Have you ever thought to yourself, “Well, that would’ve been nice to know yesterday... Or twenty years ago”? That is something I have been thinking off and on for the past nine months. But let me back up.
I have been journeying along with Joelle for several years now in the ministry she started called First Love. I have been challenged and have grown along the way as we have walked with Jesus and encouraged women in the way we felt Him leading. The end of March 2024 Joelle invited me to join her on yet another adventure.
I had not heard of Deeper Walk before March as far as I can recall, but by early April we were attending our first online Deeper Walk class. The next nine months we were trained in prayer ministry, concluding with our graduation mid-December from this Deeper Walk School of Ministry course, earning our certification as prayer ministers. Oh, the things we learned in those months and the tools we gained! Those are the things I wish I knew years ago.
I can safely say that soon after beginning the class and implementing what we were learning, we began to see the positive effects on our lives and relationships, not only with God but with others as well. We started passing on what we were learning to our family and surrounding friends, and now we want to invite you to join us in experiencing a “deeper walk” with Jesus. Are you in?
Maybe you would like to know more about this new avenue of First Love called First Love Prayer Ministry before jumping in. It is a heart-focused program made up of several elements to help real people move forward in their relationships, healing, freedom, and maturity. Prayer is a big and important part of this ministry, but it isn’t the only part. Prayer ministry also encompasses and implements several other tools, exercises, resources, and methods.
The foundation of this program is God and His Truth. And as every one of our stories is unique, having Jesus present and the Holy Spirit guiding the way creates a unique approach for each person’s healing and freedom journey. God’s Presence proves priceless and powerful as we allow Him to do the work He wants in our hearts, minds, and lives.
One of the purposes of a prayer ministry session is to shed light on what people actually need in order to move forward. Some people may think they need spiritual warfare to achieve the freedom they desire, but with further investigation, what they actually need is help filling in maturity gaps from their childhood. Some people may think they need help building maturity, but they really need inner healing in areas where they feel stuck.
The multiple components that make up First Love Prayer Ministry are there to aid in answering these needs as they are identified. Some of the key components are: inner healing, spiritual warfare, teachings like identity in Christ and walking after the Spirit, as well as, Life Model methods in growing maturity and capacity. Oftentimes people need a combination of most or all of these in order to heal and grow.
Maybe that seems like a long list of items to implement. But one reason people get stuck or do not experience as much freedom as they would like is because some of these areas are not being addressed. Not all of these components require the same energy or time. Some may be easier to do or be done daily without much of a time commitment. Others are more intense and stretching.
As believers we know we will not be perfect on this side of heaven, but as we spend time with the Lord, we will become more like Him. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV says:
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image
from one degree of glory to another.
For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
We all have room to grow and become more Christlike. As Joelle and I went through the course we were required to experience what we are now offering to you. When I was a “client” I was not in the middle of a traumatic life event or aware of any specific issue needing to be addressed, but I went away from every session with something. God healed old wounds, released me from responsibilities that were not mine to carry, and showed me where I relied on control to deal with fears. Lies about “performing” were uprooted, and the Truth of God’s grace was planted in its place.
Those sessions affected how I looked at certain things and situations. I discovered I had more freedom to react and think differently than I had before. Memories that caused me pain or embarrassment in the past no longer affected me in the same way–God’s Presence cast a different light on them. After my experience, I was fully convinced we all can benefit from prayer ministry at any point in our lives–even if we are not currently going through trauma or stressful events. That being said, consider the following questions, and if you answer “yes” to any of them, we hope you will be especially encouraged to contact us:
Have you ever felt stuck or that there was more freedom to be had?
Have you struggled with unforgiveness or hurt?
Do you have negative, nagging thoughts?
Do you have difficulty connecting with the Lord and hearing Him?
If you do decide to move forward with us, here is what you can expect and what the commitment might look like: A session lasts between 1-2 hours. Sessions are offered in person (depending on your location) or via Zoom. (We find Zoom calls to be just as effective as in-person meetings, so don’t let distance deter you!) Maybe just 1-3 sessions are needed to get “unstuck,” or maybe several months would be what is called for.
During the sessions, plan to be completely free of distractions. Your focus and attention are important. Is there a day in your week that you can etch out a couple hours, turn your phone off, and be “unavailable”? We know that arranging that may be a challenge, but like so much in life, the more we put into something, the more we benefit from it.
In addition to the sessions bringing about transformation, homework will aid in meeting those goals as well. Are you able to commit to a manageable amount of homework? The homework may range from watching a video, reading a book, implementing mental exercises, reading/memorizing Scripture, to filling out a worksheet or workbook. Don’t let the idea of homework turn you away. Homework will be doled out as necessary and with the understanding we all have busy lives. We want to set you up for success, so you leave every session feeling encouraged and strengthened in the Lord, not weighed down with an additional burden.
Another thing that will increase the impact of the program is having someone to walk alongside you. Do you have one or two friends you trust who you can regularly talk to about what you will be learning and experiencing? That may be another homework assignment–connect with a special friend. Is homework starting to sound a little more inviting? Engaging in a heart-focused community of believers and having loving relationships plays an important role in our health as individuals.
We are in the process of building a prayer ministry team to join us in this new endeavor. We desire to have someone available to join us and our “client” in a session–someone to intercede, take notes, and provide additional support and encouragement, among other things. We are already gathering a trustworthy group of believers who love seeing people encounter Jesus and live transformed lives.
We know this article may not answer all your questions, but we hope it will encourage you to reach out to us, ask questions, and learn more. Or if you are at a point where you want to see certain changes in your life and are willing to commit to the work needed to move forward, please contact us. Following is how we can be reached:
Our hope is for all believers to know God and grow into the people He created us to be. May God encourage you to take the next step in your life’s path with Him. And maybe that will include First Love Prayer Ministry.
Interested in scheduling a call to learn more? Click here.
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