Author: Erin O'Neal

The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The story of God’s people is one full of waiting and watching. From Adam and Eve, to Abraham and Sarah, to David and the prophets, nearly everyone in Scripture waits for the Lord to work. Often the stories we read show us our own human nature of waiting poorly. In the waiting, our doubts and our sin so easily ensnare us. Not only that, but we get so caught up in our day-to-day trials, we forget to look for the work God is doing. What are you waiting for? How are you living as you wait? Is your mind caught up with fretting about the thing you are waiting for and how to ensure it arrives? Or do you distract yourself so you won’t even think about it. Spend some time in self-reflection. Confess the ways you are waiting poorly, and ask God to give you a steadfast hope in His good timing. Meditate on the truth of God’s faithfulness by writing out Psalm 13 and praying it aloud to God as you write.

2) As we wait on the Lord, we will inevitably face questions and doubts. Will God keep His promises? Am I hearing Him correctly? Can I trust Him? Maybe we will discover that what we thought we were waiting for was not, in fact, God’s plan for us. Maybe we will find that the time we spent waiting has changed both us and our desires. Are you willing to put your trust in the all-knowing all-powerful God who has promised that all things will work for the good of those who love Him? What hopes and dreams are you holding onto? Where are you questioning God’s goodness? How are you anxious about the future? Can you submit those dreams, questions, and fears to almighty God? How has He shown Himself faithful to you before? God tells His people time and time again to remember His faithfulness. Take some time to look back today on how the Lord has been present. Remember the goodness God has shown you in the past, and submit to His will for your present and your future. Remember Him in the waiting.

3) In Friday’s journey, we considered the rich tapestry of history God has woven by His good will, and continues to work until the end of time. Sarah reminded us that while we see the messy underside and crisscrossed threads that don’t make sense to us, God sees the big picture. This image resonated with me as a person who enjoys crafting. I can’t tell you how many times I have re-started a crochet project because something didn’t look right, or because I hadn’t read the instructions properly, or because I was confused. Praise God He knows what He is doing from eternity past to eternity future; He never needs to unravel the work He has begun. Do you trust that God’s timing is perfect and abundantly more merciful and good than we can imagine? Do you trust He knows what He is doing, even when we don’t? Consider the works of your hands. Perhaps you sew or crochet, maybe you paint or write, or maybe you are an expert home organizer (can you share some of that skill with me?!). Often our projects start messy and get worse before they get better. As you do your work today, consider the great plan God has for all of history and entrust to His care all of your hopes, dreams, and desires. Ask Him to sustain you in all things.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Isaiah 40:28-31a back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the whole earth.
He never becomes faint or weary;
There is no limit to His understanding.
He gives strength to the powerless.
Youths may become faint and weary,
And young men stumble and fall,
But those who trust in the Lord
Will renew their strength…

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our Hope in times of trouble, our Grace in times of restless waiting. You give us rest for our souls. You give us security in Your completed work. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and we trust You. My sight is limited, my knowledge incomplete, but You, oh God, have a good plan. Help me to trust You when my faith grows weak. Forgive me for my tendency to doubt and attempts to fix everything myself. Forgive me, and strengthen me, for Your great glory. Father, I commit to You my every step. My future is in Your hands, and I rest securely, knowing You will do what You have said. Help me to be bold in my faith, proclaiming Your goodness to a lost and broken world. May my life show Your good will to those around me: my children, my neighbors, my church, and my community. May my life be a testimony to Your great faithfulness.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Waiting Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Psalm 13 begins, “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” Certainly we have all experienced the discomfort of waiting in some form or another. Joseph knew God had selected him for a specific mission and purpose, but it may have seemed to Joseph that God was taking the scenic route to get him there. We do not see Joseph questioning God or crying out in despair. In fact, at the end of his life, Joseph was able to look back on all the waiting and trials and confirm how God had used every season of his life to bring him to God’s intended result. What are you waiting for? If you’re anything like me, you don’t have the same clear vision Joseph had for where your life is going, but you do have dreams and desires. Consider two or three things you are waiting on today. Pray that God would sustain you in your waiting, and remember the final verses of Psalm 13, “But I have trusted in Your faithful love; my heart will rejoice in Your deliverance. I will sing to the Lord because He has treated me generously.”  How will you practically choose to sing?!

