Petra, prayer groups, and personalized journals

A few months ago while I was praying for deeper friendships, a dear friend asked if I'd be interested in starting a Prayer Group with her that just met one evening a month.

You know I jumped at it.

We knew we wanted it to be small and intimate. We didn't want it to be a clique of our closest girlfriends...but rather a group of ladies who were open to being authentic and raw and real with each other.

We've met for a few months now, and are learning more and more about one another as we humble ourselves and allow the things that are uncomfortable to share...to come to light and be prayed about.

I'm truly honored to be a part of this group of incredibly loving girls. They inspire me so greatly.

We didn't really have a name for awhile, when I sent emails out, I just referred to us as "Nourish | Prayer", after the Evening to Nourish dinners I have each month. But it didn't seem right...this was different. Though I always create an inviting table for our prayer night, there wasn't the...I don't know...grandiose effort, perhaps.

 I look at it more as setting the table for family, rather than guests. And we all bring food, just something small and easily munched. Appetizers and snacks. Sometimes there's a big bowl of popcorn, sometimes brownies, sometimes bacon wrapped dates or spanikopita. Nothing that takes longer than five minutes to personally prepare.

Because it's  not about the food, right? It's not about a beautiful presentation.

It's about sitting together. It's about a group of Jesus loving women who feel the deep need to pray over their families and over one another as we grow together in Him and with one another.

It's about approaching the Throne on behalf of one another, in both petition and thanksgiving.

After our May gathering, I posted this photo and caption on Instagram...

Just finished our Prayer Group. As my sweet friend closed us in the most beautiful time before the Throne, I felt God whispering..."These girls. They're your Rock. They're your Peter. Trust them. Love them. They're Mine."

So thankful for reaching out to a bunch of Godly women I didn't know well...but wanted to know better. Ladies I knew love Jesus deeply.

I had no idea if they had a community of women they already embraced in prayer. And you know what?! They didn't either. So now we are. Two months in and HE is so very present.

After that night and that deep feeling in my soul about the importance of this group, we renamed ourselves Petra (Greek feminine for rock. Not to be confused with the 90's Christian rock band, haha).

I had these beautiful Prayer Journals made over at Tiny Prints for each girl (they have tons of gorgeous styles, fyi). Aren't they fantastic? I mean, watercolor and chevron and ombre?! And a chalkboard-ish looking square for personalizing?!

We're all so excited to have a place to write everything down so we can continue praying throughout the month. And thrilled to be able to look back and see God's goodness in answered prayers, and remember that hindsight truly is 20/20 as our eyes are opened as His "No" or "Not Yet" begins to make sense.

Don't wait for one to find you, don't wait to be invited. Form your own as we did. Pray about whom to form the group with...and reach out even if you don't know some of them well. Because God will bring the specific ladies into the group as He knows best.

He is a great God...and He does great things.