Prayer is communicating with God; both speaking AND listening. As a pastor, I believe prayer is crucial to our relationship with God. For the next four weeks, we are going to be talking about dangerous prayers. Prayer moves the heart of God, but some prayers move Him more than others do. God wants more than half hearted prayers: He calls us to courageous prayers. We are to pray boldly, powerfully and full of fire.

This week we are praying: Break Me! This is dangerous because when you pray, "break me", God will do just that: breaking us of our pride, self-confidence, self-sufficiency and anything else that keeps us from a close relationship with God. To be used by God for His glory, we must surrender to God.

Our reading for this week: Genesis 37: 1-28; Luke 9: 23-24.

Plan to join us this Sunday morning at 10:30 am or go to our FB page to link to Youtube live on Sunday mornings or anytime on our website redoakpraysbyterianchurch.com

Questions to Ponder:

These questions are taken from the book by Craig Groeschel titled Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe.

1. Scripture shows us again and again how hard times can make us stronger and bring us closer to God. Describe a time when you experienced something difficult and yet recognized God's goodness was with you in the trial.

2. 1 Corinthians 11:24 says, "When Jesus had given thanks, He broke the bread and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'" What does the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper mean to you?

3. Some might say that inviting God to "break them" is the most scary of the three dangerous prayers. If you had the courage to ask God to break you, what are you afraid He might do? If your fears actually came to pass, how do you think God would show Himself to you?

4. Who do you know that has experienced deep pain and is stronger spiritually on the other side of the brokenness? How is God using them now?

5. If you took time to invite God to break you, what do you think He'd want to remove from your life first? Would He break you of selfishness? Of pride? Of self-sufficiency? Or of something else? Write about it and explain why.

6. Pastor Caryn's questions: It is fine to pray for safety and blessings, but what if you desire power from the Holy Spirit, strength from God and unshakeable faith? Do these things usually come when life is good and easy?

7. Pastor Caryn's question: Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus Christ to be broken on the cross? Why is it important for us to be broken by God?