Well hello, lovelies! I’m so glad you are here!
Seriously. I’m amazed at what has become of these thousands of women around the world, each wanting to know Him more, and deciding to seek Him together! This is all Him!
Can you believe we are already starting our third Bible reading plan together? How many of y’all have been with us from the beginning? Who’s starting with us for the first time today? Who wishes I would just get on with this post so you can know what plan we’ve chosen to do?!
Either way – we’re just so glad to have you! What a difference it makes to do this together!
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So, something about me (and I’m guessing, probably something about a good number of y’all, too):
I’m a box checker.
[yes, I am going to draw this out… stick with me, though!]
[photo credit: orgjunkie.com]
I love the satisfaction of marking one bold stroke through a task that has been looming.
Are any of y’all list-makers?
Do you ever add something that you’ve already accomplished to a list, just for the satisfaction of checking it off right away?
I’m that girl. And like I said, I bet I’m in good company with some of you.
So, when it comes to my spiritual life, I’m super comfortable with the quantifiable things. I love reading my devotional and scripture for the day and checking that little box, knowing I did exactly what was expected of me. Feels great! Like getting a #SheReadsTruth A+!
My struggle? It’s the areas that aren’t so tidy – so task-oriented and measureable.
It’s the relationship. The communion. The stuff that isn’t about duration or frequency or checking empty boxes.
It’s the heart stuff.
Prayer is where I often struggle the most. I can do tasks. I know about how long they’ll take and how much effort they will require. I can even anticipate about how much introspection might take place.
But my relationship with my Savior is not about checking boxes.
Not only is prayer one of the things we should do each day, it’s arguably the most important thing we should do every day.
I like to pray as I drive, pray as I shower, pray before meals and pray as I fall asleep at night. But I’m not great at carving out time to “pray until I pray”, as my pastor puts it. You know, pray until you really experience communion with the Lord. Until you give Him room to speak and scrape away at all the gunk we see when we view ourselves through the lens of scripture instead of the lens of the world. Prayer is where the change happens.
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[image credit Margaret Barley from the #SRT Istagr.am Feed]
This new plan is simply titled, “Prayer”.
It is 21 days of scripture only, “learning how best to pray, both from the prayers of the faithful and from the words of Jesus Himself.”
As a community, let’s focus on being faithful in the unquantifiable. At our widely various levels of relationship with the Lord, let’s encourage one another to sit with Him in quiet. Really sit. Let’s take as long as it takes to pray until we truly pray. Let’s learn from His word how to go before our Father.
Let this be a season of prayer and learning to pray.
Let’s dig deep with the Lord on the most personal level, praying His words, asking Him to reveal Himself, and asking the One who gives generously to lavish upon His daughters the fruits of the Spirit and real change in our own lives.
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:12-14a
Love to you precious ladies. Looking forward to these next three weeks with you!
Raechel
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Head on over to our How page for more information on how to join in on our current reading plan, Prayer.
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87 thoughts on "“i will hear you”"
Began following #SheReadsTruth and found this early plan. Forgive me for getting in so late. And "backtracking" but I really feel impressed to follow along with this "Prayer Plan". Thanks!
I have never heard of this until I was on youversion trying to find some random message from God because I feel like my life is falling apart. I somehow scrolled to this post, and it is EXACTLY like me. It’s so identical to what I do it’s creepy. Like seriously I just added something I already did to my “to-do” list so I could check it off… (totally did that the past 2 mornings). Anyway, thanks for this post, even though it’s like 7 months since it was published. I really needed to hear it tonight.
thanks for all you do!!!
I am a newbie to online sharing. I am hoping for a rich and deeper relationship with God and godly women.
I want to know christ more, I just got this site shereadstruth. How do I build my self more in christ and what set of people should I mingle with. God bless you all.
