A Princess Who Prays

Throughout Scripture, women who devoted intense time to prayer have made radical contributions to the Christian faith. First, consider the model set by Hannah. (You remember - Samuel's mom!) Like most women, Hannah wanted a child badly..infact, she was so upset the Bible says that she couldn't eat and she cried a lot. However, after she prayed to the Lord about this desire, she “went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad” (1 Sam 1:18). Notice that Hannah prayed as a first response to her problem....not a last resort. I know there are so many times that I try to solve a situation by myself. When I can't do it, THEN I turn to God. But that's totally backwards of the way it should be. I should go to God first and then respond how He tells me too. Hannah had it in the right order. Not only that, but she prayed in such a way that when she finished, she had peace because she knew she had given her burden to God. She trusted Him to provide. Hang on - it gets even better. When God did give her a child, Hannah acknowledged that Samuel was a result of her prayers, and she dedicated her child to the Lord (1 Sam 1:27-28). Instead of taking credit for her blessing, she gave credit where credit was due. Do you take time to acknowledge the good things that God does for you, or do you take all the glory for yourself? Well, Hannah's faith, prayers, and obedience paid off. Samuel grew into a godly man, and the success he accumulated for the kingdom of God can all link back to the intense prayers of his mother.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, many of those who followed Jesus gathered together in an upper room in Jerusalem. Acts 1:14 says the apostles and “these all gathered with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” During this intimate time with God, the women of Jesus’ earthly ministry gathered with His twelve apostles and family to pray for the continuation of His ministry. Considering that fact that the church is continuing over 2,000 years later, one can determine these women’s prayers were heard and honored. In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he also gives specific instructions on how women are to pray in the church (1 Cor 11:5,13). We can see that prayer was a key element to women’s involvement in God’s Word.

Women continue to have drastic influence with prayer. In 1877, Mrs. Darwin James became burdened for the spiritual regression in America and initiated a prayer movement across Protestant denominational leaders. Many church leaders in the United States joined her in her prayers that “justice and decency might rule our national behavior.” In the early 1900’s, Helen Barrett Montgomery and Lucy Waterbury Peabody took the prayer movement even further. On an international trip with their daughters, these women were humbled by the intense prayers of women around the globe. They started what is now celebrated as the World Day of Prayer. The offerings given on this day were used to take Christian literature to women in less fortunate countries. Their vision and efforts continued to grow. By 1961, the offerings taken on the World Day of Prayer helped to establish 11 women’s Christian colleges around the world.

Prayer ministries are a great dynamic within the local church. Women can be involved in continuous prayer for the church staff and lay leaders, the active ministries of the church, and the lost people in the community. History shows that prayer makes a dramatic difference, as prayer often results in God moving mightily. Many people ask today, "Does God still move in mighty ways, like by parting the Red Sea?" The real question we should ask is, "Do we still seek God as much as believers like Moses did?"

A psychologist Timothy Leary has said, “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” Never forget that throughout Scripture, it's obvious that God views men and women as equals in value and importance. But like this quote, women who seek to be identical with men in terms of roles and responsibilities not only lack ambition, but obedience. If women do not fill the roles God has especially gifted them for, who will? These jobs will be left undone in the church. So.... let's quit complaining and passionately begin doing the job that God has given us to do.

Serving Others

Don't be fooled - being a Christian chick does NOT make you a weak women. Scripture’s description of a worthy woman demonstrates that she courageously takes on the demanding task of servanthood. Proverbs 31:20 describes, “She extends her hands to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy.” She doesn’t just offer care at her convenience. The words extends and stretches show that she will go beyond her own means to express sensitivity and invest in others as she “works with her hands in delight” (Proverbs 31:13). As stated in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” So yes, that means you should serve others GLADLY (preferably with a smile on your face and joy in your heart!)

The calling and obedient response of women to serve is shown throughout God’s words, beginning with the very first book of the Bible. When Isaac came to Rebekah’s house, she “quickly lowered her jar to her hand and gave him a drink.” Then, she proceeded to draw enough water from the well for his camels to have a drink as well (Gen 24:18-19). Do you know how much camels can drink? Seriously, Rebekah had to have arms of steel!

