Hello Sumite sisters and brothers, Christy Edney here! Today, I'd like to direct our attention to the parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12-14. “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish." I don't know about you, but this is a very familiar verse for me. I felt like I had learned all there was to learn from it, until I heard it in a song. After hearing the song, I began to wonder about the... Read more →

Hello Sumite sisters and brothers, Christy Edney here. This time of year seems pregnant with hope, bursting at the seams with joy and emotion. However, not everyone views this season in that same way. It can be especially hard for those of us in unequal marriages. We may feel our souls cry out against the tide of unending materialism or we may bear witness to the enemy’s increased attacks in our home. Over the last week I’ve read more and more stories of our husbands falling prey to the attack that manifests itself through verbal assaults or irrational behavior. Please know that you have the support of this community, we love you and pray for you daily. I would like to call our attention to one sentence buried in the middle of the well-read Christmas story found in Luke 2:17-19 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning... Read more →

Hello Sumite sisters and brothers! Please join me in reading from 2 Peter 1:3-4 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. Mighty God, today we rest in your provision. Through the work of Jesus Christ and continued indwelling of your Spirit, we have been given all we need to live the lives you've called us to. We look at our circumstances or the state of our world and we feel like lost sheep. Remind us that we are never... Read more →

Hello Sumite nation! I would like to admit that I've been somewhat discouraged lately. The undercurrent of hatred and divisiveness is, at times, too much for this tiny brunette. During these moments of discouragement the Lord is quick to renew my strength if I remember to focus on his presence. I keep a stack of encouraging verses tacked to the wall of my cubicle for moments like these. I thumb through them and land on a bit of encouragement from Joshua 1:9, "This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Or this one from Psalm 42:5-6, "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will... Read more →

Hello Sumite brothers and sisters, Christy Edney here! Today I'm celebrating the one year anniversary of our Sumite Prayer Partnerships. I cannot believe it's been an entire year since we launched this community building opportunity. During this year, the Lord has formed bonds between one hundred and seventy four members of our community! That number far exceeded even my wildest dream. Through this I have learned that God uses our smallest amount of obedience to accomplish the most amazing things. Would you join me in praising our Father for all that he is and all that he does for his beloved children? Gracious and loving father, words cannot capture the depth of our gratitude. You have planned each detail and ordained every moment. Thank you for being so far beyond my comprehension. Please continue to cover our community with your protection and develop these bonds of friendship. We worship you... Read more →

Hello brothers and sisters, Christy Edney here! Today I would like to pray from Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." Oh mighty God, this world is so extremely loud, we struggle to drown out the noise and focus on your still small voice. We are bombarded with endless distractions, obligations and duties. But, you knew that we would become overwhelmed by this pressure so you planned ahead with eight words. "Be still and know that I am God!" Father, thank you for these written words, for this command to stop and focus our hearts on you. Your word promises to flood our souls with the peace of your presence if we would only focus on you. Father, bless every Sumite with this peace, giving us an intentional focus on the person of... Read more →

Hello Sumites, Christy Edney here! Today I would like to pray from Ecclesiates 4:9-12 "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." Please pray with me. Heavenly Father, I read your words and my heart aches for your people, those who still believe the lie that we are too different, that it's impossible for us to find fellowship in your holy church. Or maybe we've been isolated by the memory of someone in the church who deeply wounded... Read more →

Hi prayer family, Christy Edney here. Please join me in prayer, Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." Father, this often quoted verse is quite familiar to us but, what if we truly lived by these words? How would your Holy Spirit impact our marriages, families and the world around us? Lord, I believe that there are no limits to your power, you can and will move in any way that you see fit. However, you have created us to be creatures of choice, free to choose the object of our focus. Today I am asking you to use this Easter season as an opportunity to realign our focus. Set your people on fire with the love of Christ, teach us to live obedient, authentic and abundant lives... Read more →

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ, Christy Edney here. Today I would like to lift up prayers of thanksgiving and praise. Please open your Bible, read all of Psalm 65 then join me in the following prayer. Let all that I am praise God the father and our Lord, Jesus Christ! If I have but only one remaining breath then let it be used to praise the life giving king of all. For He is worthy of all my praise. Though I stumble and trip over the nature of my sin, You go before me and plan ahead for my failures. Father, your grace and mercy go beyond human understanding. Such mercy and grace awaits each person who would declare the name of Jesus Christ and put their faith in him. Mighty God, thank you for pursuing those who would attempt to run from you. We thank you for the... Read more →