2) Wednesday’s Journey Study closed with this thought, “Maybe this is the key to waiting well. We can trust God’s character even when we can’t understand our circumstances, holding onto the sure hope He is still working even when we struggle to see how. Ultimately, we can trust that, in His own perfect timing, His purposes will prevail.” In a world of fast food and free next-day delivery, many of us are accustomed to near-instant gratification. But Romans 5:4 tells us our afflictions produce endurance, which leads to character, which leads to hope, which will not disappoint. It’s easy for us to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” It is harder to consider our circumstances are being used to grow our endurance, character, and hope. David waited many years for the fulfilment of God’s promise. David was honest with the Lord about his doubts, but God’s character never waivered. Where are you struggling to trust in God’s character? Can you imagine some ways He may be using these things to grow you? Write down the four words: affliction, endurance, character, and hope. When you are tempted to despair in your trials, remember these words and the God who actively works in you. Commit your way to Him and ask Him for help to endure well and hold tightly to the Hope He gives.

3) Disappointment comes from unmet expectations. Sometimes, disappointment is minor like a schedule change in your busy day or missing an engagement you were wanting to attend. Other times, the disappointment hits much deeper with life-long impact. Loss of a loved one. A marriage that ended or not finding “the one” to marry. Miscarriage or unable to conceive. Career opportunities. The list is endless, and regardless of our specific disappointment, whether big or small, each one leaves us with a large vacuum of desire utterly unfulfilled. Because we’ve all shared this common experience, we can connect with Hosea’s story in very deep ways. Hosea had waited for a bride, and when the Lord showed him who to take for his wife, his expectations didn’t align with reality. Yet, through this union, God would show Hosea, and Israel, the deep, passionate, and extremely radical love God has for His own Beloved. Hosea’s love story was entirely unexpected, but instead of becoming angry or indignant with the Lord’s response to his faithful waiting, Hosea’s single love story told the greatest love story of God for His people. Just suppose, the Sovereign God of all, who wastes nothing, loves endlessly, and carries our sorrows as His own, wanted to redeem our disappointment for His glory?! What would you surrender to Him?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 13:3-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Consider me and answer, Lord my God.
Restore brightness to my eyes;
otherwise, I will sleep in death.
My enemy will say, “I have triumphed over him,”
and my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
But I have trusted in your faithful love;
my heart will rejoice in your deliverance.
I will sing to the Lord
because he has treated me generously.

Prayer Journal
How long, oh Lord? Will You forget me forever? Will You allow this season of waiting and uncertainty to drag on and pull me under? We cry out to You in desperation. We seek Your face in the midst of our trouble. Do You hear us? Are You listening? But God, You are rich in mercy. You heard the voice of Joseph in his jail cell, of David in his hiding place, of Hosea in his troubled marriage, and You rescued them. Time and again, You have shown Yourself to be a faithful God. I believe You will rescue Your people from their afflictions; Lord, help my unbelief. As we wait for You, may our afflictions produce endurance, leading to character, resulting in a sure hope. While the days feel long and the nights are dark, I choose to sing a song of praise to the God who hears. I believe I will again rejoice in the goodness of our God. You answer our prayers, You rescue Your people, You have treated us generously. Thank you, oh Lord, for Your steadfast love and daily grace.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) I recently read a Tim Keller quote stating, “God will either give us what we ask for in prayer or give us what we would have asked for if we knew everything He knows.” His point is we always see our circumstances (and pray about them) from a limited viewpoint. We cannot know all the things God knows, because we are not Him. He alone knows all things, and can judge what is truly good. Romans 8:28 tells us, “all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purposes.” Does this change the way you view your circumstances? Reflecting on your history, are there any events that seemed decidedly not good which you now recognize as for your good? Maybe there are difficult events you cannot fathom why they happened. Perhaps even now you are experiencing a difficult season and cannot see how this could possibly be good. Whichever of these statements resonates with you (maybe all three!), turn those circumstances over to the Lord. Ask Him to reveal His goodness to you and empower you to trust that what He says He will do, He does. He will work all things for our good, even when we cannot see how.

