Our new Proverbs 31 Ministries devotional book: Encouragement for Today: Devotions For Everyday Living just released and I am so excited to be giving away 3 copies of it today!
It includes several devotions by me and a bunch more from my dear friends and team mates at P31. Here’s a little bit more about what is inside
Pull away from the things that are pulling on you and find lasting encouragement for today.
For twenty years our P31 team has equipped and encouraged millions of women around the world to live in the power of God’s truths that apply to our everyday lives. Written by women from every walk of life, in Encouragement for Today you will find inspiration to live authentically and fully grounded in the Word of God.
Sharing from the realities of everyday life including highs and lows, humorous stories and tender moments, you’ll enjoy 100 daily devotions woven together with wit and wisdom. Pull away from all that is pulling on you and find lasting Encouragement for Today!
What do YOU like to do or where do you like to go to pull away from all that pulls on you and spend some time with God?
Leave a comment below sharing your answer! Three winners will receive a free copy of our new book. {If you are reading this via email, PLEASE CLICK HERE to visit my blog and leave a comment under this post.}
When I need to get away with my Heavenly Father, I like to journal a letter to him thanking him for all he has given me and praise him too!
Every morning my day begins with my coffee and reading devotionals. Proverbs 31 has been such a blessing to me, as I know that this book would be. God and me time is a priority in my life and having a book such as this would only strengthen our relationship!
I am having difficulty finding time to be alone with God. I go to bible studies and am an AWANA leader, but it isn’t the same. I desperately need to find the time to just be with Him. My heart needs that right now.
My sunroom. Especially when the sun rays are shining in, I like to sit and look out at the park behind my house and marvel at God’s creation. It brings me great peace in the midst of storms.
I like to take long walks and talk to God. I get my exercise physically and it gives me the alone time with Him. At the same time it makes me appreciate the beautiful world he created as I walk, thanking Him for all he has given me.
I have been in that dry place for several months. Prayers hitting the ceiling and getting stuck there. I’ve cried to the Lord and I know he hears me, but for some reason, which I do not know, I am experiencing this dry spell. I will wait for the rain to shower me. All will be revealed.
Greetings! I start my day with a reading from DAILY GUIDEPOSTS. This year they have “Dig Deeper” scriptures. 🙂 I also like to meet with God out in His marvelous, beautiful creation – perhaps leaning against a tree, and/or near a body of water. 🙂 Another thing I enjoy doing is singing – praise songs or hymns – reading the words and/or singing them. God is so very good! God bless you all!
My favorite place to go and pull away to spend time with God is at the beach; however, I don’t get to do that very often. Lately, I find the best place to get away and spend time with time with God is in my car. I spend a lot of time there going to and from places, so it has become a great place to spend time with God away from all other distractions.
When I need to get away from what’s pulling me, I go to the spare bedroom and relax.
In doing so, I read, communicate with my Sisters in Christ for prayer, encouragement,
& support. God has blessed me with a great online support group & friends. But I know
the most important thing is my relationship with God. He is the one who helps & heals me
when I need help. Jesus is my Lord & Savior, He gives me His unconditional love.
#God’sunconditionallove
Oh this hit home. I have been in a dry place for a while. We started a new Women’s ministry at church which I am part of and it seems like Satan is attacking each one of us in some way. Being with the team of great women is where I feel the closest to God at the moment. Would love to win your devotional.
Thanks for sharing. Josie
At home on my couch I spend time with the Lord.On my way to work I sing praises to him with my CD player!! At work all day long I try to be aware of Him and pray little prayers for people all day long!! I LOVE YOU JESUS!! ♥
When the world & all of life’s responsibilities are pulling on me I like to go for a walk. It is there I can be alone with God. Resting in His Creation & listening to His leading. Thank you for all that you do to lead women to live a Confident Life in Christ. I can’t wait for the P31 study of A Confident Heart in just a few short days. I know it will be life changing for me again!
I get on my knees very early in the morning when I can’t sleep (which is almost every morning). That’s when the weight of the day is usually on my shoulders and the best time to talk and surrender things to the Lord. It’s when everyone else is asleep and there are fewer distractions. It’s also when Satan knows I am the most vulnerable so it strengthens me.
I don’t have much time lately, I have 2 girls and im going to school for Occupational therapy. My place is actually in the car. I listen to Christian music, pray and praise God. Its my place to connect with him.
Pulling away? This was a difficult decision email today to do just that and then received your email with that title! We will grow from this, were my encouraging words. Need space and time to regroup and focus on what is right a and good. Sounds like scripture, right? Philippians 4:8.
