Written by Beliza Kocev, Brazil Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries

He [Jesus] replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” (Lk 11:28 NIV)

Throughout last year we talked a lot about the importance of our commitment to Jesus, be it in our prayers, in our relationship with other sisters, with the church, with those who are not yet Christians… always bringing all areas of our life before God.

One of the things we discussed was the importance of silencing the noise around us that distracts us from hearing our Lord. God is speaking to us all the time, using His creation, our brothers and sisters in the church, and, most importantly, through the Scriptures.

Last year I had the opportunity to be part of a small group of women who met weekly at my home to study Committed to Listen, a book from Iron Rose Sister Ministries that walks through 40 days of devotions to help us exercise our listening muscles.

Over the course of our weekly meetings, many things happened, and we grew together. And even though we were a group of very different women: women of different ages and professions, single, married, some with kids, others without (one even got pregnant during the period in which we met), when we shared the experiences that we had with the devotionals throughout the week and the reflections that they provoked, we realized how alike we are.

All of us already knew each other. We went to the same church on Sundays, but now we had the chance to deepen our bonds, cry together for pain that wasn’t ours, celebrate the joys and victories, and pray for each other. It was so good that we weren’t ready to close out the group when the book ended and we started another book (Called to Listen) to continue meeting.

When we shared our Common Threads, we often asked for help from each other to change areas in which we realized we were failing. And almost all of our prayer involved asking God for help, strength, and courage to put into practice that which we heard from Him in those exercises.

In fact, listening is the first step: if we don’t listen, we won’t know that there is something to be done, much less how to do it. But what became very clear for all of us over those weeks was that we need to do something with what we hear. We cannot remain inert. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Mt 7:24).

Oftentimes the challenge seems too great. We look at ourselves and it seems that there is so much to be done to improve that we will never arrive at our goal. The Christian life is a journey and throughout the process, it is practicing what we hear and learn from God that causes us to be transformed and to become more like Christ every day. And several things need to be put into practice again and again—with strength and intentionality.

That group of women blessed me so much. Everything we lived and shared edified me a lot. And I could feel God’s love for me through them. I found care and belonging in my sisters.

What if I told you that you could also have an experience like mine? Deepen your ties with your sisters in Christ, practice listening to God, receive support and encouragement, and be challenged to put the things you heard into practice.

I want to encourage you to meet with a group of women, even if they aren’t very close with you (yet), and study together Committed to Listen. On our website, you can find all the information to guide you on how to start the process. And our team is available and ready to answer your questions.

Do you need more encouragement? Here you can watch videos of other sisters sharing their experiences who also participated in small group studies with Committed to Listen in various countries.