Interviews by Kathleen Rodgers

Around 2008, God began working in the heart of Lynn Rose to gather women from FBC Starkville together in a time specifically dedicated to prayer. For the last twelve years these women have been meeting once a week at each other’s houses to pray for anything and everything that is placed on their hearts.

In 2019, God moved again and began working in the heart of Mary Todd Gordon. She brought the idea of starting a prayer group to her Community Group and several women agreed it was needed and necessary. Her prayer group currently meets once a month for a Bible study to start the session, then they move on to prayer time.

To learn more about how God uses these women, I had the honor of interviewing Mrs. Lynn and Mary Todd about their prayer groups. The passion for prayer these women have is unmistakable.

What does a typical meeting look like?

Lynn: The primary thing is that we make coming to prayer group a priority. Of course, life gets in the way for all of us, but making it a priority keeps our group strong.

Mary Todd Well, honestly, I probably scared all of the Type A planners away once they saw I didn’t really have a schedule when it was just prayer group and had no study tied in. No, I’m just kidding. One of my best friends is Type A and she kept coming back! I would start out with a welcome and just a catch-up time and then I would share a short devotional or something that had been laid on my heart recently whether it be Scripture or from a favorite Christian author. We then would begin prayer requests.

This was also a time where women could give the backstory on their requests. I would tell everyone in the room that there wasn’t a single topic that couldn’t be brought up. That was extremely important to me to lay that foundation. If we keep our issues and struggles from the body of Christ, how are we supposed to pray and support each other? After a request has been shared, one woman in the room volunteers to pray over that request. If no one speaks up, I volunteer. I never want anyone in my group to feel like they have to pray out loud. 

What made you want to start your group?

Mary Todd: The Lord seems to always be nudging me towards women’s ministry and for months I just kept asking him what that was supposed to look like. I started an Instagram account geared towards women’s ministry where I have been transparent about my faith walk and share words of encouragement. However, I kept feeling the burden to facilitate something that would involve being in person. At the time, I was a mom to a little boy just under 2 and worried about committing myself to something. He kept pushing me harder and I just leaped into it. I sent a message out to the women in our community group basically saying, “Y’all, I really don’t have a plan, but I want to start a prayer group. I want us to really pray and experience the Holy Spirit in a room together and just talk to Jesus.” After hitting send, I thought, they are going to think this is weird. That was Satan. I ended up being stunned at the responses and by how many women wanted the same thing. We came together a few weeks later and it was the sweetest time. It was a safe space to get to know each other and to share whatever we wanted to.

Lynn: God is ever faithful. We know that when we take our requests before the throne, He will hear and knows our every need.

Obedience in prayer builds a beautiful relationship with God.

How did COVID-19 affect your group?

Mary Todd: We stopped meeting altogether. I just didn’t feel led to try and take it to Zoom or any other online platform, but if we would have been doing a bible study, I think I would have tried to. All of the women in our group stay in touch through GroupMe and share prayer requests there.

Lynn: We stopped meeting for a while, then began to meet on a member’s back porch and maintain a social distance.

What is your favorite thing about your group?

Lynn: We are very diverse with a multitude of ages and stages in life. We bring all sorts of issues to share, but we are all assured that everything will stay confidential.

Mary Todd: I love how transparent and honest our group is. No one shows up to my house trying to act like they have it all together. They come in vulnerable and ready to meet with God. We go from laughing to sharing about marital struggles to much more intimate, difficult topics. It’s wonderful. It nourishes the soul.

Do you have a goal for your group in the future?

Mary Todd: I want to see our prayer group look for opportunities to serve. I want our prayer life to be so deep and meaningful that it leads us to action. Our own ministry has been such a blessing to our circle, I want to see us bless other women. I have given prison ministry a lot of thought.

Jesus has no boundaries when it comes to loving people. I don’t want us to have boundaries either.

Lynn: The primary goal is to grow closer to Christ and to deepen our relationship with Him and with each other through praises and prayer. Life has not always been easy- two of us have lost spouses, others are dealing with loved ones in long term care, and our children and grandchildren have had various trials which tug on our hearts. But through it all, it has been such a privilege and a blessing to see God at work in so many areas- our families, our church, our community, and our nation.

