What is “dunamis” (DOO-nah-mis) power?

Have everyone turn to foreword, p. xii in their books. Point out to everyone that they will see a kind of funny looking word pop up throughout the book’s lessons: DUNAMIS (“DOO-nah-mis”).
Get a volunteer to read the top paragraph from p. xii, or just point out these key points:
2 Timothy 1:7 says that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” In this verse the original Greek language for Power was the word “DUNAMIS.” That’s where we get the English word dynamite! DUNAMIS describes the supernatural power only God can provide—and it is used more than 120 times in the New Testament.

What is a breakthrough prayer initiative?

Have everyone turn to introduction, p. xv in their books. Read the statement below about why St. Mark’s is embarking on the breakthrough prayer initiative.

Breakthrough prayer is a churchwide prayer movement adding a new possibilityfocused prayer to the existing prayer life of the church. While our prayers are typically “down and in,” about problems and requests, this additive breakthrough prayer is “up
and out” –a prayer of openness toward God’s infinite possibilities beyond our own imagination and plans.

We ask for God to reveal God’s direction for St. Mark’s and in our own lives. We will pray it together at 8:00p.m. daily, wherever we are, and anytime we gather in worship, small groups, music rehearsals, and committee meetings.

One half of the initiative is prayer, and the other half is noticing and naming what we experience from God. What breakthroughs are you recognizing? What new direction is God revealing? As you listen for God’s Spirit, please share and celebrate these breakthroughs with your groups. Please also share your breakthroughs via stmarkscarmel.org/breakthrough.

Introduction Video (4:24) from Ultimate Reliance

In this video we’ll see Sue Nilson Kibbey, author of several books on breakthrough prayer, talking about how breakthrough prayer helps churches and individuals surrender to what God might be calling them to do next. It helps people “truly live as if prayer
makes a difference.”This video is an introduction to a different book but helps us understand how she describes breakthrough prayer.

WATCH: Video: Introduction (4:24)

Q: Sue said that a breakthrough prayer is an additive component on top of any existing prayer life of individuals and the church, but it can also be a good way to start a regular prayer routine. What does your prayer life currently look like?

Lead me to the Rock that is Higher than I (8:05)

Our next video is called “Lead me to the Rock that is Higher than I.” It is about a man who needed to rely on God as he climbed up the Steps of Repentance to Mt. Sinai with his granddaughter.

WATCH: Lead me to the Rock that Is Higher Than I, from Ultimate Reliance

The man in the video described barely being able to see the next step with his little flashlight and feeling like he wanted to quit in the toughest parts. He said “we climbed because we knew the reward was to see the sunrise, the same sunrise as Moses.” He needed to be patient and reliant on God to find the next right step. Let’s turn to Days 6 and 7 in our book to talk about Wait Training and God’s timing. (p. 16)

Recap of Day #6: Wait Training (p.16)

o In an era where we can order food at our fingertips and get it delivered in 45 minutes or place an Amazon order for needed supplies and have it at our doorstep in 48 hours, we do not have to spend much time waiting. What about waiting as a spiritual discipline? The Dynamite Prayer authors emphasize that ‘wait training’ can build our spiritual muscles and strengthen our faith.

o Ask group to “Silently pause and invite God’s Spirit to bring to your memory an occasion or situation when God’s timing and provision showed itself, in hindsight, to have been far better than what you had thought you wanted.”

Prompt from Day 6 (p. 18) Q: What happens when you find yourself waiting on God? What is your default response?

Day #7: Timing (p. 19-21) As promised in the syllabus, we will do Day 7 together as a group, so if you’re behind on any of the reading you can do this one with everyone!
o Have volunteers read verbally through entire day’s reading Dynamite Prayer Leader Guide & Supplements St. Mark’s UMC p. 4
o Have a volunteer read the prompt question and give a couple of minutes for folks to think of their answer(s). People can share if they’d like to.
o Pray the day 7 breakthrough prayer together.
Q: On pages 19-20, of the people noted who had to wait on the Lord, whose story do you most relate to?
Q: Page 20 described active waiting practices of the disciples. Which of these do you think would be hardest to do? Which would be easiest?