2) Jesus Christ was described by the prophet Isaiah as a “man of suffering who knew what sickness was” (Isaiah 53:3) or as another translation says, He was “acquainted with grief.” (ESV) Jesus knows suffering, just as much, even more, than us. We saw in Wednesday’s Journey of God’s promise to equip, carry, and sustain us through every season of life, even those of intense suffering. Michelle wrote, “Our sufferings do not change the realities and truth of God’s love for us.” Do you believe this, dear sister? Do you affirm that nothing can separate us from the love of our great God? Consider your current season of life. Are you in a season of comfort, enjoying the light of life with few cares? Remain steadfast in your relationship with the Lord. Speak loudly the truth today, so when trials come, you may hold fast in the day of trouble. Are you in a season of suffering, with wave after wave of grief wearing away at your heart? Cling to the Rock of your salvation. Remember the truths you have found in the light. Are you somewhere in between? Maybe your life has more downs than you would like, but you feel capable of managing. Do not forget the source of your comfort and true strength. Resist the temptation to rely on yourself! Jesus Christ must hold you fast. Write out an honest prayer asking God to meet you where you are to equip, carry, and sustain you through the now.

3) “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) How many times have you heard this verse and focused on the first half regarding being “more than conquerors” without considering the second half, which emphasizes our source, “through Jesus Christ our Lord”? Paul writes these words, not from a place of pride in his own work, but in a humble reverence for the work of God in his life. This week, we spent much time discussing suffering and life circumstances, but the truth is, no matter what season of life we are in, the key to living a victorious life is to abide in Jesus Christ. How can you practice abiding in Christ this week? In John 15:8, Jesus says, “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” Ask God to show you how He is specifically calling you to live for Him in everyday life as you abide in Him this week. Maybe He is calling you to repent of sin that you cannot defeat on your own, confessing that you have fallen short and need His victorious strength. Maybe He is calling you to show His redeeming love to someone in your life who is hard to love. Maybe He is asking you to spend more time meditating on the things of God than the things of the world. Ask Him to show you what He is asking of you, and make a plan to be obedient to His call.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 138:7-8 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

If I walk in the thick of danger,
You will preserve my life
From the anger of my enemies.
You will extend your hand;
Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.
Lord, Your faithful love
Endures forever;
Do not abandon the work
Of your hands.

Prayer Journal
Heavenly Father, King of my heart, Lord of my life, You are good. All Your ways are good. All Your thoughts are good. But the world around us lacks the good we so desire. Because of sin and brokenness, we are keenly aware of suffering and hardship in this world. From sickness and disease, to poverty and injustice, we don’t need to look far to see pain and suffering. But, we stand firm in the day of our trouble, knowing the truths of Your goodness, love, and faithfulness do not waiver, no matter our circumstances. Forgive us when we doubt. Forgive us for our short-sightedness and self-dependence. Help us live our lives abiding in You. As king David wrote in the Psalms, “For Your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth.” (Psalm 26:3) Help us, oh Lord, to live by Your truth, trusting that all things will work together for our good because we love and serve a good, good God.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Legacy. Inheritance. Privileges. Generation. What things stir in your heart as you read those words? Perhaps your upbringing was difficult, and painful memories push their way in before you back away as you’ve long practiced. Maybe, when you consider the legacy your parents left you, whether financially, relationally, or spiritually, you’re left holding brokenness and emptiness instead of fullness. For others, you enjoyed a rich closeness with your parents, imperfect though they were, and you see your life, and the lives of those around you, benefiting in extremely positive ways because of the investment of the generation before you. When it comes to “sonship” in the Bible, it’s imperative we understand the all-inclusive nature of its original intention in the first-audience culture. In a patriarchal society, sons inherited everything. There was nothing left for a beloved slave, or a second-cousin, unless the son was deceased. Regardless of your own upbringing, what are your gut reactions as you consider the rights and privileges of being called a “son” of God (even though we are women J). What worries can you release? What relationships or situations can you stop trying to control? What truths need to settle into your heart? If you’ve surrendered to Christ, everything is yours, the most important being God Himself!

