Summertime is usually a dry period for me because of the lack of small group fellowship. Though I enjoy the less hectic pace and activities, I know that I need to be careful. I become even more convinced after every summer how much regular fellowship with believers is vital and absolutely necessary. After all, Jesus is our Shepherd and he calls us sheep. We are sheep! We are meant to be herded together for our protection and well-being.

For whatever reason I find this summer to be a tough one. We just entered into August and I’m looking forward to September despite the busyness that’s coming up. Perhaps the enemy is attacking me more because I’ve taken the steps of obedience to lead a new small group in my church and it got approved! Praise God! I had many doubts about leading a small group but now that it’s approved, I’m super excited to get it going. Why? Because the primary activity of this group will be prayer! I love praying together! And we will be doing this every week. 

The first small group that I got involved with in my church was the Mom’s prayer group. I don’t think I could’ve gone through the first two years without receiving prayers once a week. They were super tough years. I thought this group will go on forever but it ended when the leader moved away. Though I switched to a bible study group for the past three years, I noticed our hearts don’t bond as well without the regular prayers for one another. 

I’ve also noticed that my prayer life has gotten drier and my requests have gotten smaller over the past three years. My faith in asking for bigger and bolder things has so slowly waned that I barely noticed how far I’ve fallen in asking. Beginning of this year, I remember the Holy Spirit urging me to start my application for this new small group saying that I’ll need the group as much as the members will need it too. I didn’t understand why since I was doing fine in my bible study group and enjoyed being a co-leader. Well, now I do understand. My eyes have opened to how much my prayer life has weakened because I’m not praying as a group. My strength comes from praying together as a herd! Thank you Holy Spirit for seeing what I needed! 

Jesus is my Shepherd. I am His sheep. I know I’m part of a herd for my well-being. The only part that I have to get used to is when I’m called to move to a different herd. It seems when I get very comfortable and think I’ll stay with this herd forever, then that’s when I’m called to move to a different herd. Lol! It’s okay because I have great peace from God during these moves. So my new adventure begins in the fall! Please keep me and my new small group in your prayers. Please pray that God will draw the women in that needs this intimate praying ministry. Thank you! – With love from my heart. 

Mission Statement of the Women’s Prayer Group:
Develop a safe and loving community of women where we encourage and support one another to grow in our relationship with God and to learn together God’s word so that we can live with greater joy, love, faith, freedom, peace, purpose, victory, and to understand the hope of God’s calling. This place will be an oasis for refueling, recharging and a safe shelter for the women to come together seeking God, fellowship, and grow in our walk. 

Prayer will be the primary activity of our time together – group prayer followed by smaller group prayer where we share our personal prayer requests, and receive and give prayers for one another. We will also study God’s word following the curriculum given by the church.