prayer – Men's Small Group Blog

Slowing Down for Lent: Making Space for What Matters

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Life doesn’t exactly ask us to slow down. Between work, family, responsibilities, and just trying to keep up, we can find ourselves running on fumes without even realizing it. That’s where Lent comes in.

Lent is the 40-day period leading up to Easter, a time when Christians around the world pause to reflect, reset, and realign their lives with God. It’s not about being perfect or checking religious boxes—it’s about making space. Space to hear God’s voice. Space to notice what we’ve been clinging to. Space to let go of what’s been holding us back.

Why 40 Days?

It mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness. He was tempted, tested, and stripped of comfort—but it was also a time of deep connection with God. Lent invites us into something similar. Not to suffer for the sake of it, but to step away from distractions and draw closer to the One who gives us real life.

It’s Not Just About Giving Something Up

People often give up things like sweets, social media, or caffeine. But it’s not about the “what” as much as the “why.” Giving something up can open space for something greater. Maybe you skip your morning scroll and talk to God instead. Or fast from negativity and choose encouragement. Lent can also mean adding something—like starting a gratitude journal, checking in on a friend each week, or spending 10 minutes in silence with God.

It’s About the Heart

God’s not impressed by how good we are at saying no to chocolate. He’s after our hearts. Lent is about returning to Him—letting Him reset what’s out of rhythm and remind us of who we really are: deeply loved, fully known, and never alone.

So whether you’ve practiced Lent for years or this is your first time hearing about it, you’re invited. Not to perform, but to pause. Not to impress, but to reconnect.

Questions:

Have you ever participated in Lent before (giving something up or adding something)? What was your experience like?
If you haven’t already, what’s one thing you’d consider giving up—or adding in—this Lent to make space for God?
When was the last time you slowed down just to be still with God?
What “noise” or distraction tends to pull your attention away from faith lately?
How could this group support you in your Lent journey?

2025: A Year of Prayer

As we step into 2025, many of us are looking for ways to deepen our relationship with God and grow in our faith. We touched on this in last week’s group where someone mentioned the idea of needing some pointers on how to pray more effectively. So today, we’re going to discuss contemplative prayer.

It would be great if we resolved, as a group, to make 2025 a year of prayer. Think about the positive benefits of committing to growing in our understanding of what prayer is, practicing it regularly, and experiencing the peace, guidance, and closeness with God that comes from it.

Prayer is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given. Yet, for many (most?) of us, prayer can feel intimidating. What should we say? How should we start? What if we don’t hear anything back? If that’s where you’re at, you’re not alone.

Contemplative Prayer: The Power of Listening

When we think of prayer, it’s easy to picture folding our hands, bowing our heads, and listing off our needs. While there’s absolutely a place for bringing our requests to God (Philippians 4:6-7), prayer is also about listening. This is where contemplative prayer comes in.

Contemplative prayer isn’t about saying the “right” words. In fact, it’s not about words at all. It’s about sitting quietly in God’s presence, inviting Him to speak to our hearts, and resting in His love. It’s a reminder that prayer isn’t a one-way street—it’s a conversation. Sometimes we need to pause and let God get a word in.

Simple Ways to Get Started

If prayer feels unfamiliar or overwhelming, start small. Here are some practical steps to help you make 2025 your year of prayer:

Set a Time and Place: Consistency helps build habits, even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes.
Start with Gratitude: Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we’ve been given.
Use Scripture: If you’re not sure what to pray, let the Bible guide you. For example, read Psalm 23 and pray through the verses, asking God to shepherd you this year.
Practice Listening: Spend a few minutes in silence. Ask God to speak, and then wait.
Write it down: Keep a notebook nearby to document words and ideas God puts on your heart during this time. Over time, go back and review your notes to see if you can recognize any patterns or themes that emerge.

As James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” Let’s hold onto that promise as we grow together in prayer this year.

Here are some questions to consider as we step into this year of prayer:

How would you describe your current prayer life? What’s one thing you’d like to grow in?
Have you ever tried contemplative prayer or listening to God? What was that experience like?
What would it look like for you to make prayer a daily habit this year? What would be some of the positive benefits?
What do you think of the idea of making 2025 a year of prayer for our group? What are some things we could do to make that a reality?

Patience Isn’t Prime: When God Doesn’t Deliver Next-Day

My wife has a beautiful way of encouraging me each morning with a text containing Scripture and a message. Yesterday, she shared one about patience, comparing it to a farmer waiting for the rain to help grow his crops. The farmer can’t rush the rain, just like we can’t rush God’s plans for us. Instead, we’re called to wait with anticipation and trust, without worrying, complaining, or demanding that God works according to our schedule.

I jokingly (or maybe not so jokingly?) responded back to her, asking what I would do with all that extra time if I didn’t use it for worrying, complaining, and demanding.

For me, it’s not so much about the worrying or complaining, but I’m weak when it comes to the demanding part. I really like trying to expedite God’s plan and frequently try to sneak my way into the captain’s chair and steer the ship (which fails 100% of the time).

It’s easy to get frustrated when things don’t happen when or how we want them to. We live in a world that values speed and efficiency, where waiting feels like wasted time. I’ve heard this referred to as the “Amazon effect”—if you want something, it just shows up the next day.

But God’s timing is different from ours. He sees the bigger picture, and sometimes, He asks us to wait because He’s preparing us for what’s ahead or working things out in ways we can’t yet see.

The Bible gives us many examples of people who had to wait for God’s promises. In each of these cases, the waiting was not in vain; it was part of God’s perfect plan for their growth and His glory.

True patience means trusting in God’s love even when we don’t see the full picture. It means letting go of our desire to control the outcome and believing that He is working all things together for our good, in His perfect time (Romans 8:28).

Questions:

How do you personally struggle with waiting on God’s timing? Is it more about worrying, about complaining, or about demanding? Or all three?

Do you also sometimes try to take the Captain’s chair? What does that look like for you and how does it work out?

Patience is such a simple concept ‘on paper’, so why is it so difficult to practice more consistently?

When we worry, complain, and demand different timing, how does that impact God’s perfect plan for our lives?

How would you explain today’s lesson if you had to summarize it in a couple of sentences?