This is beautiful. I found this blog via instragram and what a blessing it is! My friend and I have been talking today about how we feel nervous about the world around us anymore and we know we have to give it to God for He will lead us on the right path. This blog is PERFECT and I can't wait to share it with my friends. Thank you for doing this and I am looking forward to reading your blog and continuing to grow my faith. God Bless!
I just found your page thru instagram!!! I am so excited to start the prayer plan! I know im behind but im so excited and this is soooo what I need in my life rite now!
I just found this blog and reading this post brought me to tears. I so long for what you're talking about – not just checking things off a list but deep communion with God. I think I'm too late to join this reading plan but I'd like to join another one. how do I get started?
Emma-
Sorry that I'm just now seeing this. Have you been able to join in on our other reading plans? You can search shereadstruth in the Youversion app on your smartphone and the current plan is in Philippians.
I hope this helps! So glad you are here!
Will the other plans be available on You Version?
nice.
I need to pray more. Well, I need to pray more on my own. My daughter is 2 and I want her to see her to see a family that prays together, but understands that it is important to pray along also. This is my struggle and I am excited to see what God has in store for me during this plan!
I have been looking and looking for the plan and still can’t find it! Please help! I did the first two and would love to do this one too. Ivelooked for the title Prayer and for any 21 day studies.
I'm having SUCH problems locating this plan on my YouVersion app! Can somebody help? It's not coming up for me and I don't know if I'm doing something wrong.
This post SO spoke to my heart, Raechel. I needed that reminder, that my relationship with Jesus is not about checking boxes. Thank you for sharing!
I’m having trouble finding the devotional. I type in “prayer” but don’t see “I Will Hear You”. Come to think of it, I don’t see on this post or the instruction page for sure the title I need to look for? Love today’s devotional here. Shared the link on fb.
I've been taking part since the second week of Soul Detox, which I caught up with quickly and enjoyed every second of!
When I joined SheReadsTruth, I was severely depressed, afraid to leave the house and crying nearly everyday. Getting into God's word has helped me tremendously.
Tonight I am celebrating my first two FULL days of work in over a year. I had been working half days and finally got the courage to work up to full days.
The first day of this plan couldn't come at a more perfect time. Just having it be scripture alone made it so perfect to pray on. It filled me with such courage on my first day back. It made it clear what I should be praying about and HOW.
I am so blessed to have found this wonderful group and the friendship I have made through it is quickly becoming one of my favourites!
Thank you so much for starting this blog! It has been a breath of fresh air for me. Exactly what I need in my life right now.
So excited to be starting this new plan with you. This is exactly what I've been needing for a long time so happy to start it with such an amazing group !
Thank you for this site ! & You Version. !
Rosie
I just found your blog yesterday via Twitter and am so very thankful. God's timing is always so perfect as I myself always struggle with prayer. Lately I've been feeling like I've lost my way and can't find my way back to Him. My hope is that with my love for God and the inspiration from this blog I will find my way again.
I'm starting it the day after, but I'm excited to be apart.
This is my first day to read along with you all and I'm so excited! I'm so glad this series is strictly on scripture because I think that is where prayer has to start….praying scripture over our lives. I like to read this particular passage(s) in the KJV because I don't like how the NIV leaves out the very end of the Lord's Prayer: "For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen." :) Love you girls! blessings, cat moore
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I feel like I just don't know how to pray. I hear the words flow so freely from my pastor or some of my friends and I'm amazed at the words God gives them. A part of me wonders why I can't be like that too. I hope that this plan will inspire me and give me the words I need to pray.
Wow…so this daily devo (my first) is actually an answer to prayer for me and something I've been doing on my own for weeks now…being both remindful and forgetful about it depending on the day…I am really looking forward to participating in this. Have been watching this site grow for a few weeks now. None of this is concidence…it's just exactly what I have been needing.
Thank you, thank you!!!
I am already enjoying this devotional!! Gods word hit me in the face today as I sat reading day 1. I already know I will get so much out of the serious and cannot wait to dig in more! Thank you so much for being a body of believers who search to build relationships and love through God!