2) When God created the world, He declared everything very good. But today, each one of us is keenly aware this world is full of hardships and struggles that are decidedly not good. The brokenness that entered the world through the sinful rebellion of the first man and woman touches each of us. From our very first breath, we have all been subject to pain and brokenness. For our whole lives, we long for something more. Here lies our great hope: that one day we will be face-to-face with the God who makes all things new. He will make us new, and He will make the whole world new and unbroken. All creation groans, waiting for this glorious day. It’s easy to focus on our own groaning, especially in difficult seasons. Today, consider how your neighbor may be experiencing brokenness and how you can extend hope’s love to them. Maybe a friend is struggling with infertility, and you can send her a card or flowers. Maybe your family member is sick or struggling financially. Is there something tangible you can do to alleviate their suffering, if only for a moment? Pray for the Spirit’s guidance as you reach out, and meditate on the hope that is yours in Christ Jesus.

3) Like putting money away in savings, a future inheritance we might receive from a parent isn’t something we think about every day. We know the money is there, but we don’t draw on it, plan for it, or give it much consideration from day to day, let alone year to year. But God intends something much different for the coming inheritance meant for all who trust in Him. The more we think about our perfect future where we will dwell with God and other believers in exquisite harmony, the more urgently we desire to live well today and tell others of this beautiful hope we have. In fact, our coming rich inheritance causes us to become even more disenchanted with the temporary things of this world and the lusts of sin. There’s no sweeter way to set our eyes on the inheritance that is coming than to read the testimonies of believers who have gone before us. Their example of love for Christ above all else, encourages us to stay focused on this coming hope in the middle of our everyday lives. Take time today to read Hebrews 11. Once silently. Once aloud. Then, on the 3rd time through, pick a few names and put yourself in their shoes. Consider what it would have been like for them to put on the “glasses” of eternal, certain hope in spite of their circumstance. How might you do the same?!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 42:1-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?”
I remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.

Prayer Journal
Father God, defender of the helpless, father to the fatherless, You make all things new! You, oh Lord, have prepared an inheritance for us far greater than both the good and the painful things we experience in this life. We rejoice, knowing You have a plan to redeem and renew all things in Your time. Thank you for your grace. You have welcomed in those who are poor and underserving, adopting all who call on You as full sons into Your holy family. May we never forget, or take for granted, this vast and unsearchable gift! Forgive us when we grow short-sighted, caught up in our daily cares, and forgetting Your great goodness. Forgive us when we sin against our neighbor and against You. Help us persevere in times of trouble and prosperity, living for the coming kingdom rather than for our own fleshly longings and desires. Sustain us in Your faithfulness. You, oh Lord, are our only hope and joy!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Alive Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) God grants a wonderfully freeing, fully permanent declaration in the opening words of Romans 8. No more shame. No fear of condemnation. Both are radically erased because the One we have offended with our sin has freely forgiven us! The sticking point is two-fold. First, this gift of freedom remains entirely inaccessible if we have not recognized our own sin to the Holy God, repented of it, and chosen to trust Christ to rescue us from permanent death and separation from God. Second, if we have indeed been made free in Christ, the temptation to believe a lie seems to follow us like our shadow. The lie? That we aren’t really freed from shame, that we still, somehow, owe God and should therefore beat ourselves up for our past sin. Can you relate like I can?! Let’s refuse to let our enemy continue to have a foothold here! Name that place where you most often find yourself falling into the trap of shame and guilt from sins you’ve already been forgiven from and pray persistently over these. Lay hold of truth and carry it with you in place of shame! “If the Son sets you free, you really will be free!” (John 8:36)

2) Either we live according to flesh or according to Spirit. We cannot please both simultaneously; it is impossible. On Wednesday, Marietta helped us understand we must all make a personal decision to follow Jesus for ourselves. Our default position before God is not goodness, but an inherited sin nature that rejects God and rebels against Him. Thankfully, what is impossible for us and our natural sin nature, is possible with God when He puts His new nature inside of us! All believers, those who have been made new in Christ, have certain areas of life where we struggle more than others to surrender to God’s nature over our own. In the span of 3 verses in Romans 8, we find the phrase “mindset” used five times! The key to overcoming our areas of struggle is to surrender to the Spirit’s activity in us, and take up His mindset, which is entirely renewed and different from our sin-nature mindset. Think about the character of God, really pause to do this! Look up some passages to help like Philippians 4:8-9, Psalm 86:5, 15, and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. As you consider His heart, His “mindset”, turn your thoughts to your areas of struggle and your old mindset of approaching them. See the difference?! Ask the Lord to renew your mind! (Romans 12:1-2)

