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The GT Weekend! ~ Questions 2 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) There is a pervasive and insidious lie in our culture today: people are basically good. Many of us believe this lie (to some extent) without even knowing it. We live as though we can make ourselves “good enough” and acceptable to the people around us, and ultimately to God. Shining light on this deception, God’s word reveals to us our need for a Savior by showing us how sinful we actually are. Without the work of Jesus, all our “good works” are like dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6). We need Him to cleanse us from our sins and make us right with God as only He can do because He is both fully divine and fully human. It is only through a relationship with Jesus we can find righteousness and be made whole. Consider today, dear sister, if there are areas in your life where you have convinced yourself you can make yourself good enough. Where have you denied God’s power in an attempt to fix yourself? What would it look like to invite Jesus into the broken places, and accept the truth that only He can make you right with God? Ask God to show you where you need His healing presence, and ask Him to help you accept His grace in the process.

2) How many times have we treated prayer like a cosmic vending machine? “If You give me X, then I will do Y.” Or “I will give anything if Your will just…” fill in the blank. It can be tempting in our moments of deepest longing and desperation to believe God is holding out on us or that we know better than He does. But in reality, God loves to give good gifts to His children. He doesn’t give half-baked plans or empty hope; He gives good and perfect gifts. What are you waiting for? Perhaps you are waiting for a husband, or a child, or a promotion at work. Maybe you are waiting for clarity for the next step you are supposed to take in life. How are you talking to God about those things? Have you fully surrendered your desires and trusted His goodness over your limited perspective? Or are you demanding, and attempting to manipulate, God into giving you the desires of your heart? Take some time to consider what it means that God gives good gifts. Be honest with God about your desires, then ask Him to give you a heart fully surrendered to His will.

3) What a wonderful thought that our God needs nothing! He is fully sufficient and does not rely on anyone or anything to help Him. While this thought can rightfully wound our pride, it should bring us comfort knowing He is fully self-sufficient. This truth frees Him to willfully choose to love us without condition! Our God loves us so much He chose to suffer and die for us, even though He was under no obligation to do so. What beautiful, breathtaking love! As the children’s song goes, “Jesus loves me, this I know!”. Not only does He love us, He also desires us. He desires a deep relationship with us, and He invites us to respond to His call. How will you respond? Where do you need His helping hand in your life? (Hint: everywhere!) Do you need to turn from your sin, and believe in Him for the first time? Do you need reassurance of His love for you? Do you need help overcoming sin and shame in your life? Do you need His enabling hand to help you walk in obedience to what He is calling you to? Write down one or two specific ways you know you need Jesus. Ask Him to be your Helper, and then walk in obedience to Him. Our all-sufficient God is delighted to sustain you!

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 Philippians 4:4-7 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Prayer Journal
How great is Your love for me, oh God! You came down so low that I might be made right with You. You did not save me because of Your need, but because of Your love and desire to have a relationship with me, even though I had nothing to offer. Help me to constantly remember my need for You. Help me to abide in Your love through obedience to Your word. I acknowledge I so often fall short. I see my need when I sin against my friends, my neighbors, my family, and against You. I see my need when insecurity and self-sufficiency rule my thoughts. I see my need when I try to be good and fail. Please forgive me for my arrogance, and draw me into a closer relationship with You. Show me where I am still trying to do things on my own, and help me to trust in Your sufficiency. You are my only hope in life and death. Help me to rely on 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

The GT Weekend! ~ Questions 2 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 world offers us an empty promise that we can be free only when we are true to ourselves. We are lured in and seduced by the idea of living totally for ourselves doing what feels good and rejecting what is uncomfortable. The motto of a generation rings out: you do you! But the only reward for this kind of life is bondage. We sink under the weight of our own selfishness. We must instead surrender to the wisdom of our kind master, Jesus, who has given us a better way to live. Where are you still living in bondage to your old self? What sins do you need to lay aside so you might fully surrender your life to the freedom found in Jesus? Prayerfully read Colossians 3:1-10 again. Ask God to reveal to you where you are holding on to false promises of freedom, and ask Him for true freedom in Him. Stretch your soul by confessing your sin to a trusted sister and asking her to pray for you as you surrender to Christ. (James 5:16) As you share your burdens with others, they can speak the truth in love, strengthening you for the work ahead.

2) Hebrews 11:1 tells us “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV) But what happens when our confidence waivers? What happens when we are not so sure about the things we cannot see? Where do we go with our questions? When I have questions, I want to know the answers. Quickly. I often turn to Google to answer my questions. But questions about God can be trickier. We have a choice when we have questions about God. We can run and hide, and decide for ourselves God isn’t worth our time, or we can press in and ask Him to reveal His truth to our clouded hearts. God is big enough to handle our questions, but we must be willing to do the hard work of asking Him to help us. Where do you go with your questions? What have you doubted about God, and how have you tried to find the answers? Are your questions drawing you into conversation with Him, or pushing you further away? Have an honest conversation with the Lord today about your questions. Boldly voice them out loud and ask Him to grant you wisdom and discernment. You may not get your answers today or tomorrow, but you can start the process of pressing in and seeking out the heart of Jesus.

