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Prayer Connection

January 2020 Prayer Connection

By 12/01/2019No Comments
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Devotion: Rally, Remember, and Reach

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Something powerful happens at every gathering of Stonecroft women. Whether we meet at a Regional Event, a local coffee shop, or a monthly Prayer Connection, we rally! We embrace our shared mission side by side, knowing that our mighty God sends us, empowers us, and uses us to expand His Kingdom.

Nehemiah called his people to rally and rebuild Jerusalem’s wall. As the workers labored, each bore a weapon to fend off attack (Nehemiah 4:18), but if their enemies should unite to fight them, they would face the opposition together.

“… I (Nehemiah) explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, ‘The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!’”

– Nehemiah 4:19-20

The people needed reassurance that God Himself would battle for them. The opposing forces were powerful and mocked the workers and their efforts. Sanballat the Horonite scoffed, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” (Nehemiah 4: 2b)

Tobiah the Ammonite said, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” (Nehemiah 4:3b)

But the people did rebuild the wall – in 52 days. Their enemies and surrounding nations “realized this work had been done with the help of … God” and were “frightened and humiliated” (Nehemiah 6:16).

Stonecroft volunteers don’t have a physical enemy, but we have strong spiritual opposition. Unlike Sanballat and Tobiah, the enemy of souls knows our mighty God stands ready to fight for us. He wants you and me to doubt our Father’s strength and care.

As we seek to love 1 million women toward Jesus Christ by 2025, have you heard the enemy’s taunts echo in your heart? Do you feel “feeble”? Does the task seem too great? Does your work feel too small? Remember, human hands and hearts can accomplish a God-sized vision when God Himself works through them.

Like Nehemiah’s builders, Stonecroft women are “widely separated,” not across a wall but around this nation. Wherever you are, take a moment and pray that God will help us share the Gospel with 1 million women by 2025. Then ask Him: whom can I love toward Jesus?

Whether we unite in prayer across the miles or side by side, let’s take every opportunity to rally and remember that God’s strength shines brightest in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Through His mighty power that works within us, we can love 1 million women toward Jesus Christ, one woman at a time.

Topics for discussion:

  • Tell the group about a time God worked through you, through other Stonecroft women, or through someone in Scripture to accomplish a task, goal, or victory against all human odds.
  • Take a moment to brainstorm ways you can broaden your circle of friends to include those who need Jesus. Examples: volunteer for a local organization, join a book club, or help with an activity in your neighborhood.
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Prayer Preparation

What motivates you to love those in darkness? Take a few minutes to share your answers with one another. Open with a prayer asking God to fill everyone with His Spirit of love to share with women who are not a part of God’s Kingdom yet.

Our focus for this month is on Stonecroft’s theme: RALLY/ Loving 1 Million Women toward Jesus.

Read: Nehemiah 4:18-20

“All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, ‘The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!’”

Pray: Father God, we pray like the builders in Nehemiah’s day; with one hand trying to build, and the other hand defending. Even though we know there is a spiritual battle as we try to love women toward Jesus, we have great faith because we know the battle is ultimately Yours, and You fight for us.

Thank God:

  • for His Spirit of repentance and faith that draws women to Himself.
  • that we don’t need to be smooth-spoken to be a witness; we just need to be available to testify about what Christ has done for us.
  • because He fights for us!
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Pray for Your Group’s Upcoming Outreach Event

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”

Pray: Almighty God, we thank You for the gift of reconciliation that we experienced when we came to repentance and faith in Christ. We thank You that we can bring light and love to those in darkness because You gave us forgiveness through Jesus Christ; therefore, we can love women toward Jesus, because You loved us unconditionally.

Pray that:

  • we would be God’s ambassadors of this Good News at our outreach event.
  • He might fill the seats with guests who don’t know God personally but may be seeking spiritually for something to fill their emptiness.
  • for God to fill us with His Spirit that we might love women toward Jesus.
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Sharing Your Faith

Read: 1 Peter 3:15

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

Pray: God help us to be faithful to reveal the message of Christ as the leader of our lives. It is a wonderful blessing that we have Christ as Lord of our lives. He is in control, and we trust His leadership.

Pray for:

  • willing hearts to rally to love women to Jesus, and fearless faith to believe that we can love 1 million women toward Christ by 2025.
  • each Stonecroft woman to be an everyday witness to two non-Christian women each year until 2025.
  • reliance on the Holy Spirit to move in women’s hearts as we step out in faith.
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Pray for our Nation and Leaders

Read:  Isaiah 55:10-11

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

Pray: Almighty God, please grant our nation and our leaders the spiritual wisdom that comes from Your Word, so that they might lead others in the way that pleases God.

Pray for:

  • our nation and world leaders to use God’s message to accomplish His purposes wherever it is spoken.
  • Christian leaders to be witnesses of the love and forgiveness that come from Christ alone.
  • faith-filled leaders to trust God to help them build up their nations for God’s Kingdom as well as to stand firmly in the spiritual battle and to remember that God is fighting for them.
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Pray for the Stonecroft Family

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:7-9

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

Pray: Father, as a Stonecroft family, we ask that You help us not to compare but remember that we work together as the Body of Christ to rally to love women to Jesus. Lord, unify us so that we might be a beautiful witness of Your love for all women.

Pray for:

  • a reminder to live in the spirit of hope as a testimony of our unity in Christ Jesus.
  • God to revive our hearts to live as women who are hopeful and satisfied in Him.
  • unity by the power of hope among all Stonecroft believers serving joyfully in Christ’s love.

Prayer Points for Stonecroft Staff:

Cara Day Director of Marketing and Communications

  • For my husband, Eric, and me as we parent our two teenagers, that we would give them a firm foundation to stand on as they move into adulthood.
  • For the health of my sister, Thea, as she battles systemic inflammation and Tarlov Cyst Disease, specifically for control of pain and ability to still work at least a little as she is able.
  • For our planning season at Stonecroft, that God would provide immense wisdom and guidance, and that our ears would be attuned to His voice.

Amy Rodriguez – Project Coordinator of Marketing and Communications

  • For me as I balance being a working first-time mom.
  • That I am able to manage all my work at Stonecroft with excellence.

 

Pray for Stonecroft leaders such as Stonecroft Regional Administrators, District Consulting Coordinators, Regional Speaker Trainers, Regional Reps, Area Reps, Chairs, Prayer Consultants, and hub leaders as they rally to love 1 million women toward Jesus by 2025.

 

Pray for our international partners, that they might join in the rally to love 1 million women to Jesus by 2025. We are all one body in Christ.

 

Pray for Friends of Stonecroft – In this month’s Friends of Stonecroft script, we learn about a group of Stonecroft women in Alaska who are developing a radio broadcast using seven Stonecroft Bible Studies. Once the recordings are completed, they will be aired to remote native Alaskan villages where women live in isolation. Pray that:

  • the remaining recording sessions will continue to run smoothly.
  • the listeners’ hearts will be prepared for the messages they hear as the team discusses God’s Word in a culturally relevant way.
  • the team members will be blessed for their years of work to make this a reality.
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Share Personal Requests

Pray for our personal needs to be lighter and for renewed energy so that we might be more available to befriend and love new women to Jesus.

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Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for this Prayer Connection time. We ask You to help us to remember the power of love You demonstrated for us so that we will radiate Jesus’ love to women who do not know You yet. Amen

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