Mary and Martha opened their home frequently to Jesus and the disciples so He would have “a quiet place to sleep, nourishing meals, and comforting friends with whom to relax.” Okay, I'm not gonna lie. I'm a bit of a neat freak, especially when it comes to my apartment. If someone is coming over, it's going to be spotless...no matter who it is!! I can't imagine the pressure of having Jesus and the disciples come hang out at my house - I would be a nervous wreck and cleaning for DAYS! But these women were always prepared to open their homes and their heart to those in need.

There were many other women in the New Testament as well. Lydia bravely opened her home to Paul and Silas, even after they had been released from prison on more than one occasion (Acts 16:15,40). Paul described Phoebe as a “servant of the church” and “helper of many,” and acknowledged Persis “who has worked hard in the Lord (Rom 16:1-2,12). He also recognized Nympha for opening her home to hold a church (Col 4:15).

A present-day example is Mother Teresa of Calcutta After observing her at a banquet, Dee Jepsen wrote that she had never witnessed a woman with such power. Unlike many women that some may view as having small amounts of influence, Mother Teresa “never shook her fist in anger for her rights, and never asked for anything for herself. Instead, she reached down into the gutter and raised up those the world calls unlovable…because the poor were created by the God she loves and serves.”

Local churches are full of needs that only lack someone who is willing to serve. Many of the less glamorous positions in a church are often looked over, but that does not make these tasks less valuable. Many people would not come to hear an evangelist if they knew they were going to have to stand and be uncomfortable the entire meeting. Therefore, the servant who unstacks and places the chairs in rows is of equal importance to the evangelist. Matthew 20:16 teaches, “The last shall be first, and the first, last.” Women should fill various service holes in the church not only to meet the needs of the church, but to teach servanthood through personal example. Don't hesitate to ask your pastor or your youth minister where he can use you. Maybe you'll be teaching children's Sunday school...or maybe you'll be picking up trash in the parking lot or changing dirty diapers.

So serve the Lord with gladness, and ask yourself one question. Have you ever served someone else and felt worst afterwards or wish you hadn't helped them? That's what I thought.

Sharing Your Faith

Okay, so for some of us, here comes the hard part. I remember that during middle school and the beginning of high school, I was pretty good about setting a Christian example, but I rarely opened my mouth to tell others about Jesus. In fact, I can remember sharing my faith two times between 7th and 9th grade (not including church mission trips), and both times, I was approached by the other person. Then, I began to realize how many people around me weren't Christians. Now, they weren't all bad people. Most of them were my friends...but that made it worse. Because I had friends that weren't Christians, I knew that some of my friends would go to hell - UNLESS I did something about it.

Women in the Bible certainly weren't as timid as I was in reaching a lost world for Christ. John 4 recalls the account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. After she understood the gospel message, the Bible teaches that she went into the city, shared her testimony, and brought others to Christ (John 4:28). God used one woman to bring an entire village to Christ. Perhaps the most amazing demonstration of women’s value in evangelism is the fact that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first. He said to her, “Go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (John 20:17). Jesus entrusted her to share the good news of His resurrection with the disciples. Obviously, he knew that if he wanted the news to spread quickly, he had to tell a woman!! :) Bur seriously, by doing this, Jesus clearly communicated that women were included in the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19).

Women’s impact in world evangelism has been great, but has not been as widely recorded as men’s evangelism efforts due to women being considered as second-class citizens across many cultures. In many countries, such as the Sudan, men and women are unable to speak in public, making it virtually impossible for men to be able to share the gospel with the women in these countries. That's why it is so important to have women missionaries!! In fact, women who are called "Bible teachers who work with missionary women are responsible for most of the Scripture teaching and church planting in the non-Western world (places like China).

