1. What spiritual practices (Bible reading, prayer, personal worship, fasting, etc.) have been a part of your relationship with God and growing in your faith, and which have helped you the most?
Ask two people to read aloud Ezra 7:6; 8:21-32; 10:1-6 one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions.
As a group, look through these passages again, looking for and discussing how the following parts of the story flow and work together: (a) Ezra’s character and virtues, (b) Ezra’s actions, (c) God’s responses, and (d) the people’s virtues and actions.
2. How is the “hand of the Lord” (mentioned three times in these passages) involved in the people’s journey and other developments in these passages?
3. What leadership traits do you see in Ezra?
4. What do you learn about God from these passages?
5. What do you learn about yourself?
6. Throughout these passages there are at least 12 virtues and practices, both of Ezra and the people: (a) devotion to God’s Word, (b) humility, (c) fasting, (d) prayer, (e) dependence on God, (f) confession, (g) mourning over unfaithfulness, (h) repentance, (i) hope, (j) surrender, (k) submission to God, (l) and commitment to God. Discuss these and how Ezra and the people lived them out (You may want to write these on a board or large piece of paper.)
7. How do these all work together to help form a person spiritually? (How are they dependent on one another?)
- Note two other practices mentioned: community (see 10:1, for instance) and solitude, 10:6). How can a balance of both help a person grow spiritually?
8. Which of these virtues and practices will you start or recommit to?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. In what area of your life or ministry are you seeking for the hand of the Lord to be on you?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Ezra 9:1-15; 10:10-12. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts as well as the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
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