You're Going to Make It: 50 Morning and Evening Devotions to Unrush Your Mind, Uncomplicate Your Heart, and Experience Healing Today

by Lysa TerKeurst

Some people say time heals all wounds . . . but I don't agree.

I think it's what we plant in the soil of that time that determines what we yield.

I know it can be hard to figure out this whole healing thing. Healing is not nearly as neat and tidy as I would like it to be. Ideally, I want to build on what I learn each day and check off my healing boxes like I would cross things off a to-do list. But that's not the way healing works. It's not linear. It is a journey of both progress and regress. And it's a daily battle to not let the fear and bitterness that come at me get stuck inside me.

Oh friend, just the fact that you picked up this devotional is rich evidence that you're planting wisely in the soil of the time you've been given. You are positioning your heart in the direction of truth because you want godly wisdom.

You're leaning in.
You're processing.
You're praying.
You're grieving.
You're worshiping.
You're healing.

I just want to remind you...you're not alone. You're going to make it. Actually, and even better, we're going to make it together.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Devotional, Self Help, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Spirituality

211 pages, Hardcover

First published March 28, 2023

About the author

Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Univited, The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, and 18 other books. Her newest book, It’s Not Supposed to be This Way, is scheduled for release in November of 2018. Lysa was recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has been published in multiple publications such as CNN and Fox News online. Additionally, she has appeared on the Today Show as one of the leading voices in the Christian community.

Each year, Lysa is a featured keynote presenter at more than 40 events across North America, including the Women of Joy Conferences and the Catalyst Leadership Conference. She has a passion for equipping women to share their stories for God's glory through Proverbs 31 Ministries' annual She Speaks Conference and writer training program, COMPEL: Words That Move People.

Connect with Lysa on social media @lysaterkeurst or at http://lysaterkeurst.com/.

Reviews

[deniz · Rating 4 out of 5]

i recently found this book where it gives a morning and evening devotion each day.i’ll be following this for 50 days🤍

[Nan Tolson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Lysa TerKeurst — let me start with that. I try to read everything she releases. She is wise and authentic has personal experiences with all sorts of challenges in life. But I was disappointed in this devotional. I found it very repetitive and often too surface level considering that it’s supposed to be for people experiencing really difficult things. It’s presented as a devotional for people experiencing intense grief, trauma, challenges, loss, etc — yet the entries were often extremely simplistic and idealistic when discussing difficult topics. And the scripture included in each entry felt like an afterthought.

Each entry is essentially a message or passage pulled from It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, and her devotional on redemption. All three of these are FANTASTIC, partly because they are very intense and in-depth and provide lots of context and nuance. When these general concepts are put into brief devotionals, they don’t pack the same punch and feel a bit empty.

It probably depends on the person and their needs as to whether you’ll like this devotional or not. If you’re super familiar with Lysa and have already read a lot of her work, I wouldn’t say this is a must-read. You’ll get more in-depth wisdom and resources from reading or rereading those three books/devotionals mentioned above. But if you’re unfamiliar with her work or just need some gentle, twice-daily encouragement or reminders to get you through difficult times, this is for you.

[Shana OkieCozyReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies. I enjoyed Lysa’s devotionals for each morning and evening. Several of these are similar to thoughts in previous books, esp her most recent Good Boundaries and Goodbyes. She always tries to give practical ideas that have helped her, which I appreciate.

I love the photographs throughout from her favorite Bald Head Island, North Carolina.

I also enjoyed the prayers for each day, like this one:
“Lord, thank You for anchoring me in the middle of the unknowns I am facing. Even when I long for certainty and control, help me remember my job today is to stay focused on what You are asking me to do, and You will take care of the rest. I love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.” From day 2

“God is faithful. He is living water for my soul. (Isaiah 55:10–11; John 7:38; John 4:13–14)
“Some days God’s Word is going to feed us right away like bread, and other days it might feel more like holding on to seeds.”
day 10

She also gives statements to remember throughout the day like this one from day 12
“ A hard season doesn’t mean that every day has to be hard.”

Practical tips like this from day 22
“I’m intentionally going to look for someone to forgive and someone to bless as I notice the evidence all around me of Your goodness and faithfulness.”

Or day 26
“I am most brave when I am most aware of what the Lord wants from me. Then I can just settle in to be His best version of me.”

Encouragement from day 29
“We may be facing a delay, distraction, or even devastation for a season. But it’s not our final destination. Resurrection is coming”

Day 31
“I wrote in my journal three desires I had for my relationship with Jesus: 1. Jesus, I want to see You. 2. Jesus, I want to hear You. 3. Jesus, I want to know You”
“God isn’t hiding from us; He’s waiting to be seen by us.”