Day #1: Overshadow Me and Day #2: The Wilderness (mountaintops and valleys)

Q: Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days (p. 4) Q: what spiritual practices have been especially meaningful for you during Lent in the past?
 Q: If anyone was in worship on February 19 for Youth Sunday, you would have heard talks about mountaintops and valleys! Q: Can you name a mountaintop experience of your own with the group?
Looking at page 3 and page 6 prompts

Q: What obstacles, barriers, or temptations do you sense separating you from the empowerment of God’s dunamis power?
(combines p. 3 and p. 6 Prompts)

Day #3: Sent
Q: Read p. 7 – Luke 9:1-2 Q: Do you believe you have been sent with the same power and authority that Jesus gave his twelve disciples? If not, by what authority would you say you live and act? (p. 9 prompt)

Day #4 Unbelief
Q: Have you assumed an attitude of unbelief about any aspect of your faith that might limit the God potential you might see in yourself, in those around you, or in your current situation? For example, do you live as if you believe that prayer makes a difference? (based on p. 12 prompt)

Day #5: Ability
Have someone read through Matthew 25:14-18 scripture (p. 13)
Have someone read the full paragraph from p. 14:
“Also like the servants in the parable, you have a decision to make: Will you apply this miraculous God-given ability outward, or will you bury it and focus only on your own affairs? Will you use your time each day as your own, or will you recognize it as available for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to deploy you to serve— whether in highly visible settings or in small unobserved actions for good?”
Q: What unique God-given ability have you been given, and how can you multiply
that gift for a broader impact on others? (based on p. 15 prompt)

By end of the session, give people time to write down a breakthrough from the past week on the sheets handed out at beginning of session, and ask them if they’d be willing to share: What breakthroughs are you experiencing? What new direction is God revealing?

After the group’s regular closing prayer activities – joys and concerns, prayer requests, etc, then end each session with praying the St. Mark’s breakthrough prayer together.

Intro to prayer:
St. Mark’s is a community that believes in God’s power to break through with new and unexpected possibilities when we pray and seek God’s direction for our church and in our own lives. Whether you pray silently or aloud, we share in this breakthrough prayer
individually at 8:00pm each day and anytime we gather together in groups:

“God, please break through and open doors to new hopes, dreams, and possibilities for our church and our own lives. We surrender and faithfully follow Christ to Your new and unknown future. May Your will be done. Amen.”

 Is there a breakthrough prayer that you wrote this week that you wanted to share?
 Is there anything else you noticed about Day (#) that you wanted to point out?
 What did you think about Day (#)
 How did you feel about Day (#)
 How did Day (#) change the way you went through your day – maybe in your relationships, communication, or openness to God’s presence?

Week 1: Holy Spirit Impact

Our week 1 discussion focused on the potential impact of the Holy Spirit. We started learning about the Greek word for God’s dunamis (DOO-nah-mis) power.

Week 2: Holy Spirit Presence

Have everyone turn to p. 22, the first part of day 8 in their books: On p. 22, we can see an overview of week 2. Week 2 was focused on the presence of the Holy Spirit and “increasing our awareness of what you can expect of the power of God’s spirit.”

See on p. 23, last paragraph: We are reminded to “Offer all that’s simmering in your heart to the Almighty in prayer, either with words spoken aloud or silently spoken in your heart. Then invite God to break through, open new doors of possibility, and lead you
afresh as you look up and out with expectancy going forward.”

Sound familiar? If you’re praying either silently or aloud with the St. Mark’s breakthrough prayer each day you might remember asking for God to break through and open new doors.

VIDEO: Your Will be Done (11:46) from Ultimate Reliance

In this video we’ll see a young woman who allowed the Holy Spirit’s presence to push her beyond her comfort zone so she could cross cultural barriers.

WATCH: Video: Your Will be Done(11:46)

Q: We saw a young woman following the Holy Spirit’s nudges to build community in a truly Global Community Church—to stay in a city far from her close-knit family instead of returning home. She kept hearing God calling her in a “silent, quiet and peaceful way, to STAY.” Can you think of a time when you took a risk or tried a completely new thing because you felt a calling from God in a new direction? When she passed up a job offer in her home city to branch into a new life, she felt that God would provide everything she needed. Let’s turn to p.40, Day 14 “Everything We Need.”

