Encourage


KATEY POWELL ARP Women’s


Ministries President


community of ARP women to minister together for God’s glory and purpose.


A ENCOURAGE With everything happening in


the world, we all need encourage- ment now more than ever! Maybe you know someone overwhelmed with the amount of work at their job. Maybe you know someone looking for employment or has recently been laid off. Maybe you know a busy mom who has too much on her plate. Maybe you know someone longing to have children or someone entering the empty nester’s stage. Maybe you know someone experiencing medi- cal problems. Maybe it’s problems in their marriage. The reasons may all be different, but the need for encour- agement is the same! What does it mean to encourage someone? Well, Merriam-Webster says this… 1. to make (someone) more deter- mined, hopeful, or confident, 2. to make (something) more ap- pealing or more likely to happen Jesus was an encourager. Through-


out His Word, Jesus encourages us to “come to him.” And when we come to Jesus, we receive his bless- ings and are given hope. Here are just a few examples:


RP Women’s Ministries is an organization that encour- ages, equips, and connects the


John 6:37 “All that the father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Luke 6:47 “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like.” John 6:35 “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger.” John 7:37 “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.’” Luke 18:16 “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Jeremiah 29:12 “Then you will call upon me and come to pray to me, and I will hear you.”


So, how do we encourage each other as believers to go to Jesus? First, we must come daily to Jesus. We need to spend time with him and


be in his Word. With his Word, Jesus equips us with all we need to encourage others. My devotional said this … “We are to encourage and motivate others to be faithful to God.” It starts with being faithful to Him ourselves! And through that time with Jesus, He will give us the strength, courage, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit power to encourage others. Second, Jesus gives us examples to share of how he has taken care of us. We


can share scripture that has taken root in our heart. We can share struggles that God has seen us thru. We can share how God has healed our hurts or answered prayer in a way that we never prayed for. When we take the time to share our real selves with others, it encourages them and lets them know they are not alone in their journey. Last, we need to have ears and eyes open to what the Holy Spirit tells us and


where the Holy Spirit guides us. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a brother or sister in Christ confides in you? They have opened up to you about their struggles and confusion. Their sin and pain. Their loneliness and an- ger. Those moments are not coincidental! God wants us there to encourage them. You might be there to encourage them to remain faithful. In some cases, you


might encourage them to seek more help, but in all cases, we encourage them to go to Jesus with whatever burdens them. Then pray with them and love them as Jesus would. So, who in your life needs encouragement? It could be


your family member, friend, or co-worker. It could even be a stranger! Look for those moments in your day (Holy Spirit stirrings) when you can encourage someone with a prayer, a com- pliment, an acknowledgment, a hug, a gift, or simply a smile. Make it a habit of be- ing an encourager. Because when the Holy Spirit leads you, and you follow – you are planting seeds, and God will water. To God be the glory.?


Knowing, loving, serving, Jesus March/April 2022 19


Women’s Ministries


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