God's

August 14, 2013 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Are You Busy? Is It Hurting Your Soul?

Just how busy are you?

I recently read this quote that got me thinking about how “being busy” hurts my soul.

We can’t get along with others because we can’t get along with ourselves, and we can never get along with ourselves until we are in fellowship with the heavenly Father through faith in Jesus Christ. In this world of noise and crowds, silence and solitude are enemies to human enjoyment and must be avoided. Restless people must get lost in the crowd and keep busy in a multitude of activities in order to escape the demands of life.

Warren Wiersbe, Jesus in the Present Tense

Do you relate? Do you feel surrounded by noise? Do you feel restless? Do you always feel you have to “do something” only to find yourself feeling lost and empty? Do you have a hard time getting along with yourself, let alone others?

Do you feel surrounded by noise? Try @TriciaGoyer’s tips for saying no to busyness.

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How does being busy hurt your soul?

We are in conflict with others. Being busy treats people as projects. We get into self-protection mode, and to preserve ourselves we keep everyone else at arm’s length.

We feel disconnected from ourselves. I feel most connected with myself when I’ve spent time with God. I understand myself when I see myself through His eyes. When I spend time with God, His Spirit helps me to see that my life is part of His plan.

True or false: Being too busy is dangerous to your soul. (@TriciaGoyer)

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We feel as if everything is up to us. We think we need to make things happen. We believe we must order and control our world around us. The truth is, we see our futures best when we realize God’s already there. Like this quote from Casting Crowns says,

“When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there.”

God’s Word reminds us to be still

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV

I love how the New American Standard Version translates it: “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Friend, you don’t need to strive. It’s OK to cease striving. Your soul will even thank you for it!

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July 22, 2013 by Tricia Goyer 3 Comments

How to Talk to God

Do you wonder if God is out there listening? Do you question if He cares? Many of us want to talk to God—to pray—but we don’t know how to start.

Here are some things that might help: <click to tweet>

You don’t need a specific place to pray . . . but finding “a prayer place” might help. I pray before I climb out of bed, snuggled under the blanket. I pray in the mornings, sitting on the couch. I pray in the afternoons as I’m folding laundry. Praying in those places becomes a habit, and being there “triggers” me to turn my heart to God.
You can pray any time . . . but creating daily appointments can go a long way. During my “couch” prayer time I make a cup of coffee or tea. I grab a journal and pen. I open my Bible. This ritual helps me to focus. It prepares my heart.
You don’t need a list of requests . . . but keeping a list can grow your faith. I keep a prayer journal. It’s built my faith to go back and see how God has answered my prayers. I’ve prayed for book deadlines and kid issues, and years later I can see that, with God’s help, the work got done and the kids turned around. It encourages me to continue asking and continue drawing near.
You don’t need to pray a specific set of words . . . but looking to the Lord’s Prayer can be a good guide. From Matthew 6:9-13:

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Jesus’ prayer guides us to *pray for God’s will. It reminds us to *pray for His kingdom on earth. It shows us that *God is our provider. It reminds us to *ask for forgiveness . . . and to *offer forgiveness. And it encourages us to *seek protection from evil. What a great list to pray through!

Five More Tips on Talking to God

Nix the holy slang. God understands “whasup God” just as well as He does “Thou holy Father.”
Spit it out. I’m able to keep my train of thought better when I’m talking.
Find a prayer buddy or prayer buddies. It brings hope to my heart when I know others are praying for me and when I’m praying for others.
Don’t think of talking to God as seeking to “get your prayers answered.” Instead, think of it as bringing your concerns before Him and allowing Him to sort out the best plan of action.
Remember how much God cares for you. He’s not watching to see when you’ll mess up. Instead, He’s eagerly waiting to see when you’re going to step near. He wants you to connect with Him, not out of duty but out of relationship.

So how do you start? Start simply. Start with a heart full of hope of drawing near. Start now!

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June 25, 2013 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Know God’s Will

Many people ask themselves, “What is God’s will for my life?” I’ve asked this many times. We want to know why we are on earth. We desire to know our unique purpose. Let’s talk today about how to know God’s will.

William Barclay says, “There are two great days in a person’s life—the day we are born and the day we discover why.” It’s the “why” that gives us a mission. It’s understanding the “why” that sets our feet in motion as we work to live up to our God-given potential.

The why of our existence starts with the heart. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life,” we read in Proverbs 4:23.