Shame, day 39
“Often what keeps us from walking as forgiven people is the struggle with feelings of shame and regret. These are very heavy burdens to bear. In my own life, I’ve carried many burdens. But the weight of shame is by far the heaviest I’ve ever known.”
“Shame pushes people further into darkness. But our own admission of how desperately we need grace and truth helps people walk toward the same kind of healing we have found.”

Day 46
“The happiest people aren’t the ones whose lives are perfect. The happiest people are the ones who are most capable of keeping the imperfections in perspective. Just because some things are hard doesn’t mean everything is hard”

Day 48
“If no one else in this world has been kind enough to say this, I will. I’m so, so sorry for all that’s happened to you. I’m so sorry for the unfair and cruel things you may be facing.
But friend, before you go to sleep tonight, let’s settle this truth deep in our spirits: God’s Word is good, and it’s for our good. He has not left us powerless to live it out. No matter what we’re going through, let’s resolve to stay in step with God and stay committed to reading His Word and living out its instructions. Let’s not fall asleep tonight once again obsessing over all the wrongs done to us lately. Let’s receive God’s truth and rest in the peace and perspectives that lead us toward healing tonight”

Day 49
“I find it so interesting that the original phrase for goodbye in the late 1500s was “God Be with Ye.” The contraction of that phrase was “Godbwye,” which eventually became “goodbye.” I’ve sat with the thought of goodbyes being more of a sending off with God rather than a slammed door, a contact deleted, and a remaining puddle of angst. Even if the relationship can’t move forward, I would like a little more “God be with you” in my goodbyes

“I asked the Lord to help me whisper “God be with you” over each memory. I asked Jesus to help me release some of the memories, hold on to others, and make peace with all that I could.”

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format is beautiful and the content encouraging.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Devotional. Lysa touches on so many things we face each day. I listened to this on an audio book and it was like having a close friend talk to you (Lysa narrates the book herself as she does with all her audiobooks). Now I want to get the hardcover book so I can have it as reference.

[Suzanne Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Lysa’s devotionals a lot, and this is my third one. The format was lovely with the images, and I liked how there was a morning & night devotional for each day.

This one felt FAR more surface level and anecdotal than her other two, and it lacked a lot of scriptural depth that her other writing has - so that was a bummer.

I highly recommend “Seeing Beautiful Again” by Lysa.

I will read her next devotional for sure, and I hope it’s more scripture based and goes deeper.

Still a great read, and the Lord absolutely spoke to me through it many times. ❤️

Book 1 of 2024 ☑️ 📕

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t recommend enough. AM and PM devotion. Really helps with reflecting, comfort and consistency

[J.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The right book I needed at the right time. Love her emphasis on Jesus and therapy.

[Leah Cochran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I had purchased it for the online Bible study but it really is focused more towards divorce or broken relationships not just if you're in a rut.

[Katie ᥫ᭡. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This devotional didn’t just 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 to my heart, it sat down beside it, held its hand, and gently told it the truth. Every page meets you right in the middle of the 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙩𝙨, 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨, 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, and quiet questions we all carry as humans, and then lovingly points you back to the cross. Everything here is grounded in 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, and 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, and yes, it convicts in the best, most grace-filled way. ✨💕

This book has been such a blessing, not only for me but for my friends and family, too. I can’t even count how many lines I underlined, highlighted, screenshotted, and sent to people God placed on my heart. It’s one of those books where you’ll read something and immediately think, “𝘖𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” 🥹

Reading this devotional gently reminded me that God uses us and our gifts to bear witness to others, and it helped me recognize my own gift of prayer and deep affection for meeting people exactly where they are. It also lovingly challenged me to 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 that every relationship brings something special, even if it doesn’t look like the same outpouring I give. That shift alone felt healing. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙.

It is so evident that the 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 moved through Lysa’s words. There’s a quiet power in this book, an encouragement that doesn’t rush healing or try to tie it up neatly. It acknowledges that 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳, that progress and regress often walk hand in hand, and that what truly matters is what we’re planting in the soil of the time we’ve been given. 🪴🥰

I especially loved how easy this devotional is, perfect for both morning 𝙖𝙣𝙙 night. There’s something deeply comforting about starting and ending your day wrapped in truth, resting in the arms of Jesus.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. ✝️🥲

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book after opening it, and seeing how beautiful it was. It's encouragement to keep trusting God through hard season, loss of relationship, discouragement, failure, etc. I really liked that each scripture given at the top for each day, directly tied into that days devotional. I didn't understand what it meant by, "Something to release back to God from today", and have never heard that expression or phrase. I checked the introduction a few times to see if there was an explanation but there wasn't. This would make a great gift for a sister in the Lord walking through a hard season.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I started this book I was in season so on fire for the Lord. As the days kept going, I experienced so much loss, sadness, pain, grief and change. I truly feel even though it took me more than 50 days to finish- that God ordained this book for me in the proper time frame.

