Day Nineteen

The Parable of the Four Soils

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” (Luke 8:4-8)... “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop (Luke 8:11-15).

We can be assured that there will be women represented by each of the four soils at the Deeper Still conference. We will spend our time today praying for those ‘along the path’, on ‘rocky ground’ and ‘among thorns.’

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to You thanking You for the variety of women you are going to bring to Deeper Still. Thank you that You are gathering up your sheep and bringing them. You have handpicked every one them and we give you all the praise and glory! For the women at the conference ‘along the path’, who have heard Your Word, yet the enemy has stolen it away from their hearts: Give them ears to hear on June 10-11. I pray that the Word they hear will take root and result in salvation! I pray against the enemy and his schemes and lies. I pray he will not steal away Your Word and message. I pray against this in the name of Jesus! For the women on ‘rocky soil’, who joyfully received the salvation message in the past, yet have fallen away during times of testing: I pray that You would bring them back around to You! Soften the hardness that has resulted from difficult circumstances. Soften their hearts so that they can hear Your message. Show them that hard times will come and they need to decide in what they will put their trust—circumstances or You. Reveal to them that only through You can they have a peace that surpasses all understanding when in the midst of difficulty. For the women ‘among thorns’, who have given themselves over to life’s worries, riches or pleasures, resulting in an immature faith: Lord, give them a desire to invest in eternal things, not in the comforts of this world. Open up their eyes to the idols in their lives. Show them they have put their trust in chariots and horses, rather than the Word of God. For those who have allowed worrisome thoughts to consume them, open up their eyes to the fact that this is a sin of unbelief—unbelief that You are a trustworthy God. For those who spend their lives on themselves and on earthly pleasures—open up their eyes and cause them to be broken over this sin. Show them they are choking the Word of God out of their lives. Oh, I pray that women represented by these three soils will be radically transformed at Deeper Still and become good soil. Make them ‘hear Your Word, retain it and persevere by producing a crop!’  Make their lives abundantly fruitful for You!


We pray this in your sovereign name,
Amen.