Devotion: The Power of Prayer
“… The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”
‒ James 5:16, MSG
One year, as a National Representative for Stonecroft, I worked in Alaska, so I had to fly. What a challenge it was to pack everything I needed into a suitcase. (It’s so much easier to load the car!) I knew my luggage was heavy when I checked in at the airport, but I wasn’t ready for what I saw when I went to claim it at the baggage claim area. The airlines had covered my suitcase with fluorescent orange labels as a warning to those who would attempt to lift it. The labels read, “HEAVY. Bend your knees.”
If you are carrying a heavy load, bend your knees. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Our precious Savior, the great Burden Bearer, extends this invitation: “… Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NLT).
In the Philippines, a local pastor used the following parable to illustrate Christ’s offer of rest and the response of people who won’t trust Him completely:
The driver of an oxcart was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon. The old man accepted gratefully. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders.
Are you carrying a heavy burden today? Why not give it to the Lord and allow Him to carry it for you?
“Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; …”
‒Psalm 55:22, AMPC
Related Scriptures: Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7
- What do you think it means to “Cast your burden on the Lord”?
- What do you usually do with your burdens?
- Have you had a burden that has kept you in prayer day and night? How did God answer?
Meryl Bishop
Prayer Volunteer
Prepare for Prayer
Be still and know that He is God.
Our focus for this month is on the Power of Prayer.
Read: Ephesians 3:12
“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”
Pray: Almighty Father, we thank You that because of our faith in Jesus Christ, You have given us the power of prayer. With Your help, Oh God, we can do mighty things for the sake of reaching women where they are, as they are. We thank You that we can look to the Holy Spirit for the power of prayer which is from You, God. We invite You to work powerfully through this prayer time today.
Thank God:
- that the power of prayer is available to us through faith in Christ, so we need not be ashamed to come boldly and confidently into His presence
- for the power of prayer that can move mountains
- that the power of prayer is living in us through the Holy Spirit, and when we pray God gets the glory!
Pray for Your Group’s Upcoming Outreach Event
Read: Hebrews 1:1-3
“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”
Pray: Oh Lord, as our Planning Team prepares for the next outreach, we come to You in the power of prayer and ask for Your anointing in all we say and do as we prepare to give the hope found in Jesus to women in our community who do not know You yet.
Pray:
- for God’s power to do what is right in our outreach efforts and to bring glory to Him
- that we would surround our outreach event with prayer, because this is our power source, not through self-exertion
- for the reminder that prayer is where the real work is done. Pray for more first-time guests to come!
Sharing Your Faith
Read: Psalm 40:10a
“I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart; I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.”
Pray: Oh Lord, there are so many nonbelieving women around us who do not know the supernatural power that you offer through Jesus Christ. They are powerless on their own. They need the good news of your forgiveness and love to touch their minds, bodies, and souls. Help us to remember that You have empowered us through the gift of intercession to be faithful women of prayer so that women in our regions may say “yes” to the saving power of Jesus.
Pray for:
- our eyes to be open to see women who may become first-time guests
- open souls to allow the power of prayer to move in us so that women may say “yes” to Jesus Christ
- open hearts to be used by God to reach out to women who need a Savior.
Pray for our Nation and Leaders
Read: Isaiah 40:29-31
“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Pray: God of the universe, we come before You humbly on behalf of our nation and world leaders, and we ask that You bring Your strength to leaders who are powerless without You.
Pray for:
- leaders who have the power of prayer in their lives, that they might seek Your ways as they lead others
- renewal in believers in this country to remember the power of prayer on behalf of our nation and world leaders
- protection from the evil one who wants to distract us and keep us from praying
- the Body of Christ to become one as a witness of God’s power and strength.
Pray for the Stonecroft Family
Read: Mark 11:22-24
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Pray: Lord, help us to remember that without faith it is impossible to please You, and that praying is powerful.
Pray for:
- a reminder to live in the power of prayer versus our own abilities
- God to revive our hearts to live as women of prayer
- unity by the power of prayer among all Stonecroft women serving united in faith
- more women to say “yes” to Jesus Christ.
Prayer Points:
1) Pray for Dr. Naomi Cramer Overton – Stonecroft’s President and CEO
- Pray that God will continue to guide Naomi through the power of prayer as she rallies Stonecroft women from across the nation to reach 1 million women by 2025
- Pray for Naomi’s family ‒ husband (Frank) and children (Tyler, Delaney, and Katriel) ‒ that God will protect and watch over them as she travels.
2) Pray for Kimberly Schiller – Executive Administrative Assistant
- Please ask our Father to draw Kimberly’s neighbors, Jeff and Shari, to Himself and show her where she fits into the “drawing plan.” (“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them …” ‒ John 6:44)
- Thank God for how He continues to grow Kimberly’s kids: Alena, Nick, and Brooklynn. (“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ‒ Philippians 2:13)
3) Pray for Stonecroft leaders such as Stonecroft Regional Administrators, District Consulting Coordinators, Regional Speaker Trainers, Regional Representatives, Area Representatives, Chairs, and hub leaders as they serve their teams and encourage them to live in the power of prayer.
4) Pray for our international partners that they might be strengthened by the power of prayer to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
5) Pray for Friends of Stonecroft – In this month’s Friends of Stonecroft script, we learn about a group of Stonecroft women who guide Stonecroft Bible Studies at a local pregnancy center. They lead both English- and Spanish-speaking groups. Some of these women have a history of wrong choices. Some are single mothers. Some face poverty. Many have a church background, but don’t have forever relationships with Jesus. Life is hard for many of these women.
Please pray that:
1) the participants will feel love and value from the Stonecroft leaders who are following Jesus’ example
2) the participants will receive Jesus as their Savior
3) the Stonecroft leaders will grow in their opportunities to share and show Jesus to these young mothers.
Share Personal Requests
Pray for each other and any personal requests of your group.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You for this prayer time together. We ask You to give us Your power to live prayerful lives. May we feel Your prayer power directing us to do Your will. Amen.