I can't talk about women and evangelism without mentioning Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint. These women’s genuine passion for the lost was recently highlighted in the 2006 film End of the Spear. (If you didn't see it, RENT it!) Elisabeth’s husband, Jim, and Rachel’s younger brother, Nate, along with three other missionaries, were speared to death while sharing their faith with the Waorani tribe in Ecuador. A few years later after they were killed, Elisabeth and Rachel took their children and went back to Ecuador to tell the tribe who killed their husband and brother about Jesus Christ. Can you even imagine sharing your faith so that the people who killed your boyfriend, brother, or dad could have eternal life? I don't have a brother, but let me just tell you...if someone killed my dad or James, Jesus Himself would have to drag me to them, open my mouth, and speak through me. Just kidding - well, at least, I hope I am. I pray that I would have the same boldness and forgiving nature as these women. They truly reflected God’s forgiveness and love through their authentic longing for this tribe to come to know the Lord. By replacing bitterness with a burden for lost souls, these women were able to not only share the gospel through their words, but with their actions.

Now, let's look at the incredible opportunities YOU have to share your faith...

1) At SCHOOL - Yes, there are tons of kids at your school who don't know Christ. Your youth minister and Sunday school teachers can't do it all. You see them every day, they know you, they trust you, and honestly, they think you are a lot cooler than your youth minister. They will be much more likely to listen to YOU tell them about Jesus than anyone else.

2) At CHURCH - Evangelism within the local church is an endless opportunity to share the gospel. Each time a group of people gathers together, there are undoubtedly several people present who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This includes VISITORS and MEMBERS. So hold your friends accountable - ask questions. You never know if you don't ask! Plus, children are constantly learning in church and becoming curious about salvation. Volunteer with the kids, and tell them how they can have a personal relationship with Christ.

3) In the WORLD - We are to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Participate in church mission projects and mission trips to help bring lost people to salvation in Christ. Plus, don't limit yourself to waiting on the church to schedule a mission project. Do one on your own!! In college, one of my friends and I would just go sit at Starbuck's on campus and start conversations with people. Remember, we as Christians are a team. The more of us that there are, the more we can help each other.

P.S. This also means that you are called to be educated and knowledgeable of Biblical truths to make sure what you tell others is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So study up! :)

I know evangelism can be hard. If you're interested in some ways that you can share your faith with your friends and with strangers, leave a comment, and we'll talk about it.

Teaching Children

Once again returning to Proverbs 31:10-31, it's easy to see how a woman has been called by God to run her household and take care of her children. Therefore, a mother is accountable to God to engrave biblically-based habits into their child’s routine. The stage from infancy to childhood is a time of rapid development. Children grow the most intellectually, spiritually, physically, and socially during this time. A child’s primary method of learning is through observation and modeling those closest to them. Essentially, children will watch and copy what their parents do. I know there are things that I catch myself doing and think, "Wow, hi, Mom. When did you get here?" You automatically pick up a lot of your parents habits. Deuteronomy 6:7 teaches parents to model Christ “when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Motherhood is a selfless profession. I mean, when was the last time you really thanked your mom for everything she does? (Yeah, that's right. Go hug her and thank her. Right now. I'll be here when you get back.)

Okaym, let's look in the Bible. There are many examples of godly mothers, many of which are not even remembered by their own names, but by the names of their children. For example, most believers would not recognize the names Jochebed and Eunice, but most would recognize the names of their perspective sons, Moses (the author of the first five books of the Bible and dude who parted the Red Sea) and Timothy (the kid who was mentored by Paul and continued his ministry after Paul's death.) While these women may not be considered by most to being heroines of the faith, think about the impacts their children had. Ultimately, these two men are the result of their mother’s teachings. Jochebed’s obedience to God in protecting Moses and releasing him to His control led to his incredible education and life in the palace in preparation to be the leader of Israel. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul acknowledges Timothy’s strong faith as a reflection of his mother’s devotion to Christ. (1 Tim 1:5). So think about you...a mother has about 18 years to influence her child in her home. In thinking in terms of a lifetime, that's pretty short! But her power to influence her child in that time is INCREDIBLE!

