Opening Prayer Led by Group Facilitator

Psalm 130

Pray the Psalm together aloud, alternating verses between two sides.  When finished, share reflections on the Psalm as a group

1  Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! Lord, hear my voice!

2  Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

3  If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

4  But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared.

5  I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

6  my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

7  O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is mercy; and with him is plenteous redemption.

8  And he will redeem Israel  from all his iniquities. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

The Death of Sarah

Genesis 23

1.       The first person in the Bible who “wept” was Hagar, when she thought Ishmael would die.  Genesis 23:2 is only the second use of “weep” in the Old Testament.  How is it instructive for a Patriarch that Abraham wept?

2.       How does Abraham identify himself to the Hittites? How does this identity still apply to the Jews? How does this apply to Christians? How does this identity apply to you as a Patriarch?

3.       How does Abraham profit from the occasion of Sarah’s death? How is it clear that Abraham has already surveyed the property he wants?  How does this inform a Patriarch’s ‘foresight’?

4.       Abraham has negotiated before, with the LORD and with Abimelech.  What might be his strategy for not negotiating with Ephron?

5.       This is the first real estate transaction in the Bible.  What was its significance? How important is real estate in the life of a Patriarch?

Resolutions

Choose a resolution for this week from the suggestions below or make your own.  Tap on a resolution to email it to yourself:

1.    I will set aside a time to meet with my wife to discuss strategies to better accomplish our long-term financial goals.
2.    I will develop a plan/timeline for asking my boss for a promotion. 
3.    I will have my children help me fix up part of our home that has been neglected. 
4.    I will play monopoly with my family and use it to teach my children about real estate and financial planning.
5.    I will spend time in adoration requesting that the Lord provide for a financial need in my family.
6.    I will pray a rosary for the deceased members of my family.
7.    I will spend at least 15 minutes reflecting on the loved ones that I have lost and the ways in which they helped me.

Previous Resolutions - Genesis 22

Prayer Partners

Discuss with your prayer partner the success/failure of your previous resolution & offer a vocal prayer for one another.