Good morning family of faith, Christy Edney here. I hope you are following Lynn and Dineen through this journey of emotional healing. I have read each of your comments and prayed over them numerous times. Today, I would like to offer a prayer for all of us: Merciful God, my heart is broken by the painful experiences that so many people have endured. These stories have reminded me that we live in a fallen world, populated by fallen people. You warn us that there will be pain in this world, and that your enemy will use people and circumstances against us. But you also promise not to abandon us in our pits of despair. Your Holy Spirit flows through each of us with a healing power that is beyond our understanding. Father, I am claiming Romans 8:38-39 today; “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor... Read more →

Hi fellow Sumites, Christy Edney here! As I was praying for our prayer partnerships I started to wonder if any of you have begun to feel the Spirt using your relationship to advance your spiritual and emotional maturity. I know, that is quite a question! Please let me explain myself. I can look at one friendship in my life and clearly see how God used it to expose and heal some hidden sin in my heart. That friendship began as most do; we met at church, had many things in common and were both seeking God. Over time, I began to love her like a sister and even placed her on a very high pedestal. Then God swopped in and convicted me of my sin in making our friendship an idol. After more time had passed, her life became extremely busy and suddenly I felt like my needs weren’t being... Read more →

Hi Sumite prayer family, Christy Edney here! My heart has been swirling around Lynn's idea of seeking the wonder in Christmas. I'll admit, I've been struggling with the hustle and bustle of this month. So, I asked God to shift my focus, to move my heart back to the person of Jesus, our Messiah. I once heard someone say they choose to look for the finger prints of God in every moment, even in the mundane. That sounded lovely and poetic but I wondered how would I put that into practice? For me that has been waking up earlier to spend a little more time in the Word, or reaching out to my godly friend, or choosing to overlook a minor offense, or smiling at the grocery store clerk, or pausing to admire the twinkling Christmas lights, or reminding my kids of the real meaning behind the baby lying in... Read more →

Hi prayer family, Christy Edney here! As I think about our community, one phrase continues to bounce around in my head. That phrase is authentic friendships. Many of you have accepted the invitation to form prayer partnerships and you have shared how God is working through those bonds. It's not too late to receive a prayer partner! If you would like a partner then please send me an email by clicking this link: Sumite Prayer Partners Today I want to share a quick story from Sumites Melissa and Anne. They are prayer partners that can actually meet in person because Melissa used the Community Map to look up her hometown and noticed another Sumite in her area. I want to encourage you to do the same thing! Click on the Community Map, add a dot to your location and email Lynn or Dineen if you see another dot in your... Read more →

Good morning Sumite brothers and sisters! It is hard to believe that we're two months into these newly formed prayer partnerships! I would love to hear stories about how the Spirit is working and growing these into authentic friendships. Feel free to email me with stories or prayer requests at any time. Also, if this is the first time you've heard of prayer partnerships, then please click this link to learn more: Sumite Prayer Partnerships. If you would like to receive a prayer partner, then please click this link to email me: Email Sumite Prayer Partners Now, please pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank you for this loving community. This place to come, to hear your words and rest among other like minded followers of Jesus Christ. Today we lift up our ministry leaders, Lynn and Dineen. We ask you to provide an angel army that would fight the spiritual... Read more →

Good morning prayer family! Christy Edney here! It has been one month since we invited you to embark upon this journey of Prayer Partnerships! I expected to receive a handful of requests but God has far exceeded my wildest expectations. Today, we have over sixty women in prayer relationships! Now, I'm calling on the male members of our community. I know you're out there and this invitation is also open to you. If any of you (male or female) would like to receive a partner then please click here: Sumite Prayer Partners Now, please join me in prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for these hearts that have called out for a deeper fellowship with you and each other. In the name of Jesus Christ, I bless them with authentic friendships that will achieve your purpose in each of their lives. Lord, I focus our attention on the leaders of this... Read more →

Good morning Sumite family! We have some very exciting news for you today! First, let me begin with a little background information. Recently, I have noticed more and more people requesting prayer in all areas of my life, even from pre-believers. I've noticed an increase, especially here, within the virtual walls of our church. It's as if people are crying out to God in a more desperate way. After noticing this increase, I asked God to show me how to best meet this need within our community in spite of our geographic limitations. He answered me with John 17, specifically verse 20-23. Let's read Jesus' prayer: "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who would ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one - as you are in me, Father, and... Read more →