Want to know why a man does what he does? Look at his heart. As I learned as a child, “What goes in, is what comes out.” And what comes out explains a lot about what we believe about what our purpose is in life.

Many times when we are seeking how to know God’s will, we want to know what He wants us to do as individuals. Yet even more helpful is understanding what God has done and what He desires to do in our generation.

Henry Blackaby says, “You need to see the heart of God. What has God always been looking for? Then, what does God look for when He comes to your life? What is He looking for in our generation? Does any of this match your life—not because you say it does, but because God has confirmed it Himself?”

As I thought about this, I realized that for all generations God’s heart has desired a few things, when we learn this we also learn how to know God’s will.

⁃ For faithfulness in His followers
⁃ For men and women to raise their children in righteousness (right living)
⁃ For His Word—Truth—to go out to the nations

I know God’s will for my life will line up with His will for the world. The “why” behind “why I was born” will line up with God’s “why” for every believer.

This makes me think of my own life. As a servant of God, I am called to understand His heart for all generations. And I am called to listen and obey to my part in seeing His will come to pass.

God spoke of this type of calling for His prophet and priest Samuel:

“Then I’ll establish for myself a true priest. He’ll do what I want him to do, be what I want him to be. I’ll make his position secure and he’ll do his work freely in the service of my anointed one.” 1 Samuel 2:35 (The Message)

Many times we want to know God’s will so that we can set to work at tasks for God. We think of it like getting a homework assignment. “Do this, this, and this and you’re good to go.”

Instead, God’s will is following God’s heart <click to tweet>. It’s allowing God to fill us and work through us, moment by moment. This might look different throughout our lives. Sometimes we called this “seasons of service.” But even though the outward expression of how we are to love and serve others changes, the focus really is loving and serving as an outpouring of God in us.

In my life, I’ve had seasons of service. I’ve written various books and articles. I’ve helped to launch a crisis pregnancy center. I’ve mentored young mothers around the country. I’ve raised kids in four different decades. (Wow, that makes me sound old!) God’s will wasn’t following those specific tasks. God’s will was knowing His heart and stepping out to serve as I felt Him leading me at the moment. It’s not getting homework or marching orders, it’s staying so connected with the heart of God that I understand His still, small voice directing me day by day.

As an author of forty books, I understand this. I don’t know every word that will fill the book when I start Page 1. Instead, I trust that the story will unfold one word at a time.

When it comes to how to know God’s will, it isn’t about a “calling” for our whole lives, but rather it’s tuning in to the Author of Life and allowing the story of our lives to unfold as we connect with Jesus, the Word <click to tweet>.

I am not called to write . . . I am called to be a servant of God.
I am not called to be a Christian, homeschooling mom . . . I am called to be a servant of God.
I am not called to be a godly wife . . . I am called to be a servant of God.
I am not called to start a crisis pregnancy center, mentor teen moms, lead Bible studies, go on mission trips, care for my aging grandmother, or adopt children . . . I am called to be a servant of God.

Because I married, my service to God means serving my husband. Because I have children, my service to God means loving them and raising them to know Him.

During moments in my life, my service to God has meant helping to start a crisis pregnancy center, mentoring teenage moms, leading Bible studies, going on mission trips, caring for my elderly grandmother, and adopting children. But those are just an outpouring of God in me, of my heart understanding His.

God didn’t give me a list of marching orders, and I’ve been checking them off. Instead, I’ve dug into His Word and I’ve grown in my relationship with Him. As I’ve understood His heart, I’ve served Him in the ways He’s brought before me, for His glory. It’s saying “yes” to what’s on His heart as He reveals it to me.

What I do comes out of who I am as a child of God.
Who I am comes out of where my heart is.
Where my heart is depends on how lined up I am with where God’s heart is.
I discover God’s heart when I read His Word, surround myself with His fellow servants, and love and serve those around me who need His love and grace.

Where does this leave me? I cannot be proud of the things I do—of being a mom or an author or a mentor. Instead, it leaves me humble that God has chosen to love and serve through me. Instead, it continually takes me to my knees as I pray and ask Jesus to line up my heart with His.

What is God’s will for your life? You’ll discover the answer by first asking, “What is God’s will?” And then my connecting with Him—in His Word, through prayer, and through fellowship with other believers. It’s only then that you’ll follow His will in what He wants you to do and who He wants you to be today.