Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Katie Forbess, volunteer and Board President with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Missouri

As iron sharpens iron,


so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

Looking at past blogs on the IRSM website which I have written or been a part of, I see the foundation of the notes that I have been writing for this blog. It is a comforting reminder that God has been working consistently in the same ways through my commitment to Iron Rose Sister Ministries through relationships, prayer, and reliance on Him.

If you ask me how I am most committed to my Iron Rose Sisters, I will tell you it is in prayer. Why? Because all other things I do have the possibility of failure. Someone won’t like the words or scripture I share or the gift I have chosen. I will let them down with my overwhelming humanness. But through prayer, God uses my holiness to bless them. The Spirit intercedes for them as He does for me. With all the groans and lack of words, He communicates the soul's cry to the Father.

Actions are a must. Listening and following through on the Spirit’s promptings to act are essential (Called to Listen and Committed to Listen books). And the way that I know I can best help someone is to bring them to the Father in prayer.

Prayer is an awesome testimony of love. Recently, a prayer line that I am on spent the whole time praying for a fellow sister who was a caregiver. One of the most amazing things to listen to was other sisters who I know are also caregivers holding up this sister in prayer. For an hour. Prayer after prayer. Some in the form of songs, others through readings of the scripture. A few laughs and a whole lot of tears.

This also happens during the weekly team meetings of Iron Rose Sister Ministries. The meeting begins with a devotional, and prayer is always included; not a general prayer, but a prayer that inserts our lives into the lives of others and presents our hearts before the Lord, always asking in confidence, trusting He not only hears us, but He is in control.

These kinds of relationships are the foundation of IRSM and the goal to grow closer to God and one another. Through moments like these, the team is prepared to make important decisions like the very difficult one made recently to cancel a trip. The trip was planned and prayed over, the events set up, and invitations sent out. Michelle and Julia were prepped and ready. The Spirit was willing but literally, the flesh could not make it. The unity of the team and the trust on all sides that the decision was being made for God’s glory was not easy. But it worked out and the team was amazing in their response to all the things that had to be done, from the refunding of tickets to the communication with the congregations. After countless prayers and some tears, it was evident. God blessed the process.

This is only one example, and I will say with confidence that as the team and ministry grow, the stories grow, as does our faith through our time in prayer.

So, if you want to know how to be committed to your Iron Rose Sisters, my answer is prayer. If you want better relationships, pray. If you want to truly help the sister who just lost her husband, pray. Please do not hear me say that prayer is a magic incantation and that no other action is involved. At the very least God will change your heart, but it’s more likely that He will change your perspective about what action needs to be taken.

Praying always.

In the context of small groups or trios of women, we have an opportunity to participate in authentic, genuine relationships that can deepen our relationships with God and one another. Iron Rose Sister Ministries prays that we can equip you in those relationships, especially in your local churches and small groups. And one of the ways we do that is represented by the Common Threads— the three elements of the ministry logo. They are a way of making any Bible lesson very personal and practical: the sermon on Sunday mornings, your personal Bible reading, or your favorite chapter in an Iron Rose Sister Ministries Bible study book.

The Rose in The Common Threads
The bloom of the rose reminds us that we are all beautiful and unique roses in God’s Garden. It represents the areas in our spiritual lives in which we long to bloom or flourish.

“…making it bud and flourish… so is my word that goes out from my mouth…” (Isa 55:10-11).

The Thorn in the Common Threads
The stem represents the thorns we identify and want to remove. They may be thorns like Paul’s (2Co 12:7-10) that torment us, or they may be sin struggles that hinder our growth.

“…a thorn in my flesh to torment me… throw off the sin that so easily entangles…” (2Co 12:7-10; Heb 12:1)

The Iron in the Common Threads
Iron Rose Sisters, as shown in the form of the cross, lovingly serve as iron sharpening iron, as God transforms us into the image of Christ, and as we deepen our relationships with God and one another. 

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Pr 27:17)