I love to spend time in the garden. Sometimes it’s raking leaves, some times it’s pruning, sometimes it’s weeding, sometimes planting, and other times it’s picking up and raking acorns. God forgive me when I complain about the acorns because there are so many and they are heavy for a 66 year old to carry a tree full of, every year to the green bins, because I am thankful that I have the strength to do it. Last year was more difficult to rake than this year because last year I had 2 hip surgeries for a broken hip. Many times this year when I have been tempted to complain I say thank you Lord that I am able to do this work that I enjoy and that I am outside in the open air. However, I must admit that since I broke my hip I have not yet gotten to the point that I can say that about the gas mower. I was using a push mower before and those blades got very dull, I had to go over the lawn over and over and it took up to an hour and a lot of sweat to mow. After the hip surgery my friend offered me a gas mower. I didn’t like the idea of gasoline entering the mostly fresh air in my garden, nor could I imagine myself controlling such a huge and heavy machine after spending so much time in a wheel chair and with a walker, but thank God, I made it past that stage of my healing and by this spring I was asking that the mower be brought over for me to try. My friends gave me their gas mower which they traded in for a gardener. Guess what, I still don’t like the smell of gasoline intruding in my garden. I haven’t yet figured out how to use it so it doesn’t put pressure on my hip and cause me pain and visits to the Fhysical Therapist (who I am also very thankful for). Now I have another reason to be thankful, I am thankful for my neighbor who has helped me on several occasions by using the electric battery mower that her family in law, gave to her family. Praise God and my neighbor, the mowing has been getting done and now that it’s more of a dormant season for the grass, the work turns from the mower to the rake, which I would rather use by far. One thing I have found out for sure while pursing the enjoyment of outdoor yard work is “…by the sweat of your forehead…” in my case is my entire head, is a great way to release the toxins from my system.
(Genesis 3:19, Complete Jewish Bible)
Every morning I make my tea and enter the office to get my devotions and my time with the Lord. This morning I felt like He was in the room before me and it was good to feel him present.
Walking our dogs in the morning and enjoying the quiet time before the busyness of another day!
During the day, I like to go walking in the park and just talk to God and marvel at the beauty all around me. At night, I will stand outside on my back porch and talk to God. I really love looking at the sky and counting the stars because God made each one. I love looking at the clouds in the sky because God made each of them, too. Just to study the sky and say thank you, God is all I need sometimes. Makes me feel closer to Him and marvel at His handiwork. Lately, I have become an avid reader, especially of books that brings me closer to God. Can’t wait to get started on The Confident Heart. I am counting down the time til we start up the study. Thank you so much.
I love to go for walks and praise The Lord for the beautiful sunsets , sunrises, flowers, clouds and blue sky, laughing children, dogs walking with their owners, birds, and the sunshine. Also, I’ve been reading the bible or a devotion every morning because I want to be very close with The Lord.
I have a favorite spot by the river, I can just set there for hours. I take my bible and devotions to read with me.Since my husbands passing this place is more precious to me.
When I can, I like to spend time at the beach either at sunset or sunrise surrounded by all of God’s amazing beauty. I feel his presence surrounding me as if he is sitting right there. It is easy to let the world go during these moments and focus solely on Him, as I breathe the salt air and feel the sand beneath my feet. It is amazing how the sound of the waves washing on shore can fill your thoughts of the one that created it all. I cherish these times of closeness with God and know I am truly blessed to have this experience Him.
I am in the process of a personal study using your book “A Confident Heart.” I am excited to be doing this study and look forward to getting even closer to God and His plan for my life. Thank you for the “Proverbs31” ministry and the books you have written to help those of us that desire to be that Proverbs 31 Woman for God and the world.
I do not have a time or favorite place to give to God what he deserves. I am so overwhelmed with caring for my elderly family and young grandchildren. A husbands who travels and when he is home he is on computer doing “I don’t want to know” and not helping me at all. We have NO life of our own, no imtemiacy at all. I am so dry spiritually and so ready for the rain to fall on me. I see know help in the near future with my situtation. I am going away this weekend to clear off my 2 desks. I can’t get bills paid, company work done because of all the intruptions, so I am checking into hotel to get all that caught up. Such a beautiful weekend, would love to be out in God’s beautiful weather. All that STUFF doesn’t include keeping up a household either. I could go on and on, but will stop now.
