Lysa TerKeurst's Blog, page 23

Do My Prayers Really Matter?

Do you ever feel guilty for not praying more or wonder if your prayers really matter?

Your heart really wants to connect with God. But when you pray, maybe it feels more like a wish list than a conversation. Or you don’t know what to say, so you just don’t pray at all.

I understand.

But if you want to discover confidence in your God-given prayer strength and learn to trust God hears you, you don’t want to miss this…

I am so excited to have Max Lucado joining us for this much needed webcast. I need this message! And I just know the inner prayer warriors in us will feel empowered after our time together.

To sign up for the interest list, just fill out your information in the form below:

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Published on November 07, 2014 06:17

If These Walls Could Talk

I was cleaning out my closet several years ago and casually tossed a black and white polka dot dress into the give away pile. My husband Art happened to walk by and ask what I was doing.

I knew I needed to ease into this conversation because he’s not much into giving away a piece of clothing just because it’s out of style. His theory is if it isn’t threadbare, it’s still perfectly good to wear.

Plus, he no longer grows out of clothes. That pretty much stopped for him in high school.

I, however, have a different body type. One that has issues which require size options…especially around my thigh, hip, and waist regions.

And I’m no fashionista but if people start asking to borrow things from your closet for the ugly Christmas sweater party or a throwback to the 80’s themed get-together, it might be time to get rid of some things.

Ahem.

So, I quickly replied, “Just getting rid of some things we no longer need.”

“Well you can’t get rid of this dress,” he stated with great passion.

And then just as I was about to explain what birthing babies did to the body that used to wear that dress he continued:

“I mean this is the dress you were wearing when I fell in love with you.”

Needless to say, I kept the dress.

But it no longer hangs in my closet.

Let me explain.

This past summer, as I was preparing for child number 4 to leave for college, I decided to do a little redecorating in our home. And as part of this process, I also decided I wanted the artwork in our home to tell the story of our family.

I didn’t want to purchase things to hang on the wall just because they looked cute and filled the space with a decorative flair.

I wanted my walls to talk and tell our story. It’s not that our story is epic. Not at all. But I love tracing God’s hand of faithfulness in our lives through the ups and downs of our imperfect love.

So, when you walk in the front door, you’ll find the dress.

This is where it all started. There was a crazy city girl in a polka dot dress that caught the eye of a farm boy from Alabama. And then all this happened because the two of them fell in love.

This is the copy of the prayer Art’s dad prayed over us on December 5, 1992. I wore a long white dress I got on the clearance rack for $200. My little sister, who was just 2 at the time, sang “happy birthday” at the top of her lungs during the lighting of the unity candle. And the first morning of my honeymoon I had to brush my hair with a fork because I’d forgotten to pack a hairbrush.

The first year of our life together wasn’t easy or blissful. But one of the greatest gifts we got that year was this letter from Art’s grandfather. After describing in great detail the homemade biscuits and giblet gravy Mamaw had made for him that morning, he wrote what has become our motto for marriage: “Life is more than just the living of it. Now, go discover it together.”

There were kids and dogs and beach trips with sunburns. There were sleepless nights and tears and a hormonal wife that threw orange juice across the kitchen. There was forgiveness and flirting and days we just pressed through.

And we marked how they grew on the doorframe of the kitchen. The days were long but the years so short.

NapkinTies_post

There were old traditions and new traditions as we gathered around the sticky farm table. The food was never fancy but the conversations were long and linger to this day at our sticky farm table.

This is the making of an imperfect family who is still crazy about one another. So, I guess you could say our walls do talk. They tell a love story. Our story. My favorite story.

My friend Myquillyn (also known as The Nester) is just flat out amazing at showing us design-challenged gals how to tell the stories of our lives throughout the rooms of our homes – all on a thrift store budget. Her insights and decorating awesomeness (along with my amazing friend, Tina) helped me so much as we redecorated our home this summer.