Day #14: Everything We Need (p. 40-42) As promised in the syllabus, we’ll do Day 14 as a group, so if you’re behind on any of the reading you can do this with everyone!
o Have volunteers read aloud through the Day 14 scripture and reflection reading.
o Revised Version of Prompt Question – we thought this phrasing was a little unclear, so we’ve rephrased it to a more positive phrasing:
Q: Can you think of a season in your life when you felt God’s power working through you to produce, exhibit, or experience more fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, or self-control?
o After reading this revised prompt, give a couple of minutes for folks to think of their answer(s). People can share if they’d like to.
Pray the day 14 breakthrough prayer together.

The next right thing, one step at a time

We are learning that God can be a still small voice or a tiny spark of light through the Holy Spirit nudging us to the next right step—not necessarily a booming voice or burning bush that illuminates a completely smooth, straightforward path ahead.

Days 10 and 11 (p.28-33) remind us that God “Guides and Provides” for one step at a time in our daily “Walk and Talk.” Our choice to follow the path one step at a time can be a witness for others. Let’s flip through some highlights before we watch a special video reflection:
o p. 29 last two sentences: “Trust God’s dunamis power at work in you and find courage to move forward as your next steps appear. You’ll soon be on the open road of the adventure of faith!”
o p. 30 Day 10 breakthrough prayer: “God, part the floodwaters of my fear that you will not always provide, as you guide and set me on the solid ground of relying on your Spirit’s dunamis power.”
o p.31 The first paragraph describes how the spiritual principles in Twelve-Step Programs help people find recovery from all-consuming and destructive habits. “It’s about action, about making the next right choice in front of you, which becomes a
tangible example that others can emulate..”
o p.33 Prayer Hold – “God, speak and shine through my life…”

Last week, we saw a grandfather describing an early-morning climb up Mt. Sinai, where he could barely see the next right step but kept going with God’s guidance.

This week we have a musical reflection on a similar theme. Sometimes we might be in such a dark place that we need God just to help us get up, take one more breath, take one more step, and give us strength to get through the day. Let’s watch the video now…(and if you have any kids or grandkids who love the movie Frozen 2, this might seem a little familiar to you.)

VIDEO: The Next Right Thing (3:21) from Frozen 2
WATCH: Video: The Next Right Thing (3:21)  . Excerpt of lyrics is below:
I won’t look too far ahead
It’s too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make
So I’ll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing

Let us take a moment of silence to reflect on someone who has been a spiritual example for you to find the next right step—or how maybe you’ve been a spiritual guide for someone.

The bottom of p.31 describes being a witness to God’s guiding power. Have a volunteer read the final sentences on p. 31:

“Give yourself permission to share your story of faith and trust in Christ with your words whenever the opportunity arises. But your words regarding your confidence in the power of prayer will be meaningless unless it is also evident through your lived-out choices, your demonstrated attitude, and your tangible acts of love toward yourself and others.”

As we think about our lived-out choices, our attitudes, and our acts of love, let’s look at the prompt on p. 33:
Q: How much of what you say or think matches what you actually do (your attitudes, behavior, handling of finances or possessions, treatment of others, and time invested to grow and mature spiritually)? In what areas are you aware of your greatest mismatches? (From p. 33 prompt)

Day 8: Power Charge

o This lesson is about staying connected to God’s power rather than another power.
o p. 22 Read scripture Ephesians 1:19-20
o p. 24 Prompt: Q: Upon what sources do you typically find yourself relying to power you through the day, if they are sources other than your faith or prayer?
 Leader Note: these can be really wide-ranging answers—e.g., coffee, to-do lists, approval of others, achieving tasks, feeling needed
o p.24 Pray the Day 8 breakthrough prayer together – to refocus on God’s dunamis power instead of our own sources of power through the day.