3) I once heard a story of an orphan child who had lived for most of his young life in severe poverty and food insecurity. This child was adopted into a loving and secure family, where there was no question about the source of the child’s next meal. He was fully provided for. However, he would often take food from the kitchen and hide it in his room, keeping it secure for himself. Even though his entire situation had changed, his attitudes and behaviors were still in accordance with his previous insecurity. For those of us who have come to the place of belief in Christ, repenting of our sins, and trusting in Him to give us new life, we are like that adopted orphan. We no longer need to worry about our security, but we often act like we are still in spiritual poverty. When we sin, we are living according to our old manner of life, but when we walk by the Spirit and set our minds on things above, we are operating in our new identity as children of God. Colossians 3:12-17 give us one picture of what our new life in Christ can look like. Write out these verses and post them somewhere you will see them frequently. Set your mind on things above by reading and contemplating these verses and by applying them to situations in your daily life.

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 5:6-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by His blood, will we be saved through
Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord, our God, thank You for the great work You have done by setting us free from our old ways of life. Once we were dead in our sins, without hope, striving to make ourselves better. But You, oh God, being rich in mercy, because of Your great love, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-6) You weren’t forced to save us, but You did. And now, we can walk in freedom with no more shame, no more condemnation, and no more fear. Forgive me, Father, for the times I revert to my old way of living. I am acutely aware of my tendency to live as though I need to save myself or make myself better. But You are the one who transforms and makes me new. Enable me to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, shifting my mindset to focus on the truth of the new life that You have given me. (Romans 12:2) Help me live my life as one who has been changed by You, sharing the joy and freedom that comes with new life in Your family.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Fruitful Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Faithfulness is something I struggle with. With every good intention, I commit to do something, but when it comes time to follow through, I find it challenging to keep my word. God, on the other hand, is perfectly faithful, regardless of how often I’m unfaithful. The whole story of human history is full of people falling short of God’s standards, yet God keeps His promises to them nonetheless. God is the perfect picture of faithfulness, and, as God’s children, those who believe in Him are being shaped into His likeness by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we live by God’s Spirit, we are being changed, day by day, month by month, year by year. Joshua and Caleb looked back on a promise God had given them and were strengthened to remain faithful to Him because of God’s continued faithfulness. What are the promises God has made to you if you’ve trusted Him for salvation and turned from your sin? (Consider Exodus 34:6-7, Matthew 7:7-12, and Galatians 5:16) How do God’s promises help you grow in your faithfulness as you learn to trust His faithful heart? Write a prayer of response to God thanking Him for His constant faithfulness and asking for His help to be a faithful Christ-follower.

2) If you could imagine a perfect response from God if you were to talk to Him face to face, what would it be? Would He be transactional like a bank teller and hand over whatever goods you requested, calling out “next” to the person behind you? Would He reach for your hand and invite you to walk with Him while His eyes danced as He listened intently? Considering this scene is important; it reveals how you truly see the heart of God. Sit for a few minutes with eyes closed, in a quiet space if possible, and ask the Lord God to show you His perfect response to you as you come to Him. Slow down and concentrate on the images the Spirit gives you. Walk with Him, asking Him about them. What does He want you to know about God’s heart? Christ tells us in Scripture that His first, gut-reaction, go-to, immediate instinct response will always be gentleness. (Matthew 11:29) Here, we find shelter in the embrace of compassion. Here, we find the truly with us God. What does it mean for you to solidly know that God’s perfect response to you, in all times, is first and foremost gentleness?

