"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." -Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

This is one of my favorite verses because it shows the importance of having an intimate and singular connection with other believers. We need to be able to share our stumbles and struggles with others.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” -James 5:16

Friends, when we confess our sins to fellow believers, we become stronger both in our spiritual lives and in our relationships. But, if we try to do everything on our own, it is much more challenging, if not impossible, to walk through this life with our faith intact. The body of believers on your side reminds you what your goal is: to strive to be like Christ everyday.

The Bible gives us several helpful ways to deal with hardships and trials by giving us the body of Christ to help us and to listen to you and your struggles:

Prayer

Ask other believers for prayer support -- send an email or a text message asking for words of encouragement. Write on our Tirzah Prayer Wall. Don't be ashamed to ask for help - we are meant to carry each others burdens in prayer!

The power of prayer makes us and the body of believers stronger. The end of James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Prayer is so extraordinary because it is a two-way communication system between us and God. It’s the only way we can talk to Him, and if we listen close enough, He will talk back. It is comforting and gives us guidance. Prayer gets things done.

Mentoring

Find someone that you trust and can talk to. Preferably, find someone who is older than you and has more life experience. For example, I have a friend that I trust very much and love to talk with. We go to lunch every so often, she listens to me, gives me advice, and encourages my walk with Jesus. She has been such a positive example in my life and I am so thankful for her advice and words of wisdom.

Accountability Partners

A spiritual accountability partner is someone who checks up on you regularly, prays for you and encourages you. That's why it's so important to share with someone you trust what you are struggling with and need prayer support int. Your accountability partner and/or mentor can be your listening ear, prayer warrior and the encouragement you need to flee from the fleshly desires of this world. Most significantly, she will be there to keep you accountable to the standard of trying to be like Christ every day.

Small Group Time

Joining a small group in your local church is a great way to get to know a group of people who share similar spiritual goals and standards. My former high school youth group had “life groups” every week where for an hour we got to sit around and talk about the past week. My group always listened with an open heart, providing prayer and encouragement to each other throughout the week.

For example, my college roommate was a part of this small group with me for three years. We became really good friends in this small group and became college roommates. Now, we able to have heart-to-heart conversations and she has been an incredible support system to me during the first few months of being away from home and adjusting to a new place and a new school.

You don't have to walk this path alone. Take the time to build relationships, especially with other fellow believers who will offer prayer and encouragement to you when you need it. Plus, you may just find friends that will remain by your side for a lifetime. As a family of believers and the body of Christ, we need to band together. The power of prayer will cover us so that we may withstand the darts that the enemy tries to throw at us. Every believer you meet can be a prayer warrior for you in the hard times, if only you reach out and ask for that support. Let's build a spiritual support system and conquer the tactics of the enemy, together!

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