Day 9: Power Prayer for Others

o Sometimes our prayer can be too narrowly focused on what OUR answer would be.
o p.25 Have someone read the scripture at top of page- Ephesians 3:16–19
o Q: Based on that scripture, is there a new way you would try to pray for someone? (revised phrasing of p.27 prompt, “What new observations about how to pray for someone else did you notice in today’s scripture?”)

Day 12: God’s Promises

o p. 36 prompt second sentence: Q: Are there promises of God in scripture that you hold closely to your heart and through which you have received peace, assurance, hope, guidance, or deliverance?

Day 13: Dunamis Wisdom

o Have someone read on p. 38 starting at “The pathway…”
“The pathway to receiving God’s wisdom is accessible through spending time reflecting on scripture and through praying—emptying yourself of your own assumptions or others’ advice—and then connecting to God to ask, listen, and receive.

Praying to request God’s miraculous wisdom is not seeking the easy solution, a quick fix, or validation of what makes the most worldly sense to you. Instead, it’s asking for God’s dunamis power of the Spirit to speak.”
o p. 39 prompt, first sentence: Q: Are you generally more apt to follow your own wisdom or to pause and ask God for wisdom?

By end of the session, give people time to write down a breakthrough from the past week on the sheets handed out at beginning of session, and ask them if they’d be willing to share:  What breakthroughs are you experiencing? What new direction is God revealing?

Excerpts of responses will be put on a display in the Gathering Area starting this Sunday.

After the group’s regular closing prayer activities – joys and concerns, prayer requests, etc, then end each session with praying the St. Mark’s breakthrough prayer together.

Intro to prayer:

St. Mark’s is a community that believes in God’s power to break through with new and unexpected possibilities when we pray and seek God’s direction for our church and in our own lives.

Whether you pray silently or aloud, we share in this breakthrough prayer individually at 8:00pm each day and anytime we gather together in groups:
“God, please break through and open doors to new hopes, dreams, and possibilities for our church and in our own lives. We surrender and faithfully follow Christ to Your new and unknown future. May Your will be done. Amen.”

VIDEO: Your Will be Done (11:46) from Ultimate Reliance

In this video we’ll see a young woman who allowed the Holy Spirit’s presence to push her beyond her comfort zone so she could cross cultural barriers.

WATCH: Video: Your Will be Done(11:46)

Q: We saw a young woman following the Holy Spirit’s nudges to build community in a truly Global Community Church—to stay in a city far from her close-knit family instead of returning home. She kept hearing God calling her in a “silent, quiet and peaceful way, to STAY.” Can you think of a time when you took a risk or tried a completely new thing because you felt a calling from God in a new direction? When she passed up a job offer in her home city to branch into a new life, she felt that God would provide everything she needed. Let’s turn to p.40, Day 14 “Everything We Need.”

Breakthrough at Trinity UMC from West Ohio Breakthroughs (5-10 mins)
In this video we’ll see youth pastor Rocky Riddle describing how breakthrough prayer revitalized his youth program at Trinity UMC in Upper Arlington, Ohio.
WATCH: Breakthrough Trinity UMC 
Q: Imagine prayer walking through our church building. What potential impacts could that have?

Prayer Walk and Prayer Map (10 minutes + 5-15 mins of regrouping & discussion)
When the Apostle Paul was not gathered in-person with the churches of Corinth, Ephesus, Philipi, Galatia, and Colossae he still prayed for them. Like Paul, we will be praying right now for our church! We are actually going to do our own prayer walk.
For the next 10 minutes we will split up individually to walk through different areas of the church to pray. You can walk the entire church or pick a specific area to focus on. Pray for anything that comes to mind or what God puts on your heart. Meet back here at (__:___), 10 minutes from now.

NOTE: For those with accessibility issues, we have copies of a church map with prompts of different areas for prayer.
After the prayer walk, ask if anyone would like to share something about their experience.

Day 20: The Cross (p. 58-60) We will do Day 20 together, so if you’re behind on any of the reading you can do this with everyone!
o Have volunteers read aloud through the Day 20 scripture (1 Corinthians 1:18) and three reflection paragraphs on p. 58.
 Q: What are ways you can surrender and submit your own preferences to Christ’s priorities for your time, money, relationships, possession, and plans?
o Have volunteers read the final paragraph (p. 59) and the prompt (p. 60).

