Kristin Sotos: A Ministry of Words and Prayer

Every Phil’s Friends volunteer plays a meaningful role in bringing hope and encouragement to cancer patients, from decorating and packing Care Packages to writing Cards of Hope—each act of kindness reminds patients that they are not alone.

One especially impactful role is that of the Prayer Team, faithful individuals who pray daily for cancer patients, their families and caregivers as they walk through these difficult seasons. Among these dedicated volunteers is one member, Kristin Sotos, 31, who took her calling to prayer one step further. She created a devotional booklet for the Prayer Team filled with thoughtful reflections on life’s challenges and offering biblical encouragement for seasons of struggle, sorrow, and even moments of joy.

Kristin writes weekly devotionals out of a desire to encourage and uplift her fellow Prayer Team members. While the team spends much of its time praying for cancer patients, her devotionals remind them that God is also caring for, strengthening, and encouraging them as well along the way.

“I wanted to help give the Prayer Team something meaningful to hold onto each week, not just a list of names,” Kristin said. “I wanted he devotionals to provide encouragement and to remind people that their prayers matter, that God sees the people we are praying for, that He loves them, and that there is real hope in Jesus even in the middle of suffering.”

Kristin’s hope too was that the devotionals create a deeper sense of unity among the Prayer Team, reminding each member that they are part of something much bigger than themselves. “I felt a burden to make the time of prayer feel more personal and spiritually grounded,” she said. “There are real people with real pain, and I wanted the devotionals to help our Team pray with more compassion, more faith, and more intention.”

Kristin approaches writing the devotionals with thoughtful intention. She centers each one around a particular theme: God’s nearness in suffering, hope that holds steady, Jesus as friend, and the truth that God is still good even when life is not easy.

“I try to write them in a way that is real, heartfelt, and spiritually meaningful. I think about the weight of what the Prayer Team is carrying and the people they are lifting up., and I want the devotionals to speak directly into that. I want them to feel like the words are honest, comforting, and rooted in the truth of  Scripture,” Kristen said. “I connect them by starting with the actual emotions and spiritual pressure people are under, then choosing a truth from Scripture that speaks directly into that pressure. For cancer patients and families, the needs are rarely abstract. There are things like fear before scans, exhaustion after treatment, grief, uncertainty, loneliness, caregiver strain, and the need to keep going when hope feels thin. I try to write into those places without sounding clinical or generic. Then I ask: what does God say into that exact moment? Sometimes the answer is comfort. Sometimes it is strength. Sometimes it is peace, endurance, trust, or the reminder that Jesus is near. The devotional should not just sound inspiring. IT should feel like it was written for someone living this reality, with the truth of Scripture. So, the connection happens by taking real pain seriously, then bringing real Scripture to meet it with hope, not denial.”

Here is one of Kristin’s lovely devotionals:

There’s something holy that happens when we pray for others. We’re not just sending thoughts or hopes into the air. We are stepping into a place Jesus Himself never left — the place of intercession.

Scripture tells us that Jesus lives to intercede for His people. Even now, seated at the right hand of the Father, He is still praying. Still advocating. Still lifting up every broken body, every weary soul, every name we carry.

So, when you pray for someone facing cancer, you are not praying alone. You are joining Christ in the very work of heaven. You are echoing His voice. You are standing in the gap with Him.

“Christ Jesus… is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”

Romans 8:34

“Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”

Hebrews 7:25

There is no such thing as a small prayer when it aligns with the heart of Jesus. Your intercession is not background noise. It is sacred participation. It is partnership with the One who knows every cell, every burden, every future

So, pray this week with reverence. Pray with boldness. And pray with the quiet strength that comes from knowing heaven is praying too.

Thank you for being faithful to this calling.

In these devotionals, Kristin has beautifully captured the heart of the Phil’s Friends mission of offering Christ-centered hope, compassion, and support—in this case to her fellow prayer warriors. Through her thoughtful words and biblical encouragement, Kristin helps to equip them to continue serving with compassion, empathy, and godly purpose.

“It means a lot to me personally because it gives me the chance to help point people back to Jesus in a small but meaningful way,” Kristen said. “I do not take lightly that the words written may meet someone in a hard moment and remind them that they are seen, loved, and not alone. It also means a lot because prayer is deeply personal to me. Knowing that people are taking time to pray for cancer patients and families with compassion and faith makes this feel like more than a task. It feels like a real ministry. Something of eternal value. To me, this role is about serving others, strengthening faith, and being part of something that brings hope in the midst of pain.”

Kristin’s impact may not always be visible, but it is deeply felt by those receiving prayer during some of the hardest moments of their lives. “God hears the prayers that are spoken, the prayers that are whispered, and the prayers that are prayed through tears or tiredness. Nothing you offer Him is wasted. Every name you lift matters, every act of compassion matters, and every quiet moment of intercession is holy.”