3) As we wrap up our discussion about the fruit of the Spirit, I am struck by how all these attributes work together to radically change us into a new kind of person. How would your life look different if you practiced each of the fruits perfectly? I can only imagine how peaceful and glorious such a life would be. But, the works of the flesh are so deeply ingrained in each one of us; we will choose them every time if we do not first access the power of God dwelling within us as believers. We must rely on God’s help in every area. There is a saying, “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” On Friday, we were reminded of the Source Who fills our cup. When we are lacking in self-control, we are revealing we are not in tune with the Holy Spirit in our lives. Consider an area in your life where you would like to be more self-controlled. (It could be a spiritual discipline, your finances, how you use technology, how you treat the people around you, or something else entirely.) Pray specifically for the Spirit to pour His fruit of self-control into your life, then keep watch to see how He fills your cup. For a week (or month, or longer) make a note at the end of each day, expressing how He taught and empowered you to demonstrate self-control. Thank Him for His work in your life!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-25, 28 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will do it. Brothers and sisters, pray for us also. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Prayer Journal
God, our Father, I am awestruck by Your great faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. You always keep Your promises for the sake of Your great name. You have revealed Your nature through Jesus Christ our Lord, who walked on this Earth, gentle and lowly. You have demonstrated Your self-control over and over by withholding the judgment due humanity and taking the punishment for our disobedience on Yourself. Oh, that we would walk by Your Spirit. Oh, that we could be transformed by Your work in our lives. Lord, I no longer wish to carry out the works of my sinful flesh. I desire to walk by the Spirit that I may bear fruit in step with You. Empower me, Oh gracious God, to crucify my own desires and walk humbly with my neighbors. May we see the greatness of Your Kingdom here on Earth. Forgive me when I fall short, and bring me quickly back into relationship with You. I have asked all these things, knowing You delight to give good gifts to Your children. I believe You will do it! Praise be to God!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Fruitful Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The fruit of the Spirit is not “good works” that people force themselves to accomplish, rather they are evidences of the Spirit’s work in the lives of His people, empowering them for the good works He has called them to do. Often, we desire the feeling of patience rather than the action of patience. We want to feel patient before we act patient. Like with many disciplines, we can still choose to live out patience even if we don’t feel it. I have heard people joke that you shouldn’t pray for patience, because then God will send you opportunities and circumstances to practice patience. In what areas of your life do you most need the Spirit’s help in practicing the action of patience? What person (or group of people) draws out your impatient attitudes and behaviors? Is there a circumstance you can think of recently where you acted on your impatience and damaged (no matter how slight) your relationship with another person? Consider moving toward that person in repentance. What impact would it have on your relationship if you sincerely apologized and took steps to grow in active patience? Ask God to empower you by the Holy Spirit to walk in obedience, even when you don’t feel patient.

2) The very first time God declared something “not good” in creation was when Adam was alone. God created humanity to live in community with one another. As we experience the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, it is natural for us to share this life change with our biblical community. Consider a time when you felt loved and cared for by the kindness of others. How did that moment affect you? When we show kindness to others, we reflect the very nature of our great God. Stop right now and ask God to give you an opportunity to show His kindness to another person. Be still for a moment and wait for God to bring someone to your mind. Be open to Him leading you in an unexpected way. He may bring someone to mind who is not in your regular friend group, someone who may need extra kindness in their life. Take a step toward showing them kindness. (There were a number of examples in Wednesday’s Journey Study if you need ideas!) Be creative and generous, lavishing them with kindness to the glory of God, our Father.

3) “God is good!” “All the time!” This is a common call and response transcending the centuries of Church history because of its simple, but powerful truth. However, it’s one thing to say the words, and quite another to carry them into every situation. We often become caught up when we don’t feel like a truly “good” God could allow excruciating circumstances. Where is the goodness of God when death steals our loved ones? When disease eats away at our bodies? When poor choices and rebellion bring distance in relationship? Can God actually still be good and be an onlooker to our suffering? Wouldn’t He want to end our pain? Wouldn’t He want to wipe away our grief? YES! He does. God didn’t want to end pain for a moment, He wanted complete restoration where there would be zero chance of sin and its grievous pain ever causing suffering again. Which is why He gave His life. There, at the cross is a Very Good God. Tragedy, loss, and heartache are the painful results of a world ensnared by sin, but one day, these will vanish like the morning mist because Christ paid the penalty of Death and Sin to be banished forever. The pain of our everyday moments needs this kind of eternal truth!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 1 Peter 3:10-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For the one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit,
and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it,
because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.

