Why do some prayers get answered while others seem to go unheard? Jesus promises that faith can move mountains, yet we still face trials, disappointment, and mystery. In this message from Robyn Elliott we wrestle honestly with unanswered prayer, exploring biblical tensions, real-world complexity, and the hope the resurrection still offers.
Discussion Questions:
1. When have you experienced an unanswered prayer, and how did it shape your perception of God?
2. How do you reconcile Jesus’ promises in Matthew 21 and John 14 with the lived reality of suffering?
3. Which of the possible explanations discussed - contradiction, wounded world, free will, evil, sin - resonates most with you, and why?
4. To what extent is the modern Western expectation of happiness influencing how we interpret God’s role in our lives?
5. How does free will complicate the idea of God intervening in response to prayer?
6. In what ways does the biblical portrayal of spiritual evil (Ephesians 6) add nuance to the question of unanswered prayer?
7. What is the difference between having faith in God and having faith in the amount of your faith?
8. How does the Christian hope of resurrection reframe the way we interpret suffering, healing, and unanswered prayer?
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Why do some prayers get answered while others seem to go unheard? Jesus promises that faith can move mountains, yet we still face trials, disappointment, and mystery. In this message from Robyn Elliott we wrestle honestly with unanswered prayer, exploring biblical tensions, real-world complexity, and the hope the resurrection still offers.
Discussion Questions:
1. When have you experienced an unanswered prayer, and how did it shape your perception of God?
2. How do you reconcile Jesus’ promises in Matthew 21 and John 14 with the lived reality of suffering?
3. Which of the possible explanations discussed - contradiction, wounded world, free will, evil, sin - resonates most with you, and why?
4. To what extent is the modern Western expectation of happiness influencing how we interpret God’s role in our lives?
5. How does free will complicate the idea of God intervening in response to prayer?
6. In what ways does the biblical portrayal of spiritual evil (Ephesians 6) add nuance to the question of unanswered prayer?
7. What is the difference between having faith in God and having faith in the amount of your faith?
8. How does the Christian hope of resurrection reframe the way we interpret suffering, healing, and unanswered prayer?
In this message from Robyn Elliott, we rediscover prayer not as something to master but as a rhythm to live - a way of turning aside to notice the divine in the everyday. From the burning bush to the coffee line, God meets us on ordinary ground and turns it into holy ground. Prayer isn’t about performance, it’s about presence, learning to see that every moment can become sacred when we pause to notice God there.
Questions:
1. Do you see prayer as something you understand or something you still feel like a beginner at? Why? What fears or barriers might hold you back from praying freely and honestly?
2. Robyn said, “How we imagine God determines how we pray.” What theological or psychological insights can we draw from that statement? How might our image of God - whether as distant judge, intimate friend, or creative force - shape both the content and the confidence of our prayers?
3. Think of a time when something ordinary suddenly felt sacred. What happened?
4. Moses encountered God in a burning bush. What might be the “ordinary bush” in your life right now where God is trying to get your attention? And how does it change your perspective to think that every ground is holy ground because God is there?
5. If prayer is “a rhythm to keep” rather than a “skill to master,” how does that reshape our understanding of spiritual formation? In what ways might prayer be less about achieving results and more about being formed into a certain kind of person?
6. What would it look like for you to “turn aside” and notice God in your daily routines - your commute, your kitchen, your conversations?
7. What small step could you take this week to make prayer a rhythm rather than a task?
8. Robyn suggested a few exercises to try over the course of this series. Which one will you start with?
9. Download the Lectio 365 app
10. Spend some time in the prayer room
11. Attend Pilgrimage of Prayer on Nov. 23
12. Pray the Lord’s Prayer
Lakeside Church
Why do some prayers get answered while others seem to go unheard? Jesus promises that faith can move mountains, yet we still face trials, disappointment, and mystery. In this message from Robyn Elliott we wrestle honestly with unanswered prayer, exploring biblical tensions, real-world complexity, and the hope the resurrection still offers.
Discussion Questions:
1. When have you experienced an unanswered prayer, and how did it shape your perception of God?
2. How do you reconcile Jesus’ promises in Matthew 21 and John 14 with the lived reality of suffering?
3. Which of the possible explanations discussed - contradiction, wounded world, free will, evil, sin - resonates most with you, and why?
4. To what extent is the modern Western expectation of happiness influencing how we interpret God’s role in our lives?
5. How does free will complicate the idea of God intervening in response to prayer?
6. In what ways does the biblical portrayal of spiritual evil (Ephesians 6) add nuance to the question of unanswered prayer?
7. What is the difference between having faith in God and having faith in the amount of your faith?
8. How does the Christian hope of resurrection reframe the way we interpret suffering, healing, and unanswered prayer?