Thank goodness The Nester finally put all of her decorating wisdom into a book! The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful will help you trace God’s hand of faithfulness in your family’s life as you place reminders of your story throughout your home with confidence.

And Proverbs 31 Ministries is running a 2-day FLASH SALE of The Nesting Place through 10/30! Purchase your copy (or a Christmas gift for a friend) for a special low price of $10.99 by clicking here.

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Published on October 29, 2014 00:00

When Fear Chases Me

My eyes popped open and my heart raced when my phone buzzed at 1AM. Good news isn’t usually delivered at that hour. I hopped out of bed and grabbed my phone.

“Mom, police have my dorm on lockdown and are running up and down the hall shouting. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m scared.”

It was from Ashley, my college freshman daughter, over 7 hours away from me.

I tried calling her but the reception was so bad neither of us could make out what the other was saying. Texting was my only option so I asked a series of questions trying to get a better handle of what was happening.

My hands were shaking. My heart was racing. And I felt intensely helpless.

Scary images assaulted my mind with all the possible scenarios a completely shaken mama conjures up in moments of frightening uncertainty. I sank down to my knees and begged God to clear my head and give me the words to text that would help…

Have you ever experienced an intense moment of fear like this? Day by day, I’m learning that I can feel afraid but I don’t have to live afraid. I’m sharing what this situation with Ashley has taught me about fear over at (in)courage today. Click here to read the rest of this story.

I’m also giving away 3 copies of It Will Be Okay right here on my blog. Just leave a comment below to be entered to win.

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Published on October 10, 2014 00:00

5 Scriptures to Help Your Child Through Fear & Change

One of the hardest life lessons for me to teach my kids has been on fear and worry. As their mom, I feel what they feel. I hurt when they hurt. I worry about their worries.

When one of my daughters was seven, she suddenly became afraid to get up on a stage in front of her school. This was something she’d loved before, yet anxiety was paralyzing her now. So, I told her I’d sit on the front row and she could keep her eyes locked on me. My presence could give her reassurance and my smile could give her courage.

It worked great because I was there, in person. But as my kids have grown, I’ve had to get more creative. I’ve needed to be intentional in helping them find this same assurance and courage to face their fears by keeping their eyes on God and turning to Scripture.

If you’re a parent or have children in your life, I suspect you know exactly what I’m talking about.

So, here are 5 Scripture memory verses that will be helpful to tuck into your kids’ hearts or stick on their mirror, to equip them with the most powerful tool – God’s Word:

1) Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.” (NIV)

2) Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

3) Genesis 28:15, “’I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,’” (NIV)

4) Zepheniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.” (NIV)

5) Jeremiah 29:11, “‘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 hope and a future.’” (NIV)

For 5 more Scriptures to memorize with your kids, check out my brand new (as in, today-is-the-release-day-new) children’s book called It Will Be Okay: Trusting God through Fear and Change. With this book, your child will:

• Discover that God is always with them as they overcome new or scary circumstances

• Replace doubtful thoughts about God’s plan as they learn to trust Him through change

• Build their relationship with God by introducing them to the scripturally based characteristics of who God is

Proverbs 31 Ministries is offering It Will Be Okay for a SPECIAL release day price of $9.99.

This offer is only valid until 11:59 PST on Wednesday, October 8! Click here to purchase your copy.

And please know my mommy heart is praying for you and your kids as you memorize these verses and read this book. I’m praying for you as you translate this story into the unique fears and worries your kids are facing today.

And then hopefully they can carry this lesson of trusting God into the days ahead that will no longer end with bedtime stories.

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Published on October 06, 2014 21:01

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Experience the Holy Land

Before I went to Israel for the first time last spring, my Bible reading felt a bit thin. I was going through the motions of meeting with God but felt disconnected. What was once so invigorating felt more like another thing on my endlessly long to-do list.

I lacked inspiration. Teaching content that had once come like a gushing river of insight now barely trickled onto the pages of my notes.

