Contact Us:

Amy Porter WM Leader 620-9262

Laura Lockwood Bible Studies 622-8139

Colleen Lohrenz WM Office 620-4755

Cathy Slater WM SS class WM Prayer Group 623-4729

Monette Allen FBC Prayer 262-2781

Connie Bryson WM SS class

The Promise 282-2428

Tracy Meeker Spec. Events 479-883-6912

Rhonda Frederick

Comfort in Christ 627-0771

Wanda Thorp Women on Mission 623-5608

October 2013 Newsletter

2350 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas 71901 501-624-3345

A Note from… Amy Por ter “We went...to the river,

where we expected to find a

place of prayer. We sat down

and began to speak to the

women who had gathered

there. One of those listening

was a woman from the city of

Thyatira named Lydia, a

dealer in purple cloth. She

was a worshiper of God.”

Acts 16:13-14

Intercessory Prayer

Worship by Monette Allen

First Baptist Church has a designated area - The Prayer Room - to encourage prayer. Each Sunday during worship services, people serve in the prayer room interceding for the worship service and all who lead the worship. There is a prayer guide to assist the one who is praying.

Prayer is possible because of relationships; spending time in God's presence on behalf of others enriches our spiritual lives, prayer on other’s behalf is our duty and privilege. I believe intercessory prayer is a blessing both to the one who prays and to others, so I contact people and ask them to serve in prayer room.

I think a regular daily time of prayer is important for each individual. This allows us to address per-sonal issues before interceding for others. Being still and knowing God is vital. I have had many peo-ple share with me what a blessing they have re-ceived by serving in the prayer room. I see God working in this ministry.

Ephesians 6:18 says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." John Wesley says of this verse, "All sorts of prayer- public, pri-vate, mental, vocal. Do not be diligent in one kind of prayer and negligent in others... let us use all.”

This makes me think of my family and our prayer life. In the morning my girls and I do a short devo-tional and share a prayer time. At night my girls say their prayers together. Sometimes they like to say them out loud and sometimes they say them in their heads. They usually do this on their own but occa-sionally I will pass by the door and get to hear them praying out loud together. God gives many little gifts throughout our day and this is one of them!

I am amazed at the maturity of their prayers. Sometimes they pray for ani-mals and puppies and such, but mostly they pray for others to know Jesus and to love him. Wow! Ephesians 6:18 reminds me that God loves to hear his children’s prayers. He just likes to hear from us. He uses those prayers to shape and mold the world we live in. He uses those prayers to shape and mold our hearts.

It is a privilege to pray for the women of FBC! It is a privilege to be a part of a Women’s Ministry group who share so many ministries of prayer. You are invited to join your prayers with ours.

Happy Fall!

In Jesus, Amy

Missions by Colleen Lohrenz

The Women on Mission group meets monthly to learn about specific mission endeavors, missionaries, and to pray for these ministry efforts. The informa-tive programs cover the spectrum of our church’s cooperative mission efforts: local, Arkansas, USA, and foreign.

The monthly publication for Women on Mission is Missions Mosaic, a magazine filled with world-spanning articles and specific prayer requests. A section for “Heart & Soul” shares a prayer devotional with a pattern for prayer.

In addition to praying for the mission ministries, our WOM group, led by Anita Hunter, prays for specif-ic missionaries, active and retired, whose birthdays fall in the meeting month. It is during this portion of our monthly program that I am reminded that mis-sionaries serve in many capacities: unreached, church planting & building, chaplaincies, prisons, and many more.

Without this ministry, I would be a poorer prayer.

OCTOBER 2013 NEWSLETTER

PAGE 2

Seven Ways to Pray for Your Heart … by Jon Bloom Reprinted with permission

Over the years, as I’ve prayed for my own heart, I’ve accumulated seven “D’s” that I have found helpful. Maybe you’ll find them helpful as well.

With seven you can use them a number of ways. You might choose one “D” per day. Or you could choose one “D” as a theme for a week and pray through these every seven weeks. You’ll also note that I have a verse for each prayer. But over time as you pray more verses will come to mind and you mighty find it helpful to collect them so they are right at hand as the Spirit leads.

I begin each prayer with the phrase “whatever it takes, Lord” because the Bible teaches us to be bold and wholehearted in our praying, not reticent. I also use the phrase because it test my heart. How much do I want God and all he promises to be for me in Jesus? Do I really want true joy enough to ask for my Father’s loving discipline to wean me from joy-stealing sin? And how much do I trust him? Do I really believe that he will only give me what is good when I ask in faith (Luke 11:11-13)? “Whatever it takes” prayers help me press toward and express childlike trust in the Father.

Delight: Whatever it takes, Lord, give me delight in you as the greatest treasure of my heart.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

Desires: Whatever it takes, Lord, align the desires of my heart with yours.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

Discernment: Whatever it takes, Lord, teach me to discern good from evil through the rigorous exercise of constant practice.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14

Desperation: Whatever it takes, Lord, keep me desperate for you because I tend to wander when I stop feeling my need for you.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. Psalm 119:67

Discipline: Whatever it takes, Lord, discipline me for my good that I may share your holiness and bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10-11

Diligence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my resolve to do your will with all diligence.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

These are just suggestions. The Lord may lead you to pray in other ways. But however he teaches us, whatever means we find helpful, may God cause us all to grow in faith until we pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17) and never lose heart (Luke 18:1).

