the Sacred echo / session 3

Watch session 3 at RightNow Media and answer the following questions.

Read Isaiah 64:4.

>In what ways have you found this verse to be true in your own life? >According to each of the passages listed below, what is the reward of waiting on and hoping in God? Psalm 40:1 Isaiah 30:18 Isaiah 40:31 >Can you think of a time when you waited on God and found these verses to be true in your own life? Explain.

In the video, Margaret says that she has begun to recognize prayer as having three parts: one part speaking, one part listening, and one part waiting.

>Which “part” comes most easily to you? >Which “part” is the most difficult for you? In the video, Rich and Carol share their struggle of chronic illness, injury, job loss and financial setbacks. After anger, doubts and frustration, Carol said, “I think of this long journey of waiting for God to change our circumstances. I think it wasn’t so much changing our circumstances as much as He wanted to change me.”

>How do you think Carol was changed? How would you feel in that situation?

Margaret says that for her waiting is the most difficult part. She describes struggling with “in-between” times—those moments right before the move, the job acceptance, or the next stage in life.

>When was the last time you were in an “in-between” time? Describe.

>Why do you think “in-between” times are so hard? How do “inbetween” times provide an opportunity to grow in your faith?

Read Exodus 10:1-3.

Margaret says that in her Bible’s translation the first one to ask “how long?” is God.

>Does it surprise you that God is concerned by the amount of time and displays of power that it takes to change Pharoh’s heart?

In The Sacred Echo, Margaret writes, “How long? That may seem like a strange question for the One who fixes epochs to ask, but I find those two words pulling against my soul and inviting me into a deeper relationship with God; they remind me that I am not alone. I do not just wait for God but with God. My heart longs for redemption, restoration, and reconciliation. I want sickness to be eliminated, peace throughout the earth, and the world to be put in proper order. As much as I desire these things, God desires them even more. When these two words come alive in my heart, I know God is still with me and still to be trusted.”

>What does it mean to you to know that God is also waiting? >In what ways can waiting make you more like Jesus? Read Luke 2:10-40.

>Make a list of everyone in this passage who had the opportunity to encounter Jesus after his birth. >What do you imagine Simeon and Anna felt when they encountered Jesus? Do you think they felt it was worth the wait? Why or why not? Read Psalm 62:1-6.

>According to this passage, what did the Psalmist know confidently about God in the midst of waiting?

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Going deeper: Select at least one activity below to complete during the next week. —Keep track of your schedule this week. Pay attention to just how much time you spend waiting—in traffic, in line, in everyday life. What are you doing with that time? Look for opportunities to turn some of your waiting time into times of prayer or worship. —Write Psalm 62:5 on an index card and memorize it. Each day this week, pray that God fulfills this verse in your own life. —Spend an hour this week going through any old journals or diaries. Look for times in the past when you were waiting on God. What was the result? How does recognizing the times in the past when God has remained faithful or true change your perspective on things you’re waiting for now? Take time to thank God for his faithfulness.