3) On Friday, Rebecca reminded us of the hard truth that no one can follow God’s law perfectly. There is no such thing as “close enough” when it comes to obeying God. The only way for a person to be saved is by trusting fully in the work of Jesus on the cross. We read, “either we are covered completely by His righteousness purchased for us… or we are on our own.” And sisters, this is good news! We never need to wonder if we are being “good enough” or working “hard enough.” If we believe in Jesus, we are accepted by God. Because of that acceptance, we are free to walk in obedience. And when we fall short, Jesus is delighted to welcome us back with open arms, comforting and forgiving us, never surprised by our weakness, but identifying with us and healing us. Do you believe this? Or are you still trying to earn your place in God’s kingdom? Spend some time today thinking about what it would look like to be fully surrendered to God, not trying to work your way into His good graces, but simply receiving the gift of righteousness that Jesus offers. How would you live differently if you truly believed God accepted you, not based on your work, but on the work of Christ? Ask God to help you live out of that 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 Psalm 36:5-9 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Lord, your faithful love reaches to heaven,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your judgments like the deepest sea.

Lord, you preserve people and animals.

How priceless your faithful love is, God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They are filled from the abundance of your house.

You let them drink from your refreshing stream.

For the wellspring of life is with you.

By means of your light we see light.

 

Prayer Journal
Oh heavenly Father, it is true: “The wellspring of life is with You [and] by means of Your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) You are the kind and gracious master, providing us with a life that is full and abundant and free. I know I often turn aside from Your good plan. I question Your goodness, and I seek my own way. Help me, oh Lord, to be humble and obedient to Your word. Help me to see where I have strayed from your design. Lord, my questions feel so big sometimes. Help me know You are bigger than my questions. Help me turn to You with my questions, and may they draw me in closer to You. I admit I often try to earn Your approval as I would with an earthly authority. Remind me of the grace You have freely lavished upon me, and help me to walk in obedience as a response to Your grace, and not as a means of proving myself. Thank You that I never need to wonder if I am acceptable to You. Thank You for the assurance you provide to Your children. May I never lose sight of Your abundant love for me.

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! ~ Follow Week 2

Leave a Comment

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) Nehemiah was coasting along in life with a good job, popularity, and respect in the kingdom, but God’s call on his life changed everything. How did it begin? Lesley showed us on Monday that Nehemiah’s journey in following God began with his heartbreak over his people’s dire situation. Social justice is bubbling up all over the world lately with people on all sides of various issues. Racism, life in the womb, minority groups, politics, sex trafficking, and much more are each providing us opportunity for our hearts to break with the compassion of God. Have you considered how these social issues are offering much more than the chance for you to either voice your opinion or tuck quietly away? For Nehemiah, God used a social justice opportunity to take Nehemiah deeper in his walk with God and stretch him in leading God’s people. Ask God to open your eyes to the injustices happening around you, your neighborhood, your city, and your part of the world. Even seemingly small things like having honest conversations, listening well, or showing genuine compassion to those with different views than you can be the beginnings of following God into your next steps!

2) Surrender in following God rarely, if ever, happens in our timeframe. Rather, it’s over time, and small instances of simple surrender, that we learn the discipline of full life submission to the Savior. No one wakes up one morning and decides to be mature in their walk with God; steadfastness in following is built one step of faith at a time over a lifetime. True surrender is always accompanied with a heart of humility that bends to Jesus before ourselves, loving Him most. In what scenarios in your everyday life do you most easily find yourself elevating self over someone else? For me, I love control. Whether it’s the flow of my household, how I spend my time, my vision for our family, or even the way I fold my towels, I am quick to push my ideals over anyone else’s. Humility is hard fought on the battleground of my heart, and it always begins with a willingness to surrender. Write a gut honest prayer to the Lord about your own wrestling match with humility and surrender, then ask the Lord to remind you, moment by moment, that surrender is worth it.

3) Yesterday, Parker profoundly shared, “When we come to face our reflection, we do not often see ourselves as beloved daughters of the Most High God.” Each of us wake up in the morning for one more day ahead of us. Whatever fills our days or how it looks in our current season of life, it meets us again on repeat when we pull back the covers and step into the shower. Passing by the mirror on our way into the day, what is your common heart response? If you aren’t sure, make a mental note to linger tomorrow. Do you see a woman worthy of descriptors such as captivating, beloved, chosen, delighted, dignity, and strength? The Lord God does. Whether you have surrendered the whole of yourself to Him or are pushing the boundaries of real faith in Jesus, the Lord God views you as worth the price He paid with His life to offer you total freedom from sin and salvation for eternity. He sees beauty. As Paul crossed from death to life on the day when he finally met the Lord face to face, so the same Jesus waits to meet with us, face to face. Deliberately choose this weekend to reframe your reflection and see what the Lord God sees in your mirror!

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 1:1-2 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

Prayer Journal
Oh Father God, Your way is beautiful. Your precepts are pure and true. Your law brings delight and joy to my heart, my steps, and my relationships. In You is life and only in following You am I found free to dance in endless delight. Jesus, I praise You that True Abundant Life is discovered without end in You! To find You, and know You in deeper ways, always results in fullness. Oh Yahweh, joy of my desire, to dwell with You forever, to understand You, to gaze upon Your beauty, to walk in the ways You have carved, this is joy. Beckon my heart back to You.

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