Dependence: Whatever it takes, Lord, increase my awareness of my dependence on you in everything so that I will live continually by faith.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in my and I in him, he it is

that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/seven-ways-to-pray-for-your-heart . Copyright 2013. Desiring God (Jon Bloom, President).

Used by permission.

Fel lowship Events

First Baptist Church of Hot Springs, Women’s Ministry • 623-3345 • www.womensministry-fbchs.org

Women’s Ministry Prayer Group by Mar i lyn Morgan

On the first Friday of each month, from 9:45 to 11:00 am, a small group of women gathers together in the Prayer Room of First Baptist Church to pray for the Women’s Ministry, our church, and specific prayer requests from other ministries and women. Cathy Slater leads this ministry and prepares a list of these prayer needs.

This is a quiet, behind-the-scenes ministry that has a work far bigger than the number of women who participate. One of the partici-pants is Marilyn Morgan and she had this to say about the prayer group ministry:

“Prayer is how we communicate with God. He works individually in each of our lives but it is a special blessing to come and focus on the prayer list, the updates and answered prayers, and share our personal concerns.

I’m not a very out-going, verbal person but I enjoy participating in this way to help the Women’s Ministry and our church.

There are some specific answers to items we have prayed for: our music minister, Lee Barnett and his family, and many of our mis-sion trips have been so successful.

When I am home alone, I can praise God for the beauty and goodness I see around me but praying and praising God in such a group just enhances and magnifies our praise into wor-ship. It is also an opportunity to share others’ burdens. Whether we praise or ask, the more women who pray together the better!”

Thank you to Cathy, Marilyn, and others who join in the prayer ministry, and the many who pray individually. Prayer is our

response in the relationship we have with God and to one another through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer request cards may be found in the forms basket of the women’s ministry table in the hall by the church office.

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is

evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in dili-gence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoic-ing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devot-ed to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13

Prayer Request cards are available in the

Women’s Ministry forms basket in the hall

by the church office. Please use these for

needs and requests that you want to share

with our Women’s Ministry Prayer Group

or leaders.

You are also welcome to call one of us at any

time.

WM Monthly Prayer Group

Friday, October 6 (next November 1)

9:45-11:00 am in the Prayer Room 220

Contact Cathy Slater 623-4729

Comfort in Christ

First Thursday of the Month

Room 2020 at 4:00 pm

Rhonda Frederick 627-0771

Women’s Ministry Teams Meeting

October 13, 2013

Time and location: TBA

Contact Amy Porter 620-9262

Agenda: Updates on ministries

Continue discussion of “Sticky Teams”

Evening of Grace update

Women on Mission

Thursday, October 24

10:00 to 11:30 Room 219

Contact Wanda Thorp 623-5608

Have you seen the photos from the Women’s

Ministry Kick-Off? Go to our web site to see

what you missed!

2013 Fall Kick Off Photos

Join us for an

Evening of Grace Thursday, December 5, 2013

6:00 o’clock to 9:00 o’clock

First Baptist Church Family Life Center

Tickets will be available soon.

Remember…

that You

molded me

like clay.

Job 10:9

Fruit of the Spirit —Prayer: Weakness to Strength by Vicki Stanley

Page 4

Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know I am God; I will

be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in

the earth.”

In November of 2011, I lost a child, my son

Chris, to suicide. As my world crumbled

around me, my soul echoed, “Be still and

know I am God”. Finding out you have lost a

child is truly heartbreaking; knowing your

child decided to take their own life seems to

add fuel to the fire. Who, what, when, where

and how just does not apply. You already

know those answers, you want to know

WHY. I had so many questions, and I was

demanding answers that no one could give.

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer

and the power of meditation. Translated

from Hebrew, “Be still” means to be weak, to

let go, to release. In my primitive transla-

tion, “Be still” means, ‘Hush my child and let

me talk to you.’

Be still—be weak—let go—release.

As we traveled to Chris’ home, I felt God’s

presence. I felt God holding me so tight that

it was literally hard for me to move my arms.

I knew my church, my family, and my friends

were lifting me up in prayer. I also knew that

my mind would not let me release. I could

not afford the luxury of being weak and I was

hanging on to what sanity I had left. “Be still

and know I am God; I will be exalted among

the nations, I will be exalted in the earth”. As

the echo in my soul grew

louder and louder, I had

no choice but to let go

and release and let God

comfort me as his child

in pain.

God heard the prayers of

many lifting me and my

family up in our darkest

hour. God heard the

mother’s cry of anguish losing her child. God

heard my soul sobbing. God said, “Be still, I

am in control and I’ve got this!”

That was almost two years ago. Today, my

husband Larry and I spend time with God in

the Prayer Room once a month. We are still

and know He will be exalted among the na-

tions and He will be exalted in the earth. We

spend time meditating

on His word and re-

paying those who

prayed for us when we

were at our weakest.

We spend time in the

Prayer Room praying

for our church, our

leaders, our children,

and our grandchildren. We spend time in the

Prayer Room praying for those who have sent

special prayer requests in, letting go and

trusting God.

Prayer is powerful! We are commanded in 1

Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.

This is an attitude of God-consciousness and

God-surrender that we are to carry with us

all the time. Matthew 6:6 says, “But when

you pray, go into your room and shut the

door and pray to your Father who is in se-

cret. And your Father who sees in secret will

reward you.”

Pray without ceasing, pray in secret, and be

still; knowing God is in control.

Chris Stanley April 17, 2011

Thank you to Sissy Ables for the prayer room photos.

God’s God’s God’s

people people people

pray.pray.pray.