In Exodus 17:11-12, the Israelites were engaged in battle. As long as Moses’ arms were raised, they were winning. Moses, being human like us, found his arms grew tired of being raised in the air. God provided Aaron and Hur to lift Moses’ arms. Together, they won the battle that day.

Soon after I stepped into ministry leadership (before I accepted the role as Director of Women’s Ministry), a long-time friend said God told her to pray for me. She never asked for a prayer list, but she would let me know she was praying. She was like Aaron and Hur. God provided her to lift me up as I was “doing battle” that comes with ministry.

Prayer and Practical Support

Sometimes we need others like Aaron and Hur to lift our arms. At times we need prayer, and at other times we need encouragers to step in and provide the practical support we need, without being asked.

When I was the leading Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), my maternal grandmother passed away. I felt the loss of her prayer support in my life. One Sunday at church, one of my older discussion leaders said, “I know you did not ask, but I wanted to let you know that my friend and I pray on our knees every Friday morning for you.” It was as though God was saying, while you might feel like your grandmother’s prayer support is gone, I have raised up others to pray for you. A moment for watery eyes for sure!

Then there was the time my husband had surgery for prostate cancer. Many offered to bring a meal but I declined. I felt like it was too much to ask others to bring a meal for just the two of us. Unexpectedly, one night our friends showed up on our doorstep with pizza, salad, and dessert. I felt such relief. They brought what we needed without asking! They were holding us up with their practical support and love.

Pray for your women’s ministry leader and let her know you are praying. Invite her to tell you if she has a prayer concern. And feel free to proactively be an encourager, providing practical help to support her.

Encourage Her Husband

In our Christian culture, if a husband is not in a leadership role at church, one that is equal to or greater than the role his wife holds, he can be perceived as less of a man.

From my vantage point, husbands of women who lead in the church carry the unseen burden of encouraging their wives to fulfill their call. They want to protect their wives from hurtful things being said by others.

In my years of serving in BSF, before I left to teach every Monday night, my husband led our children to pray for me, the women, and that God’s Word would impact their lives.

In the years of serving on my church’s staff, my husband served as Security for our women’s events. He was my prayer support and my reprieve when the ministry was too much. He carried a burden because I was serving in ministry.

While this was true for me, I know it is not true for everyone. Nevertheless, encourage your women’s ministry leader’s husband by sharing how you have benefited from his wife’s leadership. I have seen men who resented how much time their wives spent away from home to serve in ministry actually soften. When these men heard how the effort of their wives were making an impact for eternity, their resentment melted!
Husbands see the hard side of ministry. Bless them by sharing the joy that his wife’s ministry has brought to you.

Don’t be afraid to help hold up your leader’s arms through prayer, practical support, and encouraging her husband. Bless her as she is blessing you.