Help Women Grow Spiritually Through Prayer

Written by John Franklin

To experience the power of God in women's ministry, prayer is vital in your life and in the lives of others. Use these three tips to encourage vibrant prayer lives among the women in your church:

1. Build relationships with the women.
Whenever God or the great saints of the Bible sought to lead others, they first built relationships. For example, Jesus' call to Peter, James, John and Andrew on the Sea of Galilee was preceded by spending time with them at the Jordan River. Leading others to build a love relationship with God cannot be separated from the quality of relationship you build with them.

 As a leader, invest your primary one-on-one time with those women you've chosen to help you lead. Jesus built relationships with all people, but He deliberately and purposefully spent time alone with His disciples, His leaders. Long-term growth in a ministry is assured when you invest in your leadership.

2. Model and create opportunities for prayer.
Prayer is more caught than taught. Model the importance of prayer by doing the following suggestions:

• pray as you begin all meetings;
• take the time to pray during decision-making, when you hear of pressing needs, and as you are led by the Holy Spirit;
• give individuals every chance to hear and observe you and other prayer warriors in your church;
• look for opportunities to mobilize women in the church to pray;
• schedule special times of emphasis around church-wide events, particular crises or the national day of prayer.

Public prayer modeling will make an impact on your ladies' private prayer lives because most people imitate what they see instead of experimenting to develop their own style.

3. Teach women to recognize when God is speaking.
Since prayer is a dialogue, we need to remember that we can't do all the talking during our prayer time. Learning the art of listening during a conversation is just that: a learned skill. Unless a Christian is taught to recognize how God speaks, she will never enjoy an abundant relationship with Him. Teach (formally and informally) how women can recognize God's voice.

Prayer, when done individually and corporately, creates a wonderful environment for growth in a love relationship with God. Encourage the women in your church through prayer, and watch them experience God's power in their lives and in your church's women's ministry.

John Franklin lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a former Prayer Specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources. Franklin travels and speaks extensively calling churches to seek God's face in prayer. You may contact John Franklin by email or learn more about John at www.johnfranklinministries.org.

He is the author of And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting, A House of Prayer: Prayer Ministries in Your Church, By Faith: Living in the Certainty of God's Realityand co-author of Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Truth for Victory. 

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