There was a deep ache in my heart for something to change. And yet, as I looked at the reality of my schedule, all I saw were months ahead booked solid with endless demands.

You’ve probably heard me say this before but it especially applies here: when a person lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule, they’ll ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.

That ache of sadness was draining the life out of me and my desire to do ministry.

And then a friend called to invite me to study with a church staff in Israel. I wanted to go, but not then. A trip like that would have to wait until I could find time.

One day.

But here’s the deal, no one in the history of the world ever found more time or made more time.

My friend knew this would change me. And it did.

It wasn’t easy to rearrange my schedule and figure out how to make traveling to Israel work in this season of my life. But there isn’t anything else that’s invigorated my heart and my passion for ministry like studying in the Holy Land.

When I got home, my staff instantly sensed a new depth in my teaching and a fresh inspiration in my spirit.

It was truly the best spiritual investment anyone has ever made in me.

If any part of this resonates with you, please don’t let anything hold you back. Hit the pause button on all the demands rushing at you, and let God breathe new life into your soul next fall in the Holy Land.

It’s amazing what can happen when we get intentional about underwhelming our schedule so God can overwhelm our soul.

Will you join me and the Proverbs 31 Ministries staff as we experience the Holy Land together on an intensive study trip?

The dates of our trip are October 27 – November 4, 2015, and we’d love for you to come along for the experience of a lifetime.

Find out more by clicking this link.

To read about some of the things I learned in the Holy Land in 2014, click the links below:

What I Learned From The Olive Tree

What I Never Noticed About Jesus

Might We Dare to be a Little More Uncommon

Holy Land Lens at Home

The Upper Room and His Prayer for You There

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Published on September 25, 2014 00:00

Watch “The Best Yes” Final Webcast Replay

The final webcast of The Best Yes series is now available to watch, just in case you couldn’t tune in last night:

If you’re reading this in email, click here to watch the webcast.

I had such a fun time with our special guest, Karen Kingsbury, along with some of the gals from the Proverbs 31 Ministries Team.

Here are links to some of the things we talked about:

- Sign up for our online Bible study of my book, The Best Yes. Click here to sign up.

- Click here to purchase your copy of The Best Yes.

- Sign up for Karen’s newsletter here and receive the first few chapters of her new book, Angels Walking.

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Published on September 23, 2014 13:24

The Final Webcast is Tonight!

Does your Bible reading ever feel a little dry? Maybe your relationship with God seems off-kilter?

If you want to breathe new life into your own daily reading of the Bible, don’t miss this…

The Best Yes FINAL webcast is TONIGHT, September 22nd at 8pm EST and we’ll have Karen Kingsbury, author of Angels Walking, with us as a special guest. Join us for powerful Bible teaching, great discussion with Karen, and lots of giveaways!

If you’re wondering how to join in, just come right back here to www.LysaTerKeurst.com at 8pm EST tonight.

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Published on September 22, 2014 07:04

10 Ways to Graciously Say No When You Feel Pressured to Say Yes

I knew the request was unrealistic. My brain cued all the right signals for my mouth to say no. But somewhere between the sinking feeling in my heart of how this would affect my relationship with this person and the pressure of her expectations for me to agree to her request, I blurted out, “Yes, of course!”

I said yes when I absolutely, positively knew I should say no!

And I have a feeling I’m not the only one who has this scenario play out in their lives over and over.

I know I’m caught in the rip current of people pleasing when I dread saying yes but feel powerless to say no. I said that during my last webcast and the questions about how to say no started flooding in through Twitter.

People described the deep guilt they experience when they say no. Others admitted to constantly feeling at the mercy of everyone’s requests and, because of not saying no, they were completely worn out. One pastor’s wife admitted to being in a position where she wasn’t sure saying no was even an option for her out of fear of damaging her husband’s ministry.

And another thanked me for giving voice to the struggle many of us have wrestled through silently for years.

