not His will, but His Father’s will.

And because of Jesus not giving up, but relying on His Father’s strength, His plan, we can all live in freedom. From His biggest agony, came His biggest victory. Defeating death!

God will not always take the things away in your life, but He will strengthen, encourage and make you bold to face it, work through it and have victory over it. In prayer the situation may not change, but your heart and words will. The more you seek God in prayer, the more your heart and words will become like His.

Worship:

Choose songs where they can sing about God’s love for them, Him being faithful, God being bigger than anything.

Works:

Encourage your members to step out in boldness and to pray for the things that they are ashamed of, struggling with. This is an opportunity for your members to bring things into the light.

Asked them what are the things that you can pray for and stand in the gap for them.

Minister as led