In the development of the Protestant church, many attribute Susanna Wesley as the “Mother of Methodism,” since she was responsible for teaching her sons, John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church, in formal education, theology, and world views. In their writings, both men attributed continuing intellectual and spiritual challenges from their mother. Susanna taught her children daily, but before their academic schedule began, Susanna would lead all ten of her children in prayer, Bible reading, and singing for at least one hour. In addition, she met with all of her children individually once a week to encourage them in their studies and their faith. If all Christian mothers were so dedicated to the development of their children, perhaps more sons and daughters would respond in innovative surrender to the work of the church like John and Charles Wesley.

In the local church, there are many ways for women to be involved with teaching children, for the call to teach a child does not only include a woman’s biological children. The mixed messages that today’s culture sends children requires that adults within the church must work together to send a consistent evangelical message to the children in the church. Research shows that several encouraging and affirming relationships are much more effective than a single positive influence in the life of a child. A woman can use her unique spiritual gifts to benefit the children’s ministry in various areas.

Don't think that just because you're not a mom yet that you can't begin spiritually mothering children now. Volunteer in the children's ministry - summer camp, Vacation Bible School, children's choirs. Be creative, and use your gifts and talents to bring God glory. Plus, being a mom is a tough job, and it's a lifetime commitment. If you want to have kids someday, start praying for them now. They're going to need it.

Mentoring Younger Women

"Likewise, older women are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teachin what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored."

- Titus 2:3-5

Girls' ministry pioneer, Jimmie L. Davis, defines mentoring as "coming alongside a young woman to model godly womanhood, teach biblical truths, and train her through life experiences." Escalating divorce rates show that Satan is attacking the home. Young women need to be equipped with the knowledge and experience of godly older women to boldly conquer spiritual warfare that occurs within the walls of her home. Your mom is a lot smater than you give her credit for!

These mentoring relationships of older and younger women occur throughout Scripture, such as Naomi’s advice to Ruth in the Old Testament and Elizabeth’s guidance to Mary in the New Testament (Ruth 3:5, Luke 1:41-45). God even orchestrated the passage in Proverbs 31 describing a worthy woman referred to earlier to be an intense word given to King Lemuel by his mother (Prov 31:1). This God-breathed advice comes to the hearts of women straight from the heart of a biblical woman. God knew and understood the need for women to influence one another; He created His daughters to be this way. I mean, I know that if this passage was described by a guy, I would be more likely to dismiss it. I would be like, "Right...you expect me to do that that?! Yeah right! Keep dreaming!!" But the king's mom knew that it was possible to be this kind of woman. While guys can definately be a spiritual influence in our lives, only godly women can model how to be godly women. They've been there and done that, and we should be smart enough to listen to their advice.

Many churches are beginning to respond to this need by creating a girls’ ministry within the youth ministry of the church. Smaller churches can rely on a team of volunteers composed of older women in the congregation. Girls desire to have a godly female role model to serve as a mentor and to disciple her through the distinctive path of womanhood. So whether it is your mom or some other older woman that you look up to, seek to follow in this woman's footsteps as she follows Christ.

Focusing on the CAN rather than the CAN'T

Do you remembe this book? The little engine didn't think at first that he could pull the whole train over a hill. But with determination and believing in himself, the Little Engine repeated the phrase, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" and successfully got over the hill. I used to love this story.

It's too bad we don't take the same approach to women's ministry. Because of the passages in Scipture that prohibit women from being pastors of the church and holding positions of authority over men, women seem to like to camp out on these issues, especially with feminism being on the rise in today's society. However, the problem is that women spend so much time complaining on the roles that God has not called us to fulfill in Scripture that we are neglecting to complete the ministry that He has called us to do!

Look back to the passage in Proverbs 31. That is ONE BUSY chick! She doesn't have time to complain about limitations placed on her role in the church. In fact, looking at her To-Do List, she is probably relieved that there is a task to be done that she is not responsible for!

So before we dive into Proverbs 31, let's take some time to look at what God has called us as women of God to do in Scripture. He has given us 5 distinct tasks, which we will talk about over the next few posts. Be praying about how God might use you in one of the following positions.

God has called women to:

1) Mentor younger women

2) Teach children

3) Share the gospel

4) Serve

5) Pray

And intead of thinking that these tasks are too much for you, remember the Little Engine that Could's phrase and God's promise. Even if you think you can't, remember that God CAN.