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Written by Amanda Miriam, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in João Pessoa, Brazil

Dear sister, it is with great gratitude that I share with you some of my reflections based on the theme that I was given. I recommend that you have your Bible in hand, pray, and ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word. We have a precious theme here.

In chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke, three parables are presented. They speak about the lost: the sheep, the coin, and the son. But before we delve into the parables, the text speaks about who was present while Jesus was teaching. In verses 1 and 2, the audience is basically divided into two groups: the tax collectors and sinners, who were the "listeners," and the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who were the "critics."

The group of "critics" thought it completely absurd that Jesus sat at the table with tax collectors and sinners. They considered themselves worthy, superior, and above sinners, yet they were incapable of hearing what Jesus was saying.

My prayer is that we may be among those who hear what Jesus has to say, those who know exactly where they were when they were found by the Lord, and the high price that He paid so that we might be restored and brought back with great joy to the Father's house. Once restored, our mission is to go and take the gospel to every creature; our mission is not to criticize or choose who will or will not hear about Christ. We need to go and seek with compassion and joy those who are lost, without pride or superiority; the gospel is for everyone.

Three situations were presented: the man who went in search of the sheep, the woman who swept her house looking for the coin, and the father who had to wait for the return of his son, who decided to leave. What happens in our hearts while we search? What comes to our minds while we wait? Verse 22 says that the father, full of compassion, received his son back. There are various contexts in which our mission of "go" (Mt 28:18-19) will be fulfilled; we will seek the lost in different situations, but the Word reveals to us that prayer is a powerful tool in all of them. First Thessalonians 5:17 says: "Pray continually" (NIV).

Matthew 17:14-21 tells of the healing of a demon-possessed boy. The boy's father came to Jesus, pleading with Him to heal his son, since he had already sought help from the discipleswho were unable to heal him. Jesus healed the boy, told the disciples that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains, and concluded by saying, "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (NKJV).

Regardless of the situation and who the lost soul you are seeking may be, pray! We need to nourish our faith with the Word of Truth and with constant prayer so that we may have compassionate hearts that are not critical or resentful.

Sister, can you think of someone you've repeatedly tried to bring to Christ? If you haven't yet experienced the joy of witnessing that encounter, persevere in prayer. Can you think of someone in your home who isn't yet in Christ? Persevere in prayer. Is there someone who has left the Father's house and you're waiting for them to return? Persevere in prayer.

If you can, take some time and pray once more for those whom God has placed in your path and who need to be rescued. May we persevere, and may the Lord guide us every step of the way in this mission.

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Written by Kathy Reagan, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries

We know that prayer and study of the Word are the backbone of our relationships with God. I’ve heard it said that it’s the same in any relationship: once you stop listening to and talking to someone, that relationship is over. We listen to God by reading His Word, and we speak to Him in prayer. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Col 4:2 ESV). Again, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we’re instructed, “Pray without ceasing.”

Sisters, we all know how much God loves us, right? Just a few minutes of meditation on Jesus’ sacrifice makes that loud and clear. We know that it’s His will that we pray to Him, but let’s explore the blessings that come from a strong and consistent prayer life. They may surprise you.

• Prayer encourages us because we know that we have the ear of the Creator of the universe anytime we want! “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, God listens to him” (Jn 9:31). This is still staggering to me, even after 50 years of being a Christian! Imagine living in a foreign country ruled by a king. Even if you were his close friend, how likely is it that you could get the king to listen to your every concern 24/7? How much more infinitely powerful is the One who spoke the universe into existence?! We have His ear at any time of day or night! Take a minute and reflect on the power of that alone!
• Prayer humbles us as we start our prayers with praise, reminding us of our proper place in relationship to our Creator. When Jesus gave His apostles an example of prayer, He began with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Mt 6:9). We, too, begin our conversation with abundant praise for God, putting us in awe of Him once again, as we reflect on all He has done and continues to do, of His great love for us that He would give His Son to die such a hideous death to pave the way for us to be with Him eternally.
• Prayer humbles us as we consistently ask for His help. It reminds us that we are not perfect: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23). On the contrary, we are weak and sinful, yet the enemy likes to subtly encourage us to be puffed up, overconfident, and think too much of ourselves. The reality is that we’re simply unable or unequipped to do most things in life alone. But God promises to be with us: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20b), and give us wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to Him” (Jas 1:5), and strength: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Php 4:13).
• Prayer blesses us even when we are so overwhelmed that we literally cannot utter the words to pray. The Spirit, who lives within us, intercedes at the most vulnerable times in our lives: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Ro 8:26).
• Prayer blesses us by keeping our minds on spiritual things, reminding us to see with spiritual eyes, and not focus on things of the earth: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:2). Life on earth can be fast paced, often distracting us from spiritual things. But prayer recenters our thoughts and gives us a proper perspective on any topic, no matter how troubling.
• Prayer blesses us as we continually give up our struggles to Him, resulting in a peace that we cannot even understand! “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Php 4:6-7).
• Lastly, prayer blesses others and increases the Kingdom. We pray for those who are sick, and God heals them, or we pray for safety for our loved ones, and He grants that. We pray for someone we are studying with to have an open heart, and when they do, we rejoice with them at their baptism! Others are blessed through our prayers. The Kingdom increases.

Is it surprising to think that the majority of the blessings of an earnest and consistent prayer life come to those who are doing the praying?

Sisters, please allow me to encourage you to increase your prayer life significantly. It will bless you abundantly, as well as those you are praying for, and the Kingdom!