by Amanda Krug
What are some ways God speaks to his people? It’s very easy to give a rote answer of “in the Bible,” or “through the Holy Spirit,” particularly when we are familiar with Christianity. But how often has God spoken to us through other people – whether through a sermon, a conference speaker, a close friend or spouse? Absolutely, God uses the Holy Spirit when we seek him in prayer, and his Word will always accomplish what he intended it to do (Isa. 55:11). But let’s not discount that walking in close relationships with other Christians also can lead us to obedience, to conform us to Jesus’s likeness.
God works in our lives in ways we don’t always anticipate, but he knows best and can bless us when we allow him to guide us. Though I sensed the Lord leading me to invest in the lives of other women, it was easy to come up with excuses about being too busy. One day, I finally decided to follow his prompting and reach out to other women to investigate ways I could do this practically. The more I conversed with other women, I sensed the way the Lord was leading and became excited about the new opportunity. As more and more people began to get involved with accountability groups, it was thrilling to see how the Lord arranged these groups to help believers connect with one another.
There is a special type of bond that forms between believers when you reach a deeper level of investment in their lives. Ultimately, God knows what he is doing when he places people together – in a church community, in a small group, in a ministry. When I agreed to become part of an accountability group, God blessed me with women solid in their faith, encouraging to one another, and prayer warriors. We are all different ages and in many different stages of life – and that is amazing! We come together to help one another in our walk with the Lord. When groups seek the Lord together, they grow to pray more earnestly; encourage more fervently; and share needs, joys, sorrows, failures, and victories.
I told my group members I agreed to write this blog post and mentioned I was way out of my comfort zone in doing so. I told them this is a group effort and I asked them to share some of the ways accountability groups have benefitted them and grown their faith and fellowship at Living Hope. Here are a few of their responses:
“I’m grateful for the encouragement, social connections, and practical ideas to help me be more consistent in my time with God (like keeping a prayer list by my sink for while I’m washing dishes).”
“I feel that I personally never really felt comfortable praying out loud in a group. Since we do it regularly, I realized it’s not nearly as hard as I thought.”
“I would say I really appreciate the accountability part, having others spur you on and pray for you with your spiritual goals especially, has been so encouraging to me. Also, I love the diversity of the ages/seasons of life everyone is in. We all have something to share and then to glean from one another. That’s the beauty of the body of Christ.”
I am so grateful to the Lord for his prompting to get involved in a group, for the ministry teams facilitating connections among those at Living Hope, and practically for the people who meet together weekly. All the prayers, encouragement, and vulnerability have yielded bountiful fruit. It’s a blessing to walk together as the Lord leads!
Amanda Krug has been a committed participant of Living Hope Church since 2007. She and her husband, Brian, have three children.
If you are interested in joining an accountability group at Living Hope Church, please reach out to the women’s or men’s ministry teams below.
Walking Wisely: Women’s Accountability Groups – women@findlivinghope.com
Iron Men Groups – men@findlivinghope.com