I understand because I have and still do wrestle with saying no.

And please understand I’m not advocating that we should always say no. But I am advocating that we should sometimes say no.

Now lean in and let me whisper something I’m trying desperately to teach myself,

No isn’t a cuss word.

It doesn’t have to be hurtful. You will survive and so will they.

Saying no is not a rejection. It’s a necessary protection of your Best Yes answers.

So, here are 10 ways to graciously say no when you feel pressured to say yes:

Personal:

1. While my heart wants to say yes, yes, yes, the reality of my time makes this a no.

2. I am honored by your request but I’m in a season of refocusing my priorities and have committed not to add anything new right now.

3. After living at an unhealthy breakneck pace for too long, I’m learning to realistically assess my capacity. Though I would love to say yes, the reality of my limitations means I must say no this time.

4. I so appreciate you asking me, but I must be brave and decline this opportunity. Saying no is hard for me but necessary in this season. Thank you for understanding.

5. I’ve promised my family not to add any new commitments to my schedule right now. Thank you for our friendship that allows me to be honest with my realities.

Professional:

6. Thank you for thinking of me. Your project sounds wonderful. However, as much as I would love to be involved, I can’t give your project the attention it deserves right now.

7. While I would love to connect about your new project, I’ve discovered this is one of those activities I must give up while trying to ____________________ (write my book, start my business, stick to my project, etc.) Saying yes would just enable my unhealthy habit of procrastination. Thank you for understanding and helping me push through to the finish line.

8. There is nothing more that I love than helping others in my field get started. Unfortunately, I get so many requests for this that I’m no longer able to meet in person. So, I’ve created this attached document with my best advice. (Create a standard PDF for instances like this so you only have to type out your advice one time.)

9. While I don’t have time for a lunch appointment, I’d love to connect for a few minutes over the phone. I can talk from 8-8:30am.

10. Thank you so much for caring enough about me to want my involvement. Unfortunately, I’m not able to participate this time. But I’m certainly cheering for your continued success.

For more encouragement to know when to say yes and how to say no, check out my new book, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands. Click here to purchase your copy.

And this is so fun… Proverbs 31 Ministries is kicking off our free online Bible study of The Best Yes next week! If you sign up now, you’ll receive the “10 Ways to Graciously Say No When You Feel Pressured to Say Yes” in a printable PDF. Just fill out the form below to sign up:

Type your information here to sign up for
The Best Yes Online Bible Study.

Email Address

First Name

Last Name

City

State

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I’m giving away 5 copies of the book today! Leave a comment below letting me know that you signed up for the online Bible study and you’ll be entered to win.

And please mark your calendar… the final The Best Yes webcast is Monday, September 22 at 8PM EST. We’ll see you right back here on my blog.

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Published on September 16, 2014 00:00

Monday Night Dinner Webcast Replay – Now Available!

Hey blog friends!

If you missed last night’s Monday Night Dinner webcast, good news – it’s available to watch again in the video below!

(If you’re viewing this post in an e-mail, click here to watch the video.)

I so enjoyed talking through ways to recapture the “US” in the midst of our “RUSH” last night.

If you’ve set your life to the rhythm of rush and need practical ways to step out of the chaos, my new book, The Best Yes, can help. Click here to purchase your copy!

P.S. SAVE $20! Speaking of recapturing what gets lost in the rush… I’m so excited that Women of Faith’s theme this year is “From Survival to Revival.”

I’ll be talking more about how to unrush our schedules at an event near you! And here’s the fun part… for a limited time you can save $20 on your registration when you enter the code UNRUSH20. Click here to register!

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Published on September 09, 2014 00:00

Reminder: Tonight’s Webcast!

I can’t wait to see you tonight for my Monday Night Dinner webcast! We’ll be talking about powerful ways to recapture the “US” in the midst of our “RUSH.”

To join in, come right back here to my blog at 8pm (EST). See you soon!