Thank you Jesus for mercy and grace. Thank you for the cross and new beginnings. Thank you God for loving me, holding me and carrying me through even in the times where I feel like I am so distant. You’re a good father who truly loves me, unconditionally.

I’m going to be okay. I’m going to make it and so are you. 🤍

[WhatRachelsReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic summer devotional book. I love Lysa TerKeurst and her vulnerability. Her honesty in what all she has endured throughout life. Her ways to point you to God’s Word through trials and temptations. I underlined, highlighted, and wrote in many chapters knowing the words spoke right to my heart. I read this book slowly savoring each devotion and kind of just read what I felt led to read. There were 50 morning and evening devotions in this book, but can easily just be read when you want to. ❤️

[Vivian Leitner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good devotional, but a little repetitive.

I loved the prompt, “Something to release to God”, at the end of the day. That was amazing, and something would always come to mind, and start a prayer in my heart.

[romy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️ — this book was such a great everyday read for a busy and tired girl like me. reading these devotions are a good way to practice your faith and make time for God for 5-10 minutes everyday. the verses embedded and referenced within the actual little life lessons that lysa provides for each day can be so inspiring, and there’s a verse for each life situation that puts things into a different perspective for you. the prayers at the end of each day incorporate the aspect of prayer as a practicing christian, which i like, as someone who struggles to pray everyday.

[Mary-Faith]

I don't think I'll rate this one. Devotionals are really hard for me to rate in general because it's not, like, a regular book, you know? But I enjoyed going through this and was inspired by Lysa's words, as always.

[Anna Lanier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good! I wish there were more excerpts of Scripture

[Kaelynn Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third book of hers I’ve finished, I needed this so much, I thank God for her work

[Heather Racey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You know what’s hard about being hurt and deciding to heal? Life goes on. You know what’s good about being hurt and deciding to heal? Life goes on. Because that’s what life has a habit of doing. The world has not stopped spinning. And your world has not shrunk down to this hard reality being the sum total of you… Step outside and look at the sky. It’s not falling. Maybe your world is not falling apart. Maybe you are falling back together.”

Lysa Terkeurst is back!

This daily devotional was split into a daily introduction, morning, and evening readings. I loved that in each evening devotional, she reminds you to release something back to God that isn’t yours to carry. She also gave a summary statement after each morning and evening lesson; the morning was a truth to carry with you throughout the day and the evening was something to calm your mind for sleep.

My issue with the last devotional of hers that I read was that she often had quips that oversimplified complex issues. While her end-of-reading statements could be seen that way, they were rarely short. Instead, those statements were more complex, quotes I wanted to write on notecards to help me remember true things. More like summary statements than quips.

The layout for this devotional makes it prime reading for people in the recovery process from trauma as it draws daily truth steeped in grace and compassion into your inner dialogue, breaking up the brokenness in your heart and the lies you’re telling yourself. She uses stories from her life to remind you: you’re not alone, and it is possible to heal, thrive, and have a beautiful, happy life on the other side of your trauma.

[Pamela Quinteros · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like having the friend who gifted this in the room with me, encouraging & lifting me up daily, assuring me that I’m going to actually survive this grief I’m walking through. So beautiful I cried to finish the last day, & can’t wait to pay it forward & gift to others who are walking through their hardest times.

[Josh Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lysa TerKeurst has always been exhortative and inspirational. As the founder of Proverbs 31 ministries, she’s been one of those women who have been able to create a niche for themselves within a predominantly male, evangelical world. TerKeurst’s niche has been inspiring other Christian women to live abundant, fruitful, and Christ-centered lives. A good niche to be sure! A lot of her recent work has focused on overcoming difficulties and times of tragedy and uncertainty. This focus has come out of TerKeurst’s own personal struggles and hurts, giving her work both a deeply cathartic and deeply intimate feel. TerKeurst isn’t writing abstractly or aloofly about these things—she’s actively living through them, writing about them as a way of exhorting herself as much as anyone else.

You’re Going to Make It—a devotional published soon after divorcing her husband on biblical grounds—is a collection of 100 devotions “to unrush your mind, uncomplicate your heart, and experience healing today.” While TerKeurst never mentions her personal life in detail, she does outline the basics of what informs her writing. It feels very much to me like a cathartic experience that we are blessed to be able to witness. Catharsis can be selfish, but what TerKeurst has done is walked the walk. You’re Going to Make It isn’t a platitude from someone afar off, it’s a phrase ruthless with determination from someone who has been along the same road.

The devotions are meant to be two per day for 50 days. In the morning, the text begins with a passage from Scripture followed by a one-page devotional reflection. Following this is a statement to remember and meditate on throughout the day. The evening devotion is a bit shorter, usually half a page, followed by a couple of blank lines for the reader to write about something they can release back to God and a closing prayer. Each devotion also includes some gorgeous photography of TerKeurst amid landscapes in Bald Head Island in North Carolina, the place to which TerKeurst dedicates the book and mentions it as a place of healing.