Do you have a short story you could share about a way you know your group as affected change?

Lynn: We have truly seen miracles- a sense of peace and contentment in our friend David Sanders as we prayed during his cancer battle, positive changes in the lives of our children and grandchildren, and the beautiful healing of our friend Lynn after her fall.

Mary Todd: When I pray, I ask God to make us a group of women that is set apart. A group of women that wakes up ready to serve Him, ready to avoid gossip, ready to love the unlovable, and ready to love our families. I have never asked any of the women in my group if they feel like this group has changed them, but I know God has used it to change me. I am so thankful to be able to do life with these incredible women.

Kathleen Rodgers:
Hearing how God has used these groups to weave together such intimate friendships on the foundation of prayer was truly a blessing, but I also wanted to give back some encouragement. Whenever God places a task on our hearts we may question if we are the right person for the job. It’s always nice to have the reassurance that you are making a change and doing good work for God.

I also gathered quotes from some of the women who attend these prayer groups to see how God has blessed them:

Lucy Carpenter:
“When people know that you are praying, they will share their hearts and their concerns, and trust that you will take them to God with them and for them.”

Mary Frances Lolley
“I don’t know how I would have made it through the loss of my husband without the support and love of my prayer sisters. We are always here for each other, and we know “From whence cometh our help.”

Emily Stidham
“I enjoy our women’s prayer group because it is a purposeful, judgment-free, quaint environment that allows for vulnerability amongst the women in our community group. Praying out loud with other women is powerful and refreshing; it is has been a blessing getting to know the other women on a more personal level, following prayer requests, and watching how our prayers are answered. I am forever grateful to Mary Todd and her boldness with initiating this group.”

Kristen Edelblute
“It has been such a joy to be a part of the journey with Mary Todd as she started her prayer group. She approached me with the idea that she really felt like God was laying it on her heart to provide a safe place for the ladies in our CG to come together with a specific purpose of being transparent, vulnerable, and intentional; sharing their burdens and spending quality time in prayer. Even though the thought of “leading” this group caused anxiety and pushed her to the edge of her comfort zone, Mary Todd was obedient and answered God’s call. I have had the privilege to attend several of the prayer groups and have been blessed each and every time. The time we spend is very intentional. Mary Todd sets the tone for our time together by sharing what God has been doing in her life. 

Then, we have the opportunity to share our prayer requests. Because of the intimate nature of our gathering, we skip over the “my grandmother is sick” type request (not that there is anything wrong with praying for your grandmother), but these ladies are willing to share about problems in their marriages, raising children, dealing with social anxiety, and many other personal issues. As each person shares, someone will volunteer to pray specifically for that person. We close our night, praying over the specific concerns and knowing that as we leave each concern will continue to be lifted up until we are able to meet again.”

Haley Harper Todd
“I’ve personally wanted to be a part of a prayer group with other church members for a few years now. I feel close to those in the music ministry and am excited to meet other members of the church outside of my comfort zone. After only one meeting with our prayer group, I’ve been able to relate with the other ladies through the study and conversation cards which have been a huge blessing. Last week we prayed for a peaceful mind when things get stressful or uncertain. I’ve noticed that if I start to feel overwhelmed by a situation, I think back to what our prayer material says and this has helped me keep that peaceful mind.”

Anna Newman
“When my husband and I moved back to Starkville last year, we knew we wanted to join a Community Group in which we could build relationships with members outside of just seeing everyone on Sunday morning. It took us a while to settle into a Community Group, and I decided to join Mary Todd’s prayer group so I could better connect with the Community Group ladies in a smaller setting. Although I have only attended the group twice, it has already been incredibly impactful. The willingness of each lady to be transparent about what she is going through has given me the confidence to share as well, and it is such a blessing to be prayed for by name each time we meet. I have left each meeting encouraged by the power of prayer and challenged to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus no matter what I face.”