Praying in our CGs

At the monthly CLOBS sessions, our care group leaders (CGLs)not only spend time preparing for the CG studies, but also learn about various topics that help equip them to lead. At a recent CLOBS session, the CGLs looked at how our prayers together can be shaped by the Bible.  

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What is prayer like in your CGs? What do you often pray for when you are with others?

In our January 2022 sermon series, our church learnt the ACTS model of prayer (Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication). This helpful framework can be applied not only to our personal prayers but also in use when praying with others like in our CGs. When it comes to supplications and petitions, we should often pray for the needs of each other, and especially our fellow church members. Daily prayer is important since as the Lord’s Prayer shows us, we are to turn to God for “daily bread”.

We can also examine the prayers of the Bible to expand our understanding of what we should turn to God for. We can look to the Bible to see what our priorities in prayer should be.

Here, three passages teach us how to plead mercy for our sins, cry out to God in our suffering, and pray for growth and fruit in our lives.

Pleading mercy for our sins

Confession and seeking God’s forgiveness for sins is one request that we can make together as a CG. Exodus 33:12-23 teaches us to plead for God’s mercy for sins not just personally, but especially for others in God’s family. Moses interceded on behalf of Israel after they sinned against God by building a golden calf in Exous 32. In response the LORD had said that He will bring the people to the Promised Land, but that He would not go up among them (Exo 33:2-3). Moses interceded for the people. We see how he pleaded for mercy for Israel and their sins. We can learn the following from his prayer.

1. We can pray boldly as His people. God had previously said that Moses was known by name, and that he had found favour in God’s sight. Moses approached God with these very words (Exo 33:12-13). We have One today who intercedes for us, and who is greater than Moses. As we pray through Jesus Christ, we can approach God boldly in prayer.
   
   Lord, hear your people’s prayers for Jesus’ sake.
   

2. We plead for mercy for our sins, both individually and corporately. Moses did not just speak to God about his personal relationship with God, but also on behalf of the people (Exo 33:13b,16). We can do the same as we think of other believers.
   
   Lord, have mercy on me, my CG members and our church.
   

3. We pray that His presence will be with us. In Exodus 33:15, Moses said that if God’s presence was not with His people, they would not want to enter the Promised Land. God’s people should long to be where He is, and to find rest in His presence.
   
   Lord, give us Your presence and help us to go and do only what pleases You.
   

4. We long to see His glory. Moses longed to see the glory of God (Exo 33:18) and God showed His goodness and revealed His name (Exo 3-19). However, Moses could not see God’s glory fully (Exo 33:20-23). Today, we have the fullness of God in the face of Christ. As a CG, we can pray for understanding to see Christ in our study, and for His glory to be shown in our holiness.
   
   Lord, glorify Yourself in us, and especially bring glory to the name of Jesus Christ.

Crying out to God in our suffering

Psalm 88 is one of the most honest, raw psalms in Scripture as it depicts deep sorrowful and suffering. Bible commentators point out that the cry of Psalm 88 is most likely meant to be read with the hope of Psalm 89. However, in it, we learn how to cry out to God when we are hurting. We need not hide our suffering and pain and we can honestly take it to the Lord.

1. We can cry out to God in our deepest pain. The psalmist writes that his soul is “full of troubles” (Ps 88:3a) and his life seems to be in the pits (Ps 88:3b-7). He also seems to be isolated and lonely (Ps 88:8-10,14-18). The psalmist models a raw honesty and vulnerability before God.
   
   Lord, hear our cry and draw close to Your people.
   

2. We are to pray and engage with God continually, especially in times of despair and grief. The psalmist cries out “day and night before you” (Ps 88:1b) and “in the morning [his] prayer comes before you” (Ps 88:13b). Wrecked by constant grief, the psalmist also turns to God in prayer constantly.
   
   Lord, we come to You this morning and this evening because we need Your mercy.
   

3. We are confident that the God of our salvation will save us, despite our grief. There is no resolution in this psalm, but we see glimmers of hope. The psalmist still recognises that God is the “God of my salvation” (Ps 88:1) and knows that He is LORD, the covenantal God (Ps 88:1,9,13,14).
   
   Lord, we trust You will make a way in our sorrow, You will hold us fast.

Praying for growth and fruit in our lives

We should seek growth in holiness and Christlikeness and also that of others in our CG and in our church. This is not achieved by our own striving and efforts. We should ask God for this in prayer and Paul models how we should do so in Phil 1:9-11.

1. We pray for gospel fruitfulness and growth in our lives. Paul prayed that the Ephesians’ love would “abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Phil 1:9b). This is a picture of life, growth and flourishing of their faith.
   
   Lord, cause us to abound in love, to grow in true knowledge and to know Your will for us.
   

2. We are specific in what we pray for. Paul is specific about the fruit and outcome. He desires that their love, knowledge and discernment grow (Phil 1:9) in order that they may approve what is excellent and be pure and blameless in the day of Christ (Phil 1:10) and filled with the fruit of righteousness (Phil 1:11a). He is clear about what he is asking God for.
   
   Lord, help us grow so that we know how to please You, and how to live blamelessly before You, especially as we look to Your return.
   

3. We look forward to the glory and praise of God as we pray. Paul also teaches us that the chief goal of our growth and prayer is the glory and praise of God (Phil 1:11).
   
   Lord, cause our lives to glorify You.

There are certainly more prayers in the Bible that give us other good priorities to pray. Scripture is rich with teaching and examples of how we should turn to God for.

But for a start, let’s stir up one another to love and good deeds by praying God-centred prayers together.

If you're not in a CG and are keen to join one to study Genesis 12-50 (our current sermon series), write to us at cg@gracebaptistchurch.sg.