Q: What does the cross symbolize for you?
o Pray the day 20 breakthrough prayer together.
o Optional: note the quote on p. 60 from Charles Spurgeon – “There are no crown-bearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.”

Day 15: Through Our Words (p.43-45)
A miraculous activity in the life of Paul, who wrote 1 Corinthians, was his transformation from being a persecutor of the Christian movement to being someone who shepherded churches in preaching and teaching about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
 p.44 states “As Paul increased in spiritual maturity through surrendered prayer asking for the Spirit’s dunamis to work through him on behalf of the message and mission of Christ, he was transformed.”
Based on p. 44 – Q: Do you strive for others to listen to you and to be impressed by your credentials or instead thankful for what the Spirit’s dunamis is accomplishing through you?
Prompt on p. 45 – Q: Would you say that your words are motivated by your emotions or do you find yourself holding space for the dunamis of God’s Spirit to provide you words and attitude that will bless and encourage others?
Note the Prayer-Hold – “Not words, but power”

Day 16: For Eternal Life (p. 46-48)
Read 1 Corinthians 6:14 aloud together – “By his power (dunamis) God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.”
Q: What thoughts come to mind when you read this verse?
We praise God for this Good News – “when our earthly body dies, our soul and spirit continue on, resurrected through God’s dunamis, united fully into God’s everlasting embrace.” (p.46)
Prompt on p. 48: Q: It’s been said that in Christ, death is not the final sleep – it’s the Great Awakening. Given the resurrection power of the Spirit’s dunamis, what does this statement mean to you?
Prayer-hold – From death to life.
 The breakthrough prayer for this day states – God, may your Spirit’s resurrectionstrength power bring new life to the following situations or circumstances that seem “dead”.
Q: What in your life needs God’s resurrection power to bring the dead to life?

Day 17: Faith Focus (p.49-51)
Paul states in Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ”
Prompt on p. 51: Q: What competes with your faith in Christ for your focus of time, energy, and priority right now? Think back on a time when you experienced suffering.
Did your faith focus strengthen as you navigated through and, if so, in what way?
Prayer-hold – “I want to know Christ”

Day 18: A New Spirit (p.52-54)
In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul gives his protégé Timothy encouraging words reminding him that a spirit of fear does not come from the Almighty (p.52). Both Timothy and Paul chose not to allow fear or discouragement to triumph, to consume their focus, or otherwise to unintentionally limit what was possible (p.53).
Prompt on p.54 – Q: How easily do you open yourself to a spirit of fear – and when you do, to what extent does it affect your ability to selflessly love others or to maintain a sound mind of faith?

Day 19: Through Scripture (p.55-57)
On p.55 it states, “For some ‘Christianity’ may be more like an outer garment to wear
for appearance rather than an ‘all-in’ relationship with Jesus taking root in their hearts.”
Q: Do you agree with this statement?
On p.55 it describes the Sadducees as believing there is no resurrection of the dead and that they reject the spiritual realm and anything having to do with the angelic and demonic. Jesus responds to them in Matthew 22:29 with “You are in error because you
do not know the Scriptures or the power (dunamis) of God.”
Prompt on p.55 – Q: What did you see, feel, experience, and realize as you read about the Sadducees and Jesus’ response? What might Jesus say to you now?
Note the Prayer hold – “Scripture + power of God = transformation”

Day 21: War Cry (p.61-63)
Day 21 talks about Matthew 6:13 being a spiritual war cry of God’s ultimate power and victory.
Prompt p. 63 – Q: Do you have a verse that is a “war cry”? Is there a scripture or verse from the Bible that often comes to your mind or that has ever been like a spiritual shield for you?

By end of the session, give people time to write down a breakthrough from the past week on the sheets handed out at beginning of session, and ask them if they’d be willing to share:  What breakthroughs are you experiencing? What new direction is God revealing?

Excerpts of responses will be put on a display in the Gathering Area starting this Sunday.

