Month of Prayer

July is Prayer Month

Although One by One can serve moms across all 50 US states, we have our home office in Memphis, Tennessee.  We’re thrilled that the state of Tennessee has designated the month of July as a time of prayer and fasting. One by One firmly believes in the power of prayer; we seek God’s counsel and mercy on a daily basis and witness His hand on our ministry, our volunteers, and the moms we serve. Regardless of where you live, we invite you to join with us in prayer for our ministry, our state, and our nation.

Tennessee’s Resolution 803 suggests prayer for the following:

• God’s mercy and continued blessings
• Our recognition of our sins and shortcomings
• God’s healing on our land –specifically removal of violence, human trafficking, addiction, and corruption
• The Holy Spirit’s presence in our government, schools, businesses, churches, and homes bringing peace, love, and joy

Can you imagine the results if we all came together to pray for these things, regardless of where we live? What a wonderful thing for our world!

Will you join with us as we intercede on behalf not only of our state and country but also of our moms, our volunteers, and our ministry?

If you’re new to prayer, let us assure you that you don’t have to offer complicated, poetic, or elaborate prayers. Just have a conversation with God and trust that He wants to be in communication with you. In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:5-8 not to pray to impress others:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Jesus also gives us a model to follow in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13:

“This, then, is ow you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Jesus doesn’t want us to give a rote recitation of this prayer; instead, He wants us to use this as a framework for how we should pray.

• Recognize God is our Father, our Creator, who is in heaven and is worthy to be praised. Spend time worshipping Him.
• Pray for God’s will to be done – for our country, our communities, our families, our churches, our neighbors and friends. This can sometimes be hard because it requires us to put God’s agenda before our own.
• Present your needs and requests to the Lord. We should ask God for the things we need regardless of how insignificant we may think they are. We should ask for both physical and spiritual needs – and thank Him for all He has provided for us.
• Ask for forgiveness of your sins and for help in forgiving people who have sinned against us. This is a vital step in making sure nothing is impeding our relationship with God.
• Pray for safety, protection, and deliverance and to be led by the Spirit.

If you’re still not sure what to say or how to say it, be honest with God (He knows the truth anyway!). Romans 8:26-27 says “In the same way, the (Holy) Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

When you’re insecure or grieving or just out of words, the Holy Spirit is there to help you as you pray. How reassuring!

Now, what’s stopping you from joining us in prayer?

One by One starts every week in prayer for our ministry, our moms, and our volunteers. We publish a monthly prayer e-newsletter with specific prayer requests and praises as we ask for intercession and thank God for His many provisions. You can access our prayer e-newsletter here or email ccurry@onebyoneusa.org to receive this email in your inbox monthly.

If you're a pregnant or new mom who would like the support of a One by One mentor, you can apply for a mentor today by clicking here.