October Prayer Calendar

Y’all, last week was crazy! It was homecoming week so there was all the dress up days {which meant all the finding of/making of costumes} and I went on a quick trip to Nashville to attend the (in)courage meetup and see some friends. Let’s just say by Saturday I was ex.haus.ted. But I wouldn’t trade any of it!

I love watching my girl do all those fun high school things … and being able to spend a day with dear friends from across the country was just what my heart and soul needed. One of the things I love most about this crazy online world is how God has knit my heart together with so many women I would never have met otherwise. Encouragers like Kate and Jeannie. Wisdom speakers like Denise  and Lisa-Jo. Creative geniuses like Courtney and Kristin. Passionate mommas like Jessica and Wynter. Joyful people like Anna and Karina. Soul sisters like Stacey and Sandra.

The apostle Paul also loved spending time with people.  He stayed three years in Ephesus and loved the church there deeply. His prayer for them in the middle of Ephesians is one of my favorite passages of Scripture:

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,  and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,according to the power at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV

Can you just hear in these words how deep Paul’s affection was for his Ephesian friends?

Paul and Ephesians were bound together by a shared faith even though they didn’t see each other every day. His words were both encouragement and teaching for this church he loved.

I’ve been thinking lately how all these words we put in blogs and emails, on Facebook and Twitter, all our images on Instagram and videos on YouTube can make a huge difference. Paul wasn’t writing books of the Bible. Y’all, he was writing to his friends. He wanted to encourage them, to challenge them, to correct them, and to point them back to the Lord.  Yes, his writings were led by the Holy Sprit, God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) for inclusion in the Bible. But Paul didn’t know that when he wrote them. He simply wanted to remind his friends how much they meant to him and give them instruction and encouragement for living for the Lord.

Maybe we need to be thinking about how our words can do that too?

In October, we’re going to be praying through Ephesians. Paul’s letter to this church is rich and deep in encouragement and truth. May I challenge to take time to read the whole book this month? There are six chapters so if you read a chapter and a half each week you’ll have the whole book finished by October 31. Or if you really want to soak in the truths Paul shares, read the whole book every week.  A chapter a day, Monday through Saturday.

The new prayer calendar will be sent out tonight … so if you haven’t already signed up, now is the perfect time.  Complete the form below and then watch for the confirmation email. You’ll have to confirm your subscription in order to receive the calendar.  I’ll be sending it out around 8 pm CST tonight.

Girl mom? Get your FREE prayer calendar for October! #prayersforgirls Click To Tweet

xoxo,

Teri Lynne