Prayer Journal
Our Father in heaven, You, oh Lord, are patient and kind and good. Your holiness is beyond our understanding. Lord, we long for the day when all things will be made right, when we will live in community with our neighbor in Your presence with perfected patience, kindness, and goodness. Help your people to live out these values as we wait expectantly for Your coming Kingdom. Forgive me, oh patient God, for my impatience. I seek my own timeline and comfort over the needs of those around me. Forgive me, in Your kindness for my lack of care for others. I become so focused on my own needs and desires that I fail to show kindness to my neighbor. Forgive me, out of Your goodness, for my inability to see the goodness You have lavished upon me.  I focus on my limited view, rather than trusting You with the big picture. Help me to live by the Spirit so that I can rightly reflect Your character to the people around me. Protect me from my tendencies to rely on my own strength, and remind me of my dependence on You for all things. Amen and amen.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

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The GT Weekend! ~ Fruitful Week 1

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) Have you ever watched a garden grow? From one day to the next, the growth of the garden looks nearly the same. But over the course of a summer, what was once a patch of brown, unimpressive dirt becomes a jungle of plants, vines, and fruits. This makes me think of the work of the Spirit of God in my life. I look much the same today as I did yesterday. But if I consider how I’ve changed over the last 5 years, I see substantial ways that the Holy Spirit has done His work in me. As I have grown more aware of Christ’s love for me, my love for others has grown in tandem with my love for God. As I become more aware of how undeserving I am of His love, I have grown more eager to share with others. No matter where you are on your faith journey, the Spirit of God can change you. Are you still undecided about whether this Jesus is for you? Ask God to reveal His great love to you. Are you a brand new believer? Praise God that He loves you just as you are and ask Him to grow your love for Him and others. Are you a mature believer wondering why you still struggle with accepting His love or showing it to others? Cast all your troubles at the feet of Jesus. The Spirit empowers and brings about your transformation. You need only obey His leading. Write down 3 ways that you have seen evidence of God’s love in your life, and 3 ways that you can show His love to others. Thank Him for the work He has already done, and ask for His strength to walk in obedience.

2) What comes to mind in your everyday life experiences around the word “joy”? Close your eyes, slow your breathing, and think about joy. Where do you see it? How do you feel it in your body? What sounds do you hear? What smells tantalize you? What does your tongue taste as you consider joy? Do you find a smile spreading across your face even as your eyes are closed? Go ahead and try it! We will be here waiting when you open your eyes! As you reflect on these rich experiences, what was absent for this joy to be so free? Did your joy center around an experience, a person, or an object? If this joy were tangible, and you could submerge yourself in it like ocean water, imagine the glee and the freedom here. Now, know with confidence, that the highest peak of delectable joy humanly possible is like a drop in the bucket on a parched day compared to the richness of joy found only in relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you believe this? Have you experienced this? In what way? Dig into Scripture this week, seeking out this lasting joy in relationship with Jesus!

3) Peace feels…. What adjective would you use to finish this sentence? Slippery? Calming? Impossible? Our previous experiences with peace often dictate whether we view peace as illusive, tangible, or even mythical. It’s important to be reminded that biblical peace is not the absence of conflict. Scripture teaches that the gospel is indeed offensive to those who rebel against it. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Peter 2:7-8) As long as we are at odds with Christ and the true peace that He brings, the idea of peace will always seem slippery, illusive, and impossible. Where Christ rules, and our surrender is wholly given, peace floods. Identify the places in your life where peace is glaringly absent. Where does it feel like “peace” is laughable? Describe these scenarios in a few words on a post-it note and stick them by your bed. On another card, write out Philippians 4:4-7 and place it close by. Make time throughout the coming days to intentionally memorize these verses. What is the secret to unleashing God’s peace according to these verses?

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Peter1:2-4 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord our God, how great is Your love for us. Father, Son, Spirit, Your love is perfect. You did not need mankind to make Your love complete, but because of Your great and overflowing love, You chose to create us for relationship with You. What joy this truth brings to my heart. You are not a far-off, unseeing God. No, You hear the prayers of Your people and You speak to us. Forgive me, oh Lord, for my forgetful, hardened heart. I long to follow You and obey Your commands, yet I often choose the lesser things, rebelling in my innermost being against the relationship You have offered me. Have mercy on me, oh God, and renew my heart. Thank You for the gift of transformation You give to Your children. Thank You for the fruit of the Spirit that is evident in my life. I know that without Your great power, I would not have the love, joy, or peace that I have in my life today. Help me to be steadfast and faithful, following the leading of Your Spirit at all times.