Thanks for starting She Reads Truth ~ the Living the Surrendered Life plan couldn't have come at a more fitting time for me. I'm looking forward to following the Prayer plan as well – I'm a list maker and a box checker too, and I struggle with carving out time to pray. Looking forward to the next three weeks :)
I started a little late with you girls. I just finished Soul Detox yesterday so I am going to do Prayer and Surrendered Life together to get caught up!
The new plan is SO awesome! I actually also started the Soul Detox plan because I missed the boat on that one and have heard GREAT things about it… today on my blog i posted a note i wrote in YouVersion after i did the devotion!
check it out here –> http://feelingbloggy-read.blogspot.com
xoxo!! B.Cho
Just popped over from A Wedding Story. :) I love the concept of your website. I have just added your blog button to my blog also!
I so need this new plan! I'm so excited!
LOVE this!!!
Thank you for beginning shereadstruth–I finished Living the surrendered life and loved it! It's the first devotional I have ever stuck with and finished. I look forward to the next study and really love the accountability of knowing that others are reading the same thing I am!
Thank You for shereadstruth. Becauae of if I’m learning to draw closer to God. I needed this so very mkuch. May God bless al the shereadstruth ladies.
So glad I found all this through instagram!! So happy to have the support of all of y’all.
Thank you wonderful ladies. Love love love this site and what is doing through you all. God bless you on this journey and I am so excited to start this plan!!!!!! I have been through them all now and let me tell you, there has been a "BAM" in every single one for me. Keep it going and coming, because this is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am certainly a box checker! This post and plan is a blessing as God has been tugging me back into a RELATIONSHIP and COMMUNION with Him – not just doing certain things. I have also just started re-reading "The Screwtape Letters" by CS Lewis…wow, talk about the power of prayer! It seperates us from our enemy!!
Thank you – I so appreciate this site (I just found it last month)! oxox
I just wanted to praise all your women who have organized this. I started with you all for Living the Surrendered life and have fallen more and more in love with my Savior every day because of you. I'm looking forward to this Prayer study and getting to know you all more! THANK YOU!
I am excited to be starting this new plan. I have been with you since the beginning and it has been so encouraging to see so many more join these studies. I love that this one is on prayer because it has been on my heart lately to make my prayers more heartfelt and deep. I pray everyday but sometimes I feel like the words are out of habit and I want my prayer time to have a deeper meaning and to be more focused on conversing with God and listening to what He has to say back to me.
I joined mid way through the last plan, "Living a Surrendered Life". I thought I wanted to finish that, but I think I will switch gears and jump on to this one. There is something about community and accountability that I need desperately!
Oh the timing of this plan. I've been struggling with prayer too. I can never seem to let my mind go quiet for more than 5 minutes before I start thinking about everything under the sun. I need to learn to be still and listen
I am currently on day 5 of Living the Surrendered Life and enjoying it more that can be described. I'm planning to play a bit of catch up on the previous plan over the next weekend or so and will also join with this one. I'm looking forward to going on the journey with a community and exploring my own prayer life. It seems timely that I just finished day 5 that talks about prayer :)
Im new today! I am a list maker and I do put things on my list I’ve already accomplished just for the satisfaction of seeing it and crossing it off. I love that this lesson is about prayer. I struggle to learn how exactly to pray. On my instagram, I took your challenge and posted my comment. I have a private account so my hash tag won’t work, but hopefully you’ll see it and pray for my path.
So excited to start the new plan! I joined #SheReadsTruth in the middle of the last session and I'm looking forward to starting this one at the beginning.
Pray until you pray. I love this. I know exactly those moments you are talking about, and unfortunately I've had way less in my life than I want. Every day, minute, hour God is ready to talk to me. I'm ready.
YES. This is what I need. Thank you so much for all the work you ladies put into this.
