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WAITING FOR THE TOAST
5 mins
Get your group in a circle and place a toaster in the middle. The idea of this game is for people to take it in turns to tell a story about a time when they have had to wait or queue for something. As the first person shares, get the toaster going. When the first person finishes the next person goes. People keep sharing until the toaster pops. Depending on how many people are in your group, unveil a different topping for the toast every third person who shares. When the toaster finally pops the person sharing has to eat the toast with the crazy, multiple toppings on.
READ AND DISCUSS
10 mins
Read Luke 11:9-13 as a group and then discuss these questions:
• What do you think verses nine and ten say about praying for the Holy Spirit?
• Is this asking, searching and knocking for the Spirit part of your prayer life?
• Have you ever spent time waiting for the Holy Spirit? What happened?
• What do verses 11-13 say about how the Father gives the Holy Spirit?
READ AND DISCUSS
10 mins
Read Acts 2:1-8, 12-14 as a group and discuss these questions:
• What do you think it means to be baptised with the Holy Spirit?
• Why do you think Jesus told them to wait?
• What might this waiting have looked like?
• What was the purpose of their waiting?
GETTING PRACTICAL
20 mins
Over the last five weeks we’ve talked loads about the Holy Spirit, but, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4, God’s kingdom is not a matter of talk but of power, so it would be good to get practical and create a bit of space to let the Holy Spirit equip your young people. Get your young people into single sex groups of three and chat through this brief guide to praying for others.
For those being prayed for: your job is to ask God to meet you and then relax into it. Try not to strain and over-focus and try not to zone out. Ask God to come and then just rest in his presence. You might want to open out your hands as a sign of receiving. God doesn’t do anything that we don’t want him to; as we wait we may have unexpected emotions or reactions. Remember that it is your choice whether you want to go with this or not - but often if God brings it up, he wants to deal with it. When you feel ready, open your eyes and say thank you to those praying for you.
For those praying: when praying for someone ask if you can lay a hand on their shoulder. Keep your eyes open and stand looking at them as you pray and wait together so that you can see what God is doing. (Try not to pray from behind or to one side as you can’t see so well.) Ask if there is anything specific they want prayer for. Begin by briefly thanking God for that person and then ask God to meet with them. You can simply say ‘come Holy Spirit’ - you don’t need to kill the time with words. As you pray, look at what God may be doing (are they shaking, are they looking peaceful, are their eyes fluttering?) and listen to God to see if he has any words or pictures that would encourage them. Don’t blurt these out - wait until the end. When the person is ready to finish, ask them quietly what was happening. When they have finished sharing, offer them any words or pictures you had. Share them gently, so they can make a decision as to whether it is appropriate, and never insist that what you have is a word from the Lord. Then ask if they would like you to pray a bit more into either what they were feeling or what you shared. Remember that what happens in this time should stay in this time. But if as you pray you are worried about something that is said or that happens, make sure that you share it with a youth leader. Remember that as we pray we need to be sensitive, making people feel safe and comfortable. When we pray for someone it is a little like we are waiters and waitresses in God’s restaurant. The person being prayed for is the customer. They order the food, God makes it, we simply serve them in the best way we can.
When you have been through this guide, encourage each group of three to take it in turns to pray for each other, with one receiving and two praying. Give each person five minutes or so to receive before moving onto the next person. It is important to remember that it can take a little while of waiting before a culture of waiting and encountering is really created, and that often God is meeting with people very quietly and gently even when it doesn’t appear so.
DEBRIEF
5 mins
When you have finished praying for each other, create space for anyone who wants to share what was happening. Remind people that it is ok not to have felt anything and that it does not mean that God has not been working. Often God works deeper than our feelings by transforming our characters. It may be that people have questions about what happened and it’s helpful to make space for these as well. Finish by thanking God for what he has done.
KEY POINT 1
The Holy Spirit doesn’t seize control of our lives without asking. God will only meet with that person if they are asking and waiting. The Holy Spirit is not trying to control us. Jesus spoke about him as a guide, comforter and helper, and so he never forces someone to act against their own will. Rather we ask, seek and knock to invite the Spirit into relationship with us.
KEY POINT 2
After we have asked for God to meet us, it is often helpful to wait and allow time for the Holy Spirit. Waiting creates space for God to equip us. He is not in a hurry and so, like the first disciples, we don’t rush as we wait for him. Waiting teaches us patience and perseverance. While God loves to meet us, he wants to journey with us and not be ‘a God on-demand’. So this process of waiting often involves realigning our hearts and minds to him.