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

The GT Weekend! ~ Terrain Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The region of Galilee was where Jesus spent a great deal of His time while on earth. He knew its roads and topography well. He was familiar with how to navigate the city and He knew the faces of those who lived there. Lori left us with a challenge in her Journey Study on Monday, “Go for a walk today and as you walk think about the terrain Jesus walked. From the calling of His disciples, to the road He traveled to his death. Where, or how, is Jesus calling you to walk? Who, or what, are you following? Jesus or something/someone less? Pray for open eyes and attentive ears. Invite Jesus, our Master Teacher, into your ordinary and allow Him to make it extraordinary!” Do this! Then, write down what you learned from God’s Spirit on your walk. Is the Lord calling you to introduce yourself to the new neighbors, or strike up a conversation with someone nearby who is different than you? Has He placed a desire in your heart to take a step of faith toward a big goal? What would it look like to trust Him and follow Him, even when you can’t see where this step might lead? Commit your way to the Lord and watch with an eager heart what He might do in you, through you, and for you!

2) On Wednesday we reflected on the exile of John to the island of Patmos. Exile is a theme throughout Scripture from Adam and Eve to Abraham to the nation of Israel and even to the early Church. The idea of exile (because our sin casts us out of God’s presence) reminds us of our need for redemption and to be “brought back into” God’s good design. Like Abraham living as a foreigner in the land (Hebrews 11:13-16), we too, if we have given our lives to Jesus, live as foreigners and strangers in our own land. (1 Peter 1:1-2) Like the exiles in Babylon, we are called to pray for the land we are dwelling in and pursuing its well-being. (Proverbs 11:10) Yes, we may meet opposition, but Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Furthermore, we must pray for our brothers and sisters in parts of the world where persecution poses a more physical and dangerous threat. Spend some time today praying for the well-being of your neighborhood, city, and country. Then check out this prayer guide from Voice of the Martyrs to help you pray for brothers and sisters around the world who are living with the very-present threat of persecution. Model your prayer after Paul’s prayer for persecuted Christians found in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

3) We’ve spent three weeks studying the terrain of different scenes from Scripture. Maybe you’ve never considered the literal mountains, lakes, meadows, and rocky places where biblical history unfolded. Or maybe, you’ve traveled to the Holy Land and you already have these physical elements vividly pictured in your mind. In light of all we’ve learned, consider the physical terrain of your own life. Where do you see beauty? Where do you find the messes? What zones in your home or your life are safe? Which ones are sacred? Which ones feel beyond repair? What would it look like to surrender each of these to the Master of All Creation? What if we each trusted God as our own Master Builder to redeem and renew the terrain of our lives? Take a sheet of paper and draw out a blueprint of your life. Mark out the rooms and their sizes, then label them according to what is flourishing or struggling in your life. Search Scripture for verses of praise or truths you can claim over each “room”. Keep the blueprint sketch in your Bible as a reminder to pray continuously over the terrain around you, intentionally surrendering it to the Lord!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

In view of this, we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer Journal
Oh Lord our God, You have created the heavens and the Earth. You have shown us Your greatness in the work of Your hands. And yet… We know this Earth, as it is today, is not our home. We are strangers in a foreign land, eagerly awaiting the new heavens and the new Earth where we will be fully at home in Your presence. Sustain us, oh Lord, with Your truth as we feel the pain of this life. Comfort those who suffer for Your Name’s sake. Strengthen and embolden those who live in places where worshiping You puts their lives and livelihoods in danger. Thank you for their example of steadfastness. Teach us all to worship You, setting You apart as Holy in our everyday worship, regardless of our civic religious freedom. As I walk through this life, help me to be eager to follow You, to do the good work You have created me for. Thank You for the growth You have already brought in my life. Please, help me to continue to grow in my delight in You. Thank You for the gift of salvation and for the many blessings You have lavished on my life. Help me to glorify You in all things!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

Build community, be transparent, and encourage others:
Share how God spoke to you today!
Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music