After the group’s regular closing prayer activities – joys and concerns, prayer requests, etc, then end each session with praying the St. Mark’s breakthrough prayer together.

Intro to prayer:

St. Mark’s is a community that believes in God’s power to break through with new and unexpected possibilities when we pray and seek God’s direction for our church and in our own lives.

Whether you pray silently or aloud, we share in this breakthrough prayer individually at 8:00pm each day and anytime we gather together in groups:
“God, please break through and open doors to new hopes, dreams, and possibilities for our church and in our own lives. We surrender and faithfully follow Christ to Your new and unknown future. May Your will be done. Amen.”

Recap of Weeks 1-3
Our week 1 discussion focused on the potential impacts of the Holy Spirit. We started learning about the Greek word for God’s dunamis (DOO-nah-mis) power.
Week 2 was about increasing our awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Week 3 focused on the miraculous power from the Holy Spirit when we commit ourselves to a prayer-fueled life.

Week 4: Holy Spirit – Our Posture
The final week is centered on transforming our prayer posture to open ourselves to becomea vessel for the Spirit’s dunamis power working in and through us. (based on p.64)

“Breakthrough Prayer to Serve the Hurting” Video (11 mins)
In this video we’ll see how one church adopted a prayer posture of being open to where God was calling them in mission.

WATCH: Breakthrough Prayer to Serve the Hurting from First Wausau UMC 
Through their prayers, Wausau First UMC realized they needed to “serve the hurting,” and then realized they could re-purpose their 50,000 square feet of building space during COVID closures by opening a warming center for the homeless.
Pastor Rebecca said that a breakthrough prayer “changes you from the inside out, and it opens us up together […] for God to move; it surrenders our lives, our churches to the Holy Spirit and says, ‘USE US, LORD.’”
Q: If you’d like to share, in what area(s) has God been nudging you to surrender your life to be used in a new way?
Q: What struck you most about the story from Wausau First UMC?

Day 28: Sustenance (p. 82-84) – We will do Day 28 together as a group!
Have volunteers read aloud the Day 28 scripture (Hebrews 1:3) and paragraphs (p. 82-83).
Chiseling away the old:
o p.82 notes that “as we surrender through prayer, the dunamis of God’s Spirit is at work maturing and chiseling away old behaviors, priorities, and thinking that are not of Christ’s likeness, so that we might also shine with God’s radiance.”
o The prompt on (p. 84) touches on a similar theme.
Q: What could set the stage for a more frequent, closer, or more personal encounter with God than what you’ve practiced up until now? (think about chiseling away the old, breaking a habit, setting aside old priorities…)

Acting on the next right thing:
o If we can keep up the daily practices listed on p. 83 we receive continued sustenance from God for the days, weeks, and months ahead.
o Q: As you look at that bulleted list on p. 83 about scripture, prayer, bold steps, and serving others, what is the next right thing for you to do to continue building these practices? i.e., What is one action you plan to take to continue making these practices part of your life?

Pray the day 28 breakthrough prayer together.
Note the quote from Kent Millard (p.88-89 in Afterword) “[…] a breakthrough prayer initiative is surrendering ourselves into the hands of God, praying like Jesus—’not my will but thine be done’—and trusting God to lead us into the future in ways we could not have anticipated.”

Conclusion: As you find God’s sustenance by chiseling away old habits and acting on the next right thing in your daily practices, may you be strengthened by the Holy Spirit’s impact, presence, and dunamis power.

Day 22: Not Ashamed (p.64-66)
Read Romans 1:16 aloud.
Day 22 highlights the courageous witness of Pastor Yikura from Nigeria and the apostle Paul who both shared their faith openly while imprisoned. Their witness has had a lasting impact.
Q: Do you believe that your faith witness has a ripple effect? If so- how, and for whom?
 p.65 reminds us that God’s dunamis power can multiply our witness far beyond what we will ever know – spanning out over time and into other lives that need redemption, healing, and hope.
 p.66 prompt – Q: Are those around you (friends, family, coworkers, neighbors) aware of your faith in Christ and that you believe prayer makes a difference? How do you make your faith known?
 Pray Day 22 prayer together from p.66 “God, break through my hesitancy and grant me your Spirit’s dunamis boldness in moments when I want to shy away from sharing my story of faith in you with others, or about your answers to my prayers. Amen.”