Jessie—I am also concurrently doing the Youversion reading plan Eat this Book, which is about 4 chapters a day. And I give myself grace when I miss a day, hit the “catch me up” button and keep going. I am 40 years old, raised in a Christian home, been a Christian myself since age 11 and have never read the Bible through. That’s my current goal, along with doing shereadstruth with you ladies.
I'm SO glad this is the new plan because it is exactly what I needed. Every plan has hit me with a BAM that has been absolutely perfect.
Thanks so much for doing this and keeping it going! Y'all are so awesome!
I am a list maker. A box checker. And am also guilty of adding items to my list just so I can cross them off. The last couple years God has set me on a journey of messing all that up. :) It's tough, but I'm thankful. He's teaching me to quit depending on lists and 5-step-plans for success and simply to recognize His voice and act without hesitation. It's a process. And one that sometimes feels like it's going in reverse. But I wouldn't for a minute give up what I've learned to go back to my comfortable, (seemingly) self-sufficient existence.
I am new here and just want to tell you what an awesome blessing this has already been just four days in!
Excited about this new plan, but I was sad to see the other one go:) I really enjoyed it!
Definitely looking forward to this plan! Guidance with my prayer is exactly what I need right now!!!
I am so excited to have found this and am really excited about starting this plan. Your blog post today could have been written by me – i love my lists! I am so happy that this is about prayer because i am always so concerned that i am not praying right that i often neglect it all together
I could have written this post! I am SO that box checking girl! Excited and nervous for this new study – praying for the unquantifiable in my faith!
Reading this blog post was like reading a passage out of my own little life. Prayer is so important, but I know that I neglect it…for several reasons. Sometimes, I just don’t know what to say or even the silence seems not enough. Can’t wait to start my second reading plan with all of you lovely women!!’
I just found you a few days ago on Instagram and quickly jumped in to catch up with Living the Surrendered Life. I love this idea. I've always struggled with prayer. At different times in my life I've been able to have decent prayer times but over the years (especially since I became a mom) it has been increasingly hard to spend any quality time in prayer. I'm excited about this. :)
What else do you all do during your quiet times w Jesus? I read the passage and the chapter that it came from, and the devotional, but I feel like that only takes about ten minutes tops. Besides prayer, what else do you guys do to be in the Word? :)
Have you ever tried to write out your prayers? Sometimes that helps me focus on praying because I can see it and pray the same thing over and over – and then look back after some time to see how God responded.
I do this too.
Jessie; I start out with prayer for understanding and then I keep a journal and write the date and the bible verse. I work on memorizing that verse too. Then I read the devotional on you version and right down my thoughts and noes from the author of the devotional included in the you version devotional. I also have written down prayer requests from others and use that time to pray for other people along with ladies from #shereadstruth. All in all, it usually takes me 30 min. or so. But, remember, it isn't about "time". It is about what you get out of your time alone with Him. Whether it takes you 1o minutes or 1 hour. I do not believe there is any right or wrong time here. Pray for understanding and then ask for His guidance as you read and spend time in His word. The time you spend in prayer with Him, will undoubtedly allow Him to make deep changes in your perspective on life. God, though His spirit, teaches the heart that is searching to know Him! God Bless You in your time with Him.
I keep an online journal (I use LiveJournal, but there are multiple blogging platforms out there) and then I write down the verse and key lines from the devotional that stood out to me. From there I write about why those things stuck out to me, what I think on the subject, and anything else that I feel relates. One nice thing about journaling online is that I can link to a previous entry if I've talked about the subject before, or link to a YouTube video if it makes me think of a particular song, or to a Bible chapter on Biblegateway or YouVersion, etc.
Another thing is that I try to read until I have something to talk about, something that really strikes me and I want to respond to. If I'm reading my Bible, I'll read another chapter or two. If I'm reading a Christian book, I'll read another few pages or another chapter.
That's what I've found works for me; I know everyone has different things that they do.
