I have been driving for many years - 25 to be exact. After all those years, much of what I do when I drive is second nature. I do not think too much about stopping at a stop sign because I have stopped at thousands. I merge onto the interstate without hesitating because I have done it on interstates across the country. I have made U-turns in little cars and big. I have stopped for hundreds of trains. I have driven in the left-hand lane on a one-way street because it is okay to do that.
However, I was not always so confident. When I first got my license, I would drive out of my way to avoid four-way stops, steep hills, and interstates. After I gained some confidence, and grew tired of spending extra money on gas because of all my detours, I faced these driving challenges head on.
I can say the same for my prayer life. Even before I made a serious commitment to Jesus, I possessed a look in the small group I was attending that said, "Don't you dare ask me to pray!" I wanted to take the detour and avoid public prayer at all cost. My small group leader began to point out signs and give me the safe opportunity to stretch my prayer muscles. Over time, I grew stronger and more confident in praying out loud. She never told me I had to; she simply modeled the joy of doing it.
During the Bible study portion of your small group meeting, purposefully use prayer signs as you study God's Word. Create a set of signs for each person in your small group (using index cards) and explain how to use each one. During the study, each person has the opportunity to hold up one of their prayer signs, signaling to the group to stop and pray. For example:
Stop
—When a person holds up the "stop" card, the group should stop right where they are at, and the person holding the card should pray. He or she can pray a prayer of thanksgiving for God's command, promise, or truth discussed in the lesson.
Yield
—The person who holds up this card can ask a question about what is being discussed. The group should stop discussing, and the person to the right of the one who held up the card should pray a quick prayer asking for discernment and understanding.
Merge
—The person who holds up this card has sensed a disagreement. Stop discussion while someone prays for wisdom and understanding, then continue talking about the issue.
U-turn
—When a person holds up this card, discussion should stop and everyone should pray a prayer releasing his or her opinions and ideas to God. Everyone should switch to playing devil's advocate, questioning what is being discussed so as to discuss it at a deeper level.
These signs can help show the importance of prayer while discussing God's Word, and they can offer people the opportunity to learn to pray.