Day 23: Servant vs. Volunteer (p.67-69)
Day 23 distinguishes between what it looks like to be a volunteer and what being a servant requires. Page 68 notes “a Christ follower’s genuine identity and orientation is to become a whole-life servant, willing to serve at the pleasure of the heavenly Master whenever so led with all that you have and are.”
Prompt – Q: As you consider the differences between servant and volunteer, which would likely describe you most accurately at the moment? Do you vacillate between the two? Are you holding back for some reason?
Point out the quote from Kent Millard – “The way we can give everything of ourselves cheerfully and joyfully to God is if we give out of a heart filled with gratitude for all God has first given us.”

Day 24: Battle Ready (p.70-72)
Read Ephesians 6:10-17 aloud. (Note, only verses 10-12 are included on p.70)
This lesson says that evil’s darkness is meant to discourage and scare us into a selfserving path of destruction, fear, worry, and distraction instead of focusing on following Jesus.
Q: Have you ever felt like you are in a spiritual battle, with the Evil One surrounding you?
We can stand strong against the spiritual forces of evil by standing in the Lord’s mighty
dunamis power.
 p.72 Prompt – Q: What part(s) of the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17 do you need to focus on grasping and putting into place in your faith?
 Point out quote p. 72 “As long as we let the Word of God be our only armor, we can look confidently into the future.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Day 25: Race-Prepared (p.73-75)
In today’s race analogy, we focus on God’s power to give us the endurance and patience we need to persevere. It notes “Patient perseverance, when you surrender to preparation by God’s supernatural dunamis, allows you to run the race or path set before you equipped with the spiritual endurance it will require.” (p.74) Essentially, God will give us what we need.
 Prompt, p. 75 – Q: Have you ever heard the expression that you should run your spiritual race “at the pace of God’s grace”? As you reflect on this statement, what meaning or encouragement do you find in it?
 Prayer-hold – Dunamis endurance and patience….

Day 26: My Weakness (p.76-78)
Read 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 aloud.
Day 26 described the story of Hudson Taylor who left an incredible legacy in China after 51 years of 18,000 Christian conversions and an active team of 800 missionaries across the country. The movement in China experienced many hardships and Taylor expressed
that some of the greatest spiritual blessings came during these hardships.
 Prompt p. 78 – Q: In what areas do you feel the most weak or vulnerable? Take a moment to name these to God and ask for the Spirit’s dunamis power to do, work, and accomplish beyond what you can manage yourself.

Day 27: Capacity for Hope (p.79-81) 
Day 27 talks about how we can slip into a scarcity mindset, emphasizing what is missing and slipping into a spirit of hopelessness. To flip the mindset to hope, focus on God’s abundance through God’s dunamis power of cup-filling hope that will spill over from us
and splash onto everything and everyone through our words and actions. It says “Hope comes not from deciding we have enough but rather through the expectation that God, who always provides more than we can ask, think, or imagine, will supply what matters
most to Christ’s divine purposes through us” (p. 80)
 Prompt p. 81 – Q: Would you say you assert more of a scarcity mentality or a hope mentality when it comes to how you view what’s happening to you or others?
 Note part of prayer on p.81 – “God, fill me to overflowing with hope and expectation for your abundant provision.”

After the group’s regular closing prayer activities – joys and concerns, prayer requests, etc, then end each session with praying the St. Mark’s breakthrough prayer together.

Intro to prayer:
St. Mark’s is a community that believes in God’s power to break through with new and unexpected possibilities when we pray and seek God’s direction for our church and in our own lives. Whether you pray silently or aloud, we share in this breakthrough prayer
individually at 8:00pm each day and anytime we gather together in groups:

“God, please break through and open doors to new hopes,dreams, and possibilities for our church and in our own lives.
We surrender and faithfully follow Christ to Your new and unknown future. May Your will be done. Amen.”