Thank you so much for doing this! I, too, found you on instagram. And I am so grateful! This is my first reading plan with the group, and I'm so excited! I have recently begun the journey back to church, and I have to admit, prayer is almost as hard as walking back in those doors after all these years! This is so timely for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Welcome, Ivy. So glad you are walking back in those doors and into His arms. Let us encourage you as He draws you near!
God is amazing! My prayer life is something that has been weighing heavy on my heart much lately! This plan is perfect!! So blessed by this amazing group of #SheReadsTruth readers!
I am excited to be joining in with this reading plan. I am also a list maker & box checker. I could not have found this at a better time. Looking forward to spending more time in the Word and developing my prayer life. Thank you so much for hosting this.
SO excited! Just finished Day 1…. I joined in halfway through the first plan and am loving them all!!! Thanks so much for hosting us!!!
I'm so excited to start this new plan. I love the idea of "praying until I pray" and totally relate to checking prayer off as another thing throughout my day. I want God to change my attitude toward prayer and believe this could be a step in that direction. Thank you for the encouragement along the way!
Prayer has always been something I struggle with… I am so looking forward to spending more time with my Father and you ladies! I love how God is using this in my life. Praying for you all.
I've been with you from the beginning. I am a semi-box checker. Prayer has been heavy on my heart lately to make it less of me talking at God and more waiting on God. Perfect timing for this study for me.
Can't wait to get started!
So looking forward to joining in this! I'm also interested in doing The Surrendered Life, even though that's already been completed by everyone else. Where can I find that plan, as well? :) Thank you!
head on over to the youversion.com website or your Bible/you version app!! Search "living the surrendered life" under plans! It'll be there!
Thanks, Kacia! So excited to be a part of She Reads Truth! :)
You can find Living the Surrendered Life in the youversion. Just click on the "all plans" button and scroll through the rest of the plans, you'll see it! Click on it and go from there. You can actually do more than one study at a time. Have fun and God Bless You!
Thank you, Nancy! :) God bless you, too!
Prayer is definitely something I struggle with. Looking forward to this plan.
How timely — just yesterday I published a long-awaited post [as in, it's been sitting as a draft, constantly being edited, since January] about my struggles with prayer!
The past two studies have been lovely [I've been here from the beginning!] & I'm so looking forward to working on a more prayerful heart alongside so many beautiful sisters.
Prayer has been heavy on my heart lately, too. I'm ready to have a study focusing on just this. It's so encouraging to know other people feel the same way I do. We can work at it together.
Need this more than you know. I am the exact same about the quantifiable stuff, and as a newer Christian I feel like my prayer has been sorely lacking. I am so excited!
This is definitely me – I use my little cozi app and my to do list some days goes on and on. There are days I knew even though I did my #shereadstruth devotional that I didnt really spend enough time with Him.
Thank you for starting #shereadstruth! I had been struggling to daily read God's word. The last plan "Living the Surrendered Life" felt like it chronologically followed what God was speaking or working in me that day/week! I'm excited for the new venture in prayer. I get very passive about spending some quiet uninterrupted time with God, really seeking His face! For God alone is greatly and worthy to be praised!
Yay! Oh this study hits to the heart of my biggest struggle. (side note) A fellow box checker, I am loving the format (& length) of these studies :)
This is so God's amazing timing in my life. Prayer =) I've been with you all from the beginning, and I've grown so much through every lesson every day. Love all you sisters!
I found your website through Instagram a few days ago and am SO excited for this new plan! I am THE SAME WAY. I LOVE checking off boxes and I pray everywhere but in my room with closed door. so sad :( i want more of Jesus! I am so thankful for you ladies! <3 I am telling everyone I know about shereadstruth!!! May God continue to bless you, your work, and your families! xoxo
I just found this site too and could have written exactly what you said Vicky :)
God Bless my dear!
You are not alone Vicky! I struggle with the same thing! Thank you for your post! It was such an encouragement to me to know I'm not the only one in the world who struggles with that so thank you! I'll be praying for you!