Part 1 | Retreat

Spiritual Formation: Retreat Small Group Reflections Encouragements (15 mins) Be careful to keep this time to just 15 minutes as this time can run away from you. Bible study (40 mins) A Prayer for dependence - Psalm 86 (adapted from life builder study) Our relationship with God is that of children to parents, sheep to a shepherd, creature to the creator. We are dependent on him for life, for breath, for sustenance, for help in trouble, for love, for forgiveness, for mercy. We may like to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient but we are not. We need God. It is vital that we acknowledge our need because it is the beginning point of our relationship with him. This psalm says give voice to our dependence on God. 1. Think of a time when you we desperately in need of someone else help and support. How did you feel about being dependent on them? 2. Read Psalm 86 together. What is your overall sense of David’s relationship with God? 3. David describes himself as ‘poor and needy’. What is he saying about himself? 4. List his requests for help in the psalm. 5. In what ways do you identify with David being ‘poor and needy’? Why do you need God’s help like David? 6. The psalmist sees God as loving, powerful, and actively involved in caring for him. What are some specific statements (look in the text only) he makes about God? 7. How would this view of God change your own dependence on him? 8. How does David’s life benefit from this kind of dependence? 9. In what area of your life do you need to acknowledge your dependence on God? Reflection (40 Mins) Over the last weeks, how have you been cultivating a transformative relationship with God? How have you found settling aside regular time for retreat and ‘strategic withdrawal’? What has made it difficult for you to practice retreat? What has been helpful? What benefits have you learned or experienced during this time? Please give specific examples where possible. Think again about the big picture of cultivating ‘a lived relationship with God’ (a prayerful spiritual life, in the midst of daily life). What would be one or two goals for these next 9 months? What are you planning to do in the next two weeks to work towards those goals? (Please record these down together so you can encourage each other and keep focus in the coming months) Prayer (15 Mins) Pray for one another