Pray Her Forward
One powerful prayer at a time
The Pray Her Forward STORY
It all began with realizing the undeniable Power of Prayer. In August 2015, the first “Spiritual Sistas’” small group began in the living room of my home. I felt totally unequipped to lead a bible study, but thought if I just opened my home, the Lord would show up… and He surely did! We grew to a group of ten ladies from 20 to 40, all of us with different stories and in different stages of life. We began our first study together and made sure that at every gathering, we fervently and intentionally PRAYED for one another…. and then shared and celebrated those answers to prayer. And they came. And kept coming. We saw healing, breakthroughs, mended relationships, more healing, pregnancies, new jobs, opened doors, closed doors, and salvations. We confidently agreed that, “If the spiritual sistas’ are praying for it, get ready, it’ll happen!” It was EXCITING. Our faith grew. In August 2020, a second small group (also appropriately named the “Spiritual Sistas’” was formed, and God moved again. From God’s faithfulness and an observed need in our communities, launched the idea to “Pray Her Forward© (PHF).”
Most would agree, our young people are at a societal disadvantage. Few of us have experienced such political strife, segregation, and technological distractions (ahem, cell phones) causing isolation and disconnection from one another as our young people are now. However, we know from God’s word that He will be with our young people wherever they go and that their “plans will succeed with many advisers” (Proverbs 15:22). There is incredible power in the testimony of someone who has “been-there-done-that.” At PHF, we believe, no matter our age or experience, that we all have a story to tell and wisdom to share. Through our pain and through our victories, “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” -Romans 8:28
Pray Her Forward combines these principles plus proof in scripture that God loves His children and desires that we seek Him together. It is our hope that our community of mentees and mentors sharpening one another, as iron sharpens iron, will impact the next generation for good and for the glorification of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Will you join us?
The vision of Pray Her Forward is that young ladies would come to know, love, and walk with Jesus Christ in all seasons of life through mentorship, fellowship, and prayer.
Our VisionTo fulfill the third part of the Great Commission which is: “to teach believers to obey Jesus’s commands.” (Matthew 28:20)
To help young women navigate life through a Christian lens, inso sharpening their faith as iron sharpens iron. (Proverbs 27:17)
To pass on the experience of other women, thereby “teaching what is good” (Titus 2:3-5) and increasing Biblical knowledge.
To “shepherd the flock and be examples to them so as to partake in the glory that is to be revealed.” (1 Peter 5:1-5)
To provide mentees with counsel and advisers so that their plans succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)
Our Mission
There is only one true God as part of the Trinity (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit). (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked the earth, lived a blameless life, died on the Cross and rose again so that our sins would be forgiven. (Luke 23:33-46)
We are saved by professing with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believing in our hearts that He rose from the dead. (Romans 10:9-11)
We are saved by grace alone and not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Our BeliefsWhat is Pray Her Forward?
Pray Her Forward© is a network of mentors and mentees who join together one-on-one or in small groups to encourage and support one another as the Holy Spirit leads. Our curriculum will soon be available to individuals, small groups, churches, schools, and ministries in the U.S. who desire to incorporate mentorship for young women ages 13-25 from a Biblical perspective. We will soon provide resources to launch mentorship, match mentees with mentors, self-assess growth and progress, and identify opportunities for mentees to grow in their spiritual walk and maturity. We love sharing mentee and mentor testimonials and praise reports, so we invite you to share your story so that we can celebrate Christ’s faithfulness alongside you!
Join us on YouTube to stay in the loop!
A note from our Founder + CEO
Leighton Lunger
“Nothing has impacted my life like realizing the incredible Power of Prayer.”
Okay, I wasn’t that bad. But my older sister was, of course, an angel and rarely left the house, while I was sneaking out to meet boys by age 14. My mom would cry to her sister about my disobedience and my aunt would correct her: “Leighton’s not the problem child… she’s NORMAL! What teenager doesn’t experiment with a rebellious stage?!”
I had to learn the hard way…. that is, MY way. Thankfully, I had many great examples of mature teens in my life and a church youth group that I frequented. Most importantly, I had two youth pastors- two mentors- who walked through life with me and lovingly led me towards the straight and narrow, back down the road my parents hoped I would have chosen the first time. By 18, I had over ten mission trips under my belt, years of leading music camp and Vacation Bible School groups, a 4.2 GPA, senior prom queen sash on proud display, a full ride to college, and somehow secured second place at International Science Fair. So, you could say I turned things around, to my parents’ relief…
My transformative teens did not happen by chance. My parents knew they were “the enemies” in my undeveloped mind (sorry parents, it’s a true assumption of 99.99% of teens) and that they needed to strategically plant someone in my life I would listen to.
Enter Mark and Terri Young, my fearless youth pastors, who somehow wrangled 20+ youngsters every Sunday and Wednesday night for 3-4 hours, including some risky church “lock-ins” a few times a year (if ya know, ya know.) They were 20 years my senior, but when they spoke, I listened. I mean REALLY listened. Bless my parents’ hearts, they weren’t teaching me anything THAT different or novel at home, but because they carried the “mom and dad” label, in my 15-year old mind, their word was null and void.
Mentorship changed my life. From youth group on, I always had a mentor, sometimes two, now many, to steer me towards God and away from my immature understanding of the world. I certainly have not “arrived” (did you catch that I have MANY mentors today?!) There is always more to learn- unless you’re God. We will never reach our full potential for acquiring knowledge and wisdom, but we can surely ask, seek, and knock. James 1:5-8 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
My heart’s desire is to pass the gift of mentorship to other young ladies who desire to learn from those who have gone before us. It is a gift to have a mentor who has been-there-done-that, and an even more precious gift to have one who has seen and experienced the Power of Prayer in her life, commits her ways to the Lord, and loves leading other young women in this confusing and upside-down world we live in.
Know this, THERE IS HOPE. God loves you more than you can imagine — think about that! God cherishes you and me more than our minds can possibly fathom. In fact, He says in His word, “Who can find a virtuous woman? Her worth is far above pearls.” — Proverbs 31:10 (LSB). So, a pearl is PHF’s symbolic reminder that we are WORTH IT. We are PRECIOUS. We are LOVED and God has an AWESOME plan for our lives. “'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. '” — Jeremiah 29:11
I’d love to hear your story and lock arms with you, your daughter, your sister, or your friend. I can’t wait to see what God does in and through each of us!
I was a terror as a teenager.
Mentee, Mentor, and Volunteer Agreement
Mentees, mentors, and volunteers in the Pray Her Forward mentorship program agree to:
1. Be ready to hear from God in sharing or receiving His wisdom
2. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and why He wants you here
3. Be outspoken and curious; we welcome any and all questions
4. Be in a mindset to learn and share as you feel comfortable
5. Be on time, prepared, and present during mentorship sessions
6. Be respectful of other mentees and mentors when present
7. Be mindful of different backgrounds, upbringing, and beliefs
8. Be encouraged to discuss or share any concerns or feedback
9. Be reminded that we are all human; none of us are perfect
10. Be careful to respect confidentiality of conversations shared