I enjoy staying up late reading favourite authors apply His word to parenting children or other common concerns of women and I love singing along to rockin’ praise songs when jogging or driving!! Once in a while I have a quiet(er) morning and speak aloud favourite Psalms or favourite chapters of Isaish (43. 61). 🙂 I need to do more of that…. Its healing and energizing for sure!
I like to go out in my back yard along the edge of the woods and sit on the ground and just talk to God.
I like to drive to the beach (day or night) when I feel the need to break away from everything to seek solace with God. Listening to the gentle lapping of the water calms me. Being near the most basic of God’s creations reminds me of how simple things can be and how complicated they can get when we walk by sight instead of by faith. After a while, I can feel the anxiety and stress leave my mind and body and I see more clearly. Only God can do that for anyone. Be still an listen.
I take my dog for a walk, listen to the birds singing, see the cranes that hang by the golf course pond, and talk with my Heavenly Father
I listen to the Bible on cd in my car on the way to work! I have a constant conversation with The Lord!
Renee, I believe that I can pull away and rest in Him every chance I get, in my car, during a break at work or even sometimes in the midst of chaos…however, my quiet times with God are spent with my coffee in the a.m., in my special room at night and my most favorite sitting with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration every Friday night from around 10:30 p.m. to around 1:00 a.m. This time is most precious because I am truly in His physical presence and completely away from all else…
I love to go walking and just focus on God. I look at the beauty He has created and just thank Him and praise Him for all that He is to me. I thank Him for loving me and giving me each day to be get closer to Him. When I travel to work I talk alot to God, when I am at work I talk to God and I thank Him for continuing to grow me in Him.
I like to go into the bathroom. It is there in the quietness that I meet God in the early morning before everyone gets up. I like to meet him there bc it’s quite and it prepares me for the day. I don’t have to worry about distractions and I just pour my heart out.
Soaking music…. my secret place …. my journal
… my Bible… and the Lord.
Nothing satisfies my heart more than daily quiet time…. Nothing.
I like to go walking. Sometimes I just talk to God, and sometimes I put on uplifting music and have praise and worship time!
There are two things that bring me to a place of “getting away.” I like to light a candle and get in The Word or take a walk with my dog and be in Creation.
I go to my back porch and enjoy the quiet place where I can spend some time with God.
In the quietness of my home in the early morning, I also love to connected with God outside in nature.
I like to spend time in the morning reading a devotional, the Bible & praying to God.
I like going to retreats, women’s conferences, married couples retreats, long country road drives out here in Brawley, the ocean, and my bathtub for a bible bath, a good cry, and cuddling up in my Fathers arms.
I go to the park, swing on the swings and sing to the Lord. Talk to Him as if was my dad.
This is a small park has swings and a small stream that goes through. I can hear the stream flowing over rocks, birds talking and the children playing in the neighborhood. I just take the time to be quiet also. I slowly walk back home looking over the rails of the bridge that goes over the stream to see where it is going and how it flows to its next curve. Just thinking how much beauty there is in the small things, when i just take the time to look.
I go to my car – every day I share my ride to and from work with God as I listen to KLove radio and all of the inspirational stories and music!
I would love to get away to the beach or the mountain cabin to spend my time with God. However, I will settle for my room!
I like to sit in my easy chair looking out on the birds and flowers in our back yard. My very most favorite place, however, is the Adoration Chapel in our church, in front of the blessed Sacrament of Jesus. So peaceful . .
I love to be outside and enjoying God’s creation. Being by water is my most favorite, so living in Minnesota helps. Lots of lakes give me plenty of places where I can pull away and be with God. God often speaks to me through nature, and I almost always walk away refreshed.
I like to sit at the kitchen table as the sun rises or out on my swing as the sun sets and read/pray. Mostly I pray when I’m running to clear my head.
I like to listen to Christian music that is based solidly on what the Bible teaches. This helps to put my focus on the things above and on the Lord’s goodness to me. When I hear songs that minister to me, then I think about their message all day long.
I like to pull out the copy of the Promises & What God Says from your bool. I am so excited for this study & can’t wait to get the devo.
I go to my rocking chair that is in the morning sunbeam…..
I take pictures, seeing the beauty of God through my lens, and it draws me closer to Him. It makes me FOCUS…
A very long time ago I learned the best place to get away from everyone and they leave me alone is to go to my bathroom.my klds and spouse would leave me be so I learned to use this time as my time to be with God it still works
I haven’t thought much about having to “go’ somewhere as lately because I am always with Him…always talking to Him and being with Him.