There’s something special about the women God has placed in our lives who speak courage into our souls when we feel like we have none left.
If you asked me who the most encouraging person in my life is, I would have to name several. These women in my circle have prayed me into every hard place, texted before I walked on stages to speak, and cheered me on when they have witnessed God do what only He can do in my life. These sisters see something in me and then say something to me.
When Arms Get Tired
In Exodus 17, the Israelites were wandering and complaining again. That’s when the Amalekites attacked. Moses sent Joshua to fight while he stood on a hill with Aaron and Hur, holding up the staff of God. As long as Moses kept his arms raised, the Israelites won, but when his arms dropped, they began to lose.
Exodus 17:12 says, “When Moses’s hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down.”
That picture moves me every time I read it.
Even the strongest leaders, like Moses, need help raising their arms. Even the ones who look like they have it all together are fighting battles we can’t see. When we grow tired and weary, we need an Aaron and a Hur in our lives, and we need to be an Aaron and a Hur for someone else. Encouragement is a ministry and a strategic part of what God has called us to do for one another, especially as we see the women in our lives stepping out in faith as they live on mission for the Lord.
Put Courage In
A friend of mine has said that encouraging someone is to instill courage in them. Some days, we need others to believe in us so that God can do it through us.
You’ve probably had moments where you think, If I share the gospel with this person, will I lose the relationship as a consequence? Or I just don’t know how to bring up the conversation at work.
That’s where encouragement is vital. Encouragement is an investment, a deposit into someone else’s future. It can shift their culture, proclaim the gospel, and build the kingdom.
Six Ways to Encourage Women
So, how do we encourage the women we lead and love?
1. Leverage your words.
Our words matter more than we realize. Proverbs 12:18 tells us the tongue of the wise brings healing. In a world that values the quick insult or the sarcastic jab, healing words are countercultural.
Our words can be deposits or withdrawals.
Criticism comes naturally to our flesh, but lifting others up—calling out the good we see in them and cheering them on—changes everything. Words of encouragement are deposits that open doors of trust, rebuild broken hearts, and speak gospel hope into weary lives.
The women you lead are a gift, and as you shepherd and guide them, speak words of truth and encouragement over them.
2. Tell their stories.
Nothing fuels a ministry like celebrating what God is doing. Last year, my friend Eden had a conversation with her grandmother and recognized that her grandmother didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. So, she shared the truth of the gospel with her grandmother, and through that step of faith in sharing the gospel, her grandmother came to know the Lord!
Share the stories of obedience from the women in your ministry. When we tell those stories, whether big or small wins, we remind each other that God is always at work.
3. Celebrate the wins.
Celebration shifts the focus from us to God. The Israelites forgot what God had done when they obsessed over their circumstances. Does this sound familiar?
So, let’s call out every little “yes” in the right direction: a message asking for prayer, a three-hour porch conversation with a neighbor, a daughter sharing the gospel for the first time, a coworker who finally shows up at church, or a grandmother coming to Christ.
Celebrating wins reminds us we’re not just doing ministry—we’re part of a movement of God.
4. Set the expectation.
In our small group, we ask each other, “Have you been building with anyone this week?” This gives us an opportunity to hear their stories of walking with their neighbor, praying with their waitress at their restaurant, or sharing the good news with someone.
If you are not having those conversations, then you’re not setting that expectation. You need to be doing it. You need to practice having gospel conversations so that you can go first. Then ask the women you lead to do the same. At first, it might feel awkward, but we’re creating space to celebrate obedience.
I remember one morning on a walk with a friend. We’d been building a friendship, but she had walls up. That day, I shared a verse on anxiety, about how God was speaking to me through it. She opened up in a way I’d never seen before, all because I went first.
5. Pray for the women you serve.
Prayer is the power source behind encouragement. We pray because we need God to go before us. He is the One to do the work. We cannot bring spiritual fruit on our own. We pray because we want to see Him do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine.
The best way to support the women you lead in your ministry is to pray for them. Text someone and ask them how you can pray for them today. Let them know they’re not alone.
6. Be present.
We tend to think of ministry as the big moments, such as births, funerals, or crises, but I’ve learned that real ministry happens in the mundane. Get to know the women you serve. Be present with them. Listen even when you don’t have time. Ask questions that show you see them.
Sometimes people don’t speak up because no one has slowed down long enough to listen. So, linger in the silence. Let the awkwardness be a gateway to something holy.
Be Aaron and Hur
So, whose arms are you holding up in ministry? Who in your circle needs you to put courage in her? God has placed people in your life on purpose. Be the one who shows up, speaks life, and believes in what God is doing, even when others can’t see it yet.
When we encourage each other, we don’t just lift spirits; we change lives.
Adapted from a session of the National Women’s Evangelism Conference, March 2025. Find more resources for women’s evangelism at nambevangelism.com/women.