PRAY & WONDER Encircle your miracle - ICF

Smallgroup Program ICF Zurich, Sunday, 23rd August 2015

PRAY & WONDER – Encircle your miracle

Next Sundays

ICE BREAKER 16/08/15 Vision Sunday – Coming Home
23/08/15 pray & wonder – Encircle your miracle
Ideas for the introduction into the current topic: 30/08/15
06/09/15 pray & wonder – Dream big
1. Which simple everyday miracle would sweeten your 13/09/15 Guest Speaker – Layne Schranz
day? 20/09/15
(funny  e.g. The bacon is already cooked in the 27/09/15 pray & wonder – Pray intensively
morning  pray& wonder – Think long-term
pray & wonder – Don’t give up

Also watch the weekly Smallgroup video under
Smallgroup Blog.

2. Think back on the story & pictures of Wilma Rudolph… In her childhood Wilma suffered various serious
illnesses. Poliomyelitis made her left leg stop working. Thanks to 16 years of her mother’s continuous

prayers she became a US champion in track and field and won at the Olympics.

Which miracle story personally touches and encourages you a lot at the moment?

SUMMARY OF THE MESSAGE

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
MATTHEW 7:7 The Bible – New International Version

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
PSALM 46:1 The Bible – New International Version

Define your “Jericho”

Pray up a storm for your “Jericho”

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
LUKE 18:1 The Bible – New International Version

Give thanks for your “Jericho” miracle

“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came
in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its
fighting men.’” JOSHUA 6:1-2 The Bible – New International Version

© 2015, ICF ZÜRICH | WWW.ICF.CH

REFLECTION / SHARING

First of all we want to take some time to share on our current need for a miracle.
 What is your “Jericho”? Where do you need a miracle?
(If participants do not really know what it is because everything is going so well, then our VIPs are always “a
need for a miracle”.)
Do you really believe that God can bring healing, salvation, reconciliation and provision into your
concern?
Psalm 46:1 – God does not only perform miracles, but he does more than enough!

PRAYER TIME

During 6 days the people of God had to encircle Jericho silently before God’s powerful miracle came to be.
In these 6 days of silence various thoughts passed through the Israelites heads, for example “Will God
perform the miracle for us like he did for Moses?”
Each participant encircles his Jericho in a silent prayer for a few minutes. Then you can reflect on
which ways faith and doubt have developed in you.
 Tell each other about which specific thoughts you had in this quiet time. Then search for Bible verses with
which everyone could strengthen their faith.
If you want you can seal your faith with a prophetic prayer of thanks.
Like Moses who thanked God before the miracle was performed and had faith for it to happen in Exodus
14:13-14

ACTION STEPS

 A Bible verse can be written down, for example on a mirror, so that your faith will be strengthened.
 Pray for your miracle daily as you do everyday actions (e.g. brushing teeth, doing the dishes, part of the

way to work, etc…)
 Write down your prayer and for what you have faith and share it with somebody in your life.

© 2015, ICF ZÜRICH | WWW.ICF.CH

Smallgroup Program ICF Zurich

HEARTBEAT fpr Smallgroup leaders

PRAY & WONDER

God loves getting in contact with us and having fellowship with us. When we pray, we expect small things
from God and often also great things. But how can we experience miracles with him? How can you pray and
be amazed by what God is doing? A message series on wondering. About God’s love for us.

Warm wishes,
Your Smallgroup team

Preparation:
Test your goals:
(1) The goal of the Smallgroup work is to help people strengthen their personal relationship with Jesus and live in real
fellowship with one another.
(2) Which people in my Smallgroup do I encourage to be leaders? Which opportunities to practice do I provide for them?
(3) Which goal do I set for the Smallgroup meeting?
Apply these three values to your Smallgroup:
Community, experiencing God, multiplication (internal and external growth).
Consider how these three values are put into practice in the next small group meeting.
Pray for your Smallgroup:
- Pray for your members and their concerns.
- Pray that each has an encounter with God and that you may all achieve your goals together.
- Consciously submit yourself under God’s leadership so that the evening may take place according to his will.
Plan your Smallgroup meeting:
- Consider what you will delegate (administration, hospitality/food, prayer, worship, input …).
- Everybody should be informed where and when the meeting is taking place. Communication is a matter of leadership!
Count on God’s presence:
“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

© 2015, ICF ZÜRICH | WWW.ICF.CH