Praying In Threes 

Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

I bought the silver tea set of my dreams recently at a thrift store. It came as a set of three – the teapot, the sugar bowl, and the cream pitcher with a lid. Like using the triplets, ‘Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening’ or ‘Please, Thank you, You’re welcome’ at the appropriate times – I have realized I like sets of three.

I was blessed to be a part of a ladies’ prayer group for a time before we moved from Nebraska. Our prayer leader used Romans 12:12 as a weekly guide and would invite each one of us (or you could pass) to share a joy and a trial, and then we would spend the remainder of our time in prayer. I learned to greatly value the group sharing time of my sisters as it guided our prayers to follow.

I have used Romans 12:12 as a guide now in different prayer groups I find myself in. Whether large or small groups, it’s a great way to pray together.

Rejoice in hope- What is bringing you JOY?

This initial question quickly helped me realize I was all too often not looking for joy in my life. It used to make me feel awkward, like I had to try to conjure something up quickly just to participate. I grew to welcome the needed accountability this question brought with it and became more aware of both day-to-day joys and eternal joys that stretched between our times together – keeping a list of them in my mind. Others’ answers brought encouragement to my soul, and not only increased my joy level, but gave us all fuel to use in our prayers of thanksgiving.

Patient in tribulation- What trial(s) are you being patient in?

This question usually doesn’t take too long for answers to start coming to mind. It helped me to share my trial(s) in a group where everyone was mindful of listening and remembering well so we could all pray more specifically for each one in their trial(s). Isn’t it a beautiful thing when we’re personally encouraged to pray for patience in the midst of our trial in response to corporately hearing other sisters share how they’re being patient in trials?! Be Spirit-led during this time if a sister needs immediate prayer. I’ve been equally blessed when I was the one needing my sisters to circle and pray over me or when I joined the circle and prayed over a sister in crisis.

Constant in prayer- After the sharing of each other’s hearts, it seems as if time stands still as we pour out our hearts in prayer. After selected Scriptures are read, we start with praising God for His character, giving confession and thanksgiving, then close with several rounds of intercessory prayers. Hearts are renewed; our God is in control!

I pray you are encouraged to consider starting or joining a Romans 12:12 prayer group, and then look for the Lord to triple bless.