Feb 22

Feb 22 A Prayer Triad: Just What You Need

There are good speakers, and there are change-your-life speakers. Recently I heard one of the latter. This woman bravely shared her story of being brought out of her life-threatening eating disorder and crippling fears, and by the time she was done, I knew I had to talk to her.

It’s amazing how openness breeds openness, is it not? Even though our issues weren’t necessarily related, I felt like she could help me. Through tears, I shared my some of my own story.

The first thing out of her mouth was, “Do you have someone in your life who knows your struggles?” Well, yes… “Do you have people you regularly come to for accountability?” Um…gulp.

“You need a prayer triad,” she said. “I’m challenging you to find one.”

I knew she was right.

I was tired of living alone in my fear, alone in my struggles, and alone in my fight to live the way the Lord was calling me to live. I needed real friends, regularly speaking truth into my life.

In the next few days I contacted a friend I’ve known for years, who I trust, and asked if she was interested? She was!

We invited another mutual friend, and our triad was born.

In the last few months, we have met regularly every other week, not just to “chat,” but to talk openly about the REAL stuff in our lives. We answer questions like:

How is your marriage?
Have you been spending time with the Lord?
How do you feel God calling you to live differently?
What do you want us to hold you accountable to?

I feel grateful that God put these two women on my mind, because they have some essential characteristics of great prayer triad partners:

They are not self-centered. (They can concentrate on someone else’s problems!)
They are honest about their own weaknesses.
They are dependable to meet regularly.
They care about me.
They’re not perfect, but they know God’s Word and want to live according to his will.

I’m not going to lie. It felt brave to ask these friends. (What if they say no? What if it doesn’t go well?)

ANSWERING these questions helped me realize it was worth it. (They may say no…so ask someone else. If it doesn’t go well, you try again! It’s worth the risk.)

Is a prayer triad something you need right now?

This month In my Facebook group Purposeful Women, we are exploring how to start one, and what it practically looks like when a prayer triad meets. Join us! My triad has been such a gift to me - I wish I would have done it sooner!