Read opening quote.

In his book Prayer, Olle Hallesby says that prayer is opening the door and allowing God to flood our lives.

"To pray is to let Jesus into our hearts.… It is not our prayer, which moves the Lord Jesus. It is Jesus who moves us to pray. He knocks. Our prayers are always a result of Jesus knocking at our heart’s doors. This throws light upon the old prophetic passages: “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).… To pray is nothing more involved than to let Jesus into our needs. To pray is to give Jesus permission to employ His powers in the alleviation of our distress. To pray is to let Jesus glorify His name in the midst of our needs.… To pray is nothing more than to open the door, giving Jesus access to our needs and permitting Him to exercise His own power in dealing with them."

Pray: Let God into your needs; open the door, giving Jesus access into your own hearts and time together.

 1) How did God speak to you through the teaching and/or skit this last Sunday? Be as honest as you can.

2) Do you believe that God, the Father of Jesus, loves to give good gifts to His children? Can we take that promise too far? What might be some of the ways we misinterpret this truth, particularly in our North American context?

3) Here James makes a clear distinction between Trials and Temptations as well as between Evil and Misfortune. Trouble is we so often lump them all together. No wonder so many get angry at God; and end up losing their trust in God as good. Have you piled all these "negative" things onto God unfairly? Where has that led you?

4) What enables you to continue to see trials and testings as some of God's "good gifts" to you? 

5) How has God used Trials and Testings to allow Christ to be formed in you?

Speak these things out; or speak into one another's lives and what you see God doing in them through the trial they are in or have gone through.

Pray for one another.

If you did not see the skit this last sunday, maybe take the time to have a listen.

http://intheriver.ca/media/2014-10-16-trials-skit

Here is the sermon entitled Good Gifts from this last Sunday.

http://intheriver.ca/media/2014-10-16-good-gifts