If you’ve loved Lysa TerKeurst before, you’ll love taking this journey with her now. Love might be a strong word, because let’s face it, nobody wants to go down this road. But it is a road we all go down in our own various contexts. And if I have to go down it, I might as well take solace, comfort, and advice from a friend. You’re Going to Make It is the gentle, calm voice of a friend willing to weep with you and willing to pick you up, dust you off, and walk with you through the valleys of life.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a meaningful devotional for those who need healing. It is a bit of a spin-off from Lysa’s prior book on boundaries, as this book touches on boundaries as well. But it also touches on much more, like forgiveness, healing, and ultimately holding on to the Lord in the midst of pain. Lysa wrote this book from the place of the heartache she dealt with when her marriage fell apart. But even if you are dealing with a different struggle or pain, there is still a lot of encouragement to get out of this book. I especially like the idea of meeting with the Lord first thing in the morning and then again just before bed. Each day had two entries to allow for this morning and evening routine. And the book was filled with beautiful pictures as well. Overall, an inspiring read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I need as I heal from past trauma. If you have worked through a good portion of your grief, and you’ve finally reached the stage where healing is possible and attainable, this is the perfect book for you. The devotions are powerful, meant to be read just one day at a time. You can’t rush through this book, and you won’t want to anyway, because the pictures are beautiful and the prayers are deep. Use this book as a companion for journaling and counseling sessions, as I’m doing.
My favorite quote from this book: "I need to rediscover who God created me to be and not who someone else's issues demanded I be."

[Audrey Owens | audgereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’re Going to Make It is a 50 day devotional with morning and evening passages that center on healing and trusting God in uncertain seasons.

Lysa TerKeurst has become one of my favorite Christian voices/authors lately, and there was a lot about these devotionals that I really enjoyed. I liked the format of this book and that it allowed me to start and end my days by slowing down and spending some time with the Lord. I started this devotional during my summer break from work, and I think it really helped contribute to restful and refreshing summer that I had. Some of the daily topics weren’t super applicable to my circumstances, but I really enjoyed this book overall!

[GS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully honest, candid and encouraging book has been a therapist, a nurse and a friend to me throughout the darkest winter of my life.
Whilst other readers mentioned finding it too general and not specific enough, I was grateful for the generalization of the circumstances Lysa found herself in. Lysa focused on the feelings rather than the circumstances. By doing so, this book resonated with my own feelings (anger, isolation, confusion, heartache…) which came about by starkly different circumstances. Daily, I found solace, wisdom and hope through Lysa’s words.

Thank you Lysa. By sharing your journey, you eased mine. I am very grateful.

[Georgia Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was exactly what I needed. This is my second devotional by Lysa. I finished “Seeing Beautiful Again” right before this one. I almost felt like indirectly they built on each other. I’ve never done morning and night and worried I would struggle. But I didn’t, I found myself looking forward to each day and really sitting in quiet for what I could take away. What God was sharing on my heart. Highly recommend for anyone going through tough life stuff! Or anyone who has a friend going through tough stuff and you want to help relate and encourage them <3

[DianFlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes life deals you some hard blows and having gone through tough times herself, author Lysa TerKeurst has written a beautiful and compassionate devotional to give the reader hope in navigating these rough waters. Each devotional is consise and to the point with the author's own experience with certain issues, scripture, special prayers, and different topics each day . . . morning and evening. I don't typically read nonfiction except for an occasional devotional, but I plan on reading more of Lysa TerKeurst's encouraging books.

[Melissa Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved a lot of the devotional and I have pretty much every book on Lysa’s but I think a lot of it had to do with going through a relationship loss and if you aren’t going through that in your life some days could be hard to relate too. If you were going through that I’m sure this is a great book to help. It also had a lot of the same things that were written in her book Good Boundaries and Goodbyes so I think this devotional is probably best to read along side that book

[Berit Ericson · Rating 4 out of 5]

this definitely took me longer than fifty days, but Lysa TerKeurst is an absolute gem. so thankful for her words in an incredibly complicated season and for these devotions that always seemed to hit at just the right time.

seriously. if I missed a day or two, the day I picked it back up, the devotion would be *exactly* what I needed for THAT day, not the days I had missed. this was such a gift.

[Tara Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was exactly the resource I needed at the lowest point in my life. Feeling so overwhelmed and battling depression and anxiety, this books was just the right amount of daily reading daily that I could handle. It is small yet mighty.

Two of my oldest friends did the study along with me and though our hard things were not the same , we all grew and learned thanks to this book. We were all fans of its layout as well: