30 DAYS OF PRAYER | DAY 28 – A PRAYER FOR THE WOMEN OF OUR CHURCH

I have prayed from the beginning that our church would be many things, but one close to my heart is a church where women know God’s truth and are forever altered by it’s transforming power. I pray that as they sit under good teaching they would learn God’s word in a way that they could apply it to their daily living. I mean really apply it so that they see the way they think and act change over time.

I pray that as they interact with other women in the church, they are encouraged, inspired, and feel the freedom to be vulnerable and real. I pray that they would be able to cast aside lies and shame that have begun to strangle their mind and cause them to not see straight.

I pray that as they interact in Redemption Groups they are able to find mentors–women who are a stage ahead and can encourage, uplift, and pray for them. I hope that we all find women at our side when we need someone, and over time, that the women who receive care would give back and be a mentor to others.

I pray that women who are married would see the value of the mundane, the glory of cleaning house, of loving their spouse, of being a good friend.

I pray that those who are mothers would be able, by God’s power, to break family patterns and pass down something different then what was passed down to them.

I dream of a church where the women are revered as those who dispense so much grace that others take note. I pray that grace is dolled out to those they play tennis with, those they buy groceries from, and all those that regularly cross their path in the course of their day. I pray that neighbors and long time friends would take notice of the lavish way in which our women love others. It can be done.

I pray that our church would not just be a place where someone shows up on Sunday to check off the good attendance box in their head. I pray that our women can not wait to gather at church to be refreshed and to have the opportunity to give to someone else. I pray that they would do this because they read it in God’s word and because they see the excitement in the other women around them.

I pray that women would disciple women. I pray for this with confidence, knowing that our Heavenly Father wants this for us. It’s modeled in scripture and commanded specifically in Titus 2. I dream and pray that the older women in our church would impart life-giving knowledge and truth so that the young women would be trained. I pray that, in time, this cycle would continue to repeat itself over and over and over and over again.

 “Older women likewise are to…teach what is good, and so train the young women.” Titus 2:3-

This post was written by Nan Lawrence. Nan is married to Pastor Jeff, and she is mom to Mike, Luke, Jake, and Kate. She enjoys rowing crew, playing tennis, drinking tea, and laughing with friends.