Prayer Prompts for Women’s Leaders…Stop Your Labor and Pray!

 

We consider this weekend how we “labor”, mostly in connection with our workplace, whether that be in a ministry office, a secular business or school, or our home.  If you are like me, you are grateful for employment, especially in this economy, to provide support for us and our family. But perhaps as we take this holiday weekend off, we might consider how to stop laboring for a while and talk to God.

This past spring, LifeWay’s girls’ ministry specialist, Pam Gibbs, prepared the following thoughts and scriptures on cards for prayer stations during a morning devotional with our LifeWay Ministry Multipliers. These truly spoke to me that morning and I have used them since then in my daily devotions as well.  With her permission, I share them with you and pray they bless you and strengthen you as you lead women.

·    What is an area in which you need to know His will? Pray about that area or situation right now.   Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. —Psalm 143:10

·    Who or what are your adversaries? Ask God to make your way straight as you face these people or situations. Lord, lead me in Your righteousness because of my adversaries; make Your way straight before me.—Psalm 5:8
      
·    Spend a few moments meditating on the truth that God gives generously to those who ask for His wisdom. Thank God for this gift. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5
      
·    Ask God to reveal to you any areas that show a lack of wisdom—areas in which you do not demonstrate purity, peace, or mercy. Ask Him to show you areas in which you may be showing favoritism or hypocrisy. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. —James 3:17      

·    In what areas of your life and/or ministry do you need vision? Ask God for that vision right now. Where there is no vision, the people perish. —Prov. 29:18      

·    What thing in your life has left you without strength? Take it to God and ask Him to lead you to the place He wants. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that Is high above me. —Psalm 61:2
      
·    Confess any areas of your heart that may be offensive to your Father who wants to lead you. Repent of any concerns that are pulling your heart away from His. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. —Psalm 139:23-24      

·    Where is your “boot camp” right now, that place of inexperience or learning where God is teaching you something new? The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.—Psalm 19:7
      
·    What waters or fire do you sense you and/or your ministry enduring? Thank God that no matter how the circumstances appear, you are never alone. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. —Isaiah 43:2-3a      

·    What trials are you experiencing right now? Ask God to bring you joy, faith, endurance, and maturity through them. Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. —James 1:2-4      

·    Ask God to show you new things He might be doing (or want to do) in your life and in your ministry. Is anything hindering that new work? Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. —Isaiah 43:19      

·    Spend a few moments meditating on God’s love and Christ’s endurance that fuels your life and ministry. May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.—2 Thessalonians 3:5      

·    Where do you need to learn? Technology? Culture? People skills? Ask God for the wisdom and humility to learn from others. A wise man will listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance. —Proverbs 1:5      

·    Ask God to reveal areas in which you consider yourself to be wise. Confess those areas of pride right now. Ask Him for the wisdom that comes from humility. Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. —Proverbs 3:7      

·    How are you wise by this world’s standards? How is God asking you to become a fool? If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” And again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.”
—1 Corinthians 3:18-19      

·    How are you not “wise” in the world’s eyes? Thank God for the freedom that can result from living outside man’s expectations. Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise,
and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. —1 Corinthians 1:26-27       

·    Praise God that wisdom and strength come from Him. Thank Him for being your Counselor. Praise Him for His infinite knowledge. Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding
are His. —Job 12:13
      
·    Spend time in worship of the Lord. Focus on the things that bring you to your knees in awe and reverence. Praise Him for the awesomeness of His character. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. —Psalm 111:10      

·    What prideful areas is God trying to root out of your life? Ask God for the grace to live in humility. When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom. —Proverbs 11:2      
·    Thank God that He knows the way that You take. Thank Him that His testing ends in good and not futility. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.—Job 23:10      

·    Have you forged on with a course of action, even without God’s presence? Meditate on the importance of God’s presence in your ministry and the futility of doing ministry without Him. Then He replied, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."   "If your presence does not go,” Moses responded to Him, "don’t make us go up from here. How will it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight unless You go with us?"—Exodus 33:14-16a      

·    Where do you need God to illuminate your darkness? Ask for the light of His presence and guidance in those places. For You rescue an afflicted people, but you humble those with haughty eyes. Lord, You light my lamp. My God illuminates my darkness. —Psalm 18:27-28

·    What battle does God need to fight for you? Ask for His strong arm to go before you. The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt. —Deuteronomy 1:30       

·    How has God carried you as a child recently? Thank Him for being a tender, loving Father. And you saw in the wilderness how the LORD your God carried you as a man carries his son all along the way you traveled until you reached this place. —Deuteronomy 1:31      

Now, stop laboring, and pray!