I love the challenge that God gives me each Monday evening ~ to take women a ‘step deeper’ and as Brennan Manning states,
‘…there is more power in sharing our weaknesses, than in sharing our strengths.’
This year, as I have been in the past, God is challenging me to pray for my ‘small church’. He is calling me to be a spiritual leader in their lives. Someone who challenges, encourages, and stretches them into what Ephesians describes as “mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.”
My group has blended together in such a beautiful way. To think that less than three months ago ~ most had not even met each other~ and now they are being knit together by God’s own Spirit. I am continually trying to put my heart and mind around “HOW” I should pray for them.
Several mornings ago I started out with
~bless our fellowship and bond each of these women together~
I stopped. How one sided and flat was that for a small group leader with her own ‘small church’? I remembered a passage I had been reading earlier in the week in Ephesians. Take a moment and read Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:14-19.
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through
his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes
from God."
I found that Paul had already placed his finger on the heartbeat of my small group. He eloquently describes how I need to pray for each of my women. This is the prayer God has laid on my heart for each of YOU my ‘small church’.
‘…there is more power in sharing our weaknesses, than in sharing our strengths.’
This year, as I have been in the past, God is challenging me to pray for my ‘small church’. He is calling me to be a spiritual leader in their lives. Someone who challenges, encourages, and stretches them into what Ephesians describes as “mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.”
My group has blended together in such a beautiful way. To think that less than three months ago ~ most had not even met each other~ and now they are being knit together by God’s own Spirit. I am continually trying to put my heart and mind around “HOW” I should pray for them.
Several mornings ago I started out with
~bless our fellowship and bond each of these women together~
I stopped. How one sided and flat was that for a small group leader with her own ‘small church’? I remembered a passage I had been reading earlier in the week in Ephesians. Take a moment and read Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:14-19.
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through
his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes
from God."
I found that Paul had already placed his finger on the heartbeat of my small group. He eloquently describes how I need to pray for each of my women. This is the prayer God has laid on my heart for each of YOU my ‘small church’.
Dee Dee Karen Jerri Lynn Wendy Peggy
I am so happy that I am a part of this "small church," Cheryl. Thank YOU for bringing us all together and leading us so well each week! You rock!
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