Finding the Right Words
“The thing we want to learn about a stranger is fragile. If we tread carelessly, it will crumble under our feet… The right way to talk to strangers is with caution and humility,” writes Malcolm Gladwell in Talking to Strangers.
Has this ever happened to you? You open your mouth to share a hopeful thing you heard, say, at church, and the other person stares at you. Maybe they nod and say, “Uh-huh.”
When you offer to shovel their driveway, they say, “Sure.” When you say, “I’ll bring dessert,” they say, “Yum.” So how can your words about God be heard?
My friend Brenda shares in her video how Stonecroft helped her rethink how to talk with someone with different beliefs. She talks about a need to avoid overly Christian language and find new ways to communicate.
Similarly, dictionaries can be a time capsule of language. If we look back at dictionaries from the 1800s, we’ll find words we never use now and words that now have different meanings. Language is important. How, when, and with whom we use it all matter. Especially when we want to help others experience God’s goodness.
The first Christians didn’t have such lingo issues on the day of Pentecost. What they did have was the Holy Spirit freshly imparted and flowing strong, as Acts 2:1-5 says:
On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
At that time, there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
The people in this passage were riding high on the adrenaline of understanding the risen Christ. And maybe that’s why we need to speak others’ language.
With Jesus’s love helping us, we can learn to befriend others and learn their language.
We can ask questions, listen, and understand.
We have an extraordinary gift to offer! How will we wrap it in words that ring clear and beautiful to a stranger?
Discussion Questions
- What situations make you fearful?
- What makes you fearful about sharing your faith?
- What steps can we take to overcome our fears?
Prepare for Prayer
Take a moment and ask God to reveal your fear. Our guide to prayer is “Overcome.”
Psalm 34:4-6
“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.”
Pray: Dear Lord, thank you freeing us from sin and fear and shame through Jesus Christ. May we keep our eyes on You and be filled with joy, and may that joy shine out for others to see.
Pray:
- Praise God for seeing us in our sin and shame and fear
- Ask God to reveal fears we still cling to and for the strength to let Him rid us of those fears
Pray for Your Group’s Upcoming Outreach Event
Read: Isaiah 41:10
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Pray: Father God, we lift our upcoming event to You and place it in Your victorious hands. Take away the fears and concerns we have over it and use it for Your glory.
Pray:
- Ask God to help us overcome our fears and step out in faith to invite new women to our event
- Ask God to work on the hearts of those women who are invited to the event, that they would overcome their fears to find connection with other women and with our Savior
Sharing Your Faith
Read: Philippians 4:6-7
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Pray: Heavenly Father, we need Your peace and Your hope as we seek to share with others the joy that we have in Christ.
Pray for:
- Ask God to reveal any excuses or fears that you may have in sharing your faith and for His strength to overcome them
- Ask God to overcome any excuses or fears of the ones who you share with so that they may find peace in Jesus
Pray for our Nation and Leaders
Read: John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
Pray: Dear Lord, God of heaven and earth, as the world seeks for peace in every place and way but You, may we cling to You and show our nation and our world true peace. As our nation and leaders face a world overcome by fear and terror, may they rely on Your strength and wisdom, rather than their power and might.
Pray specifically for:
- Ask God that our local and national leaders will overcome their pride, fear, and greed to do what is best for our nation economically and politically
- Ask God that our local and national leaders will overcome all the lies and half-truths in order to make wise and just decisions and policies based on His truth
Pray for the Stonecroft Family
Read: Psalm 56:3-4
“But when I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?”
Pray: Dear Lord, we praise You for using Stonecroft to make connections with women so that they may overcome fear and find peace in You.
Pray for:
- Ask God to put a wall of protection around the hearts and minds of Stonecroft leaders, such as Stonecroft Regional Administrators, District Consulting Coordinators, Regional Speaker Trainers, Regional Reps, Area Reps, Chairs, Prayer Consultants, and all outreach leaders as they face obstacles to reaching women for the kingdom of God
- Ask God to overcome the fears holding back those in Stonecroft and that He would do a great work in and through Stonecroft
Share Personal Requests
Pray for one another’s personal needs and remember that Jesus is the one who overcomes all fears, illnesses, sins, and circumstances.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for this Prayer Connection time. May we look to You as the overcomer of all our fears. Bless this time for the furtherance of Your kingdom and may we go out in Your power to radiate the joy and love that comes from the salvation of Your Son to draw others from fear into peace. Amen