By Shara Beuler-Rekpa It was our prayers for guidance that sent our road ministry back to the West. The Lord kept us in our home state of Texas for a bit, but now He’d impressed on us it was time to roll. The Holy Spirit actually sang to Bruce as he strolled through the pasture: “Go West, young man, haven’t you been told?” Our departure date, though, was not without challenges: an outbreak of equine viruses in Texas and Arizona; an irritated eye on my horse, Nocona; and a flu

This time, my prayer was different. I asked God to change me—my heart, my mind, my attitudes, whatever He wanted. That prayer was difficult because it required me to get myself out of the way.

Many of us have been taught to pray with faith, but not always with intimacy. We pray carefully. Respectfully. Sometimes even cautiously. And while reverence is holy, restraint born from disappointment can quietly rob us of boldness. We stop asking God to draw near, not because we don’t want Him, but because we don’t want to be let down again.

God never created us to just push through. We were never supposed to do everything in our own strength. God created us for something far greater than survival. He created us to live in dependence on Him, to impact His Kingdom, and to walk in His grace.

The Holy Spirit fills in the gaps when our knowledge is incomplete, but in other places, the Bible gives specific prayer prompts.

Confession seems like a scary word to us. Maybe we’ve watched too many crime dramas where confession leads to conviction, which means a lack of freedom.

I went on to complete the 40 days, which took me about 45 days. And it was during this time that God opened my eyes to prayer in new, transformative ways. 

Tell God how hard it feels to talk to Him. Tell Him what you’re afraid to say. Let Him meet you in your own way, not someone else’s formula. Allow Him to show you how you communicate best with Him. Jesus told us to keep on asking, keep on knocking, keep on seeking (see Matthew 7). God desires a relationship with you. He wants your questions, your fears, your hopes, your anger, your joy—all of you.

In the moment by moment living where we are no longer where we have been, but not yet certain of where we are going, we can build our faith brick by brick in believing in who God is by His Word, who He has been before in our lives, and how He continues to be those things today. God does not change (Malachai 3:6), and we can hold to hope in Him with confidence, trusting that He will continue to come through for us, even in the wind-swept days where we long and wait for fullnes

You’re sitting at your office desk, waiting for payday to pay a stack of unpaid bills, while your adult daughter stops by for some motherly advice, and your phone buzzes with a text from your mother that her oxygen levels are dipping and she needs you to come by after work. You feel less like the "virtuous woman" of Proverbs 31 and more like a human panini—pressed between the heavy weights of two generations, with the heat of a toxic workplace turned up to high.

Avoidance of prayer can look like procrastination. Perhaps we’re carrying unconfessed sin that can affect our openness and confidence to approach the throne. Self-reliance or pride often whispers, “We’ve got this.” Remember Jonah, who avoided God’s directives by fleeing in the opposite direction from Nineveh? He couldn’t hide from God, and neither can we. Jesus is our mighty counselor, and He wants us to come as we are

Scripture is everlasting and true. When our own words run dry, nothing is more pure than breathing God’s Word into our rhythms of prayer. Writing Scripture as prayer binds it to our hearts and invites the Holy Spirit to faithfully echo Truth when our human capacity fails.

Prayer is the spark that ignites God’s Spirit, the flame, to burn brightly within us, purifying our hearts and minds, giving us the clarity, peace, discernment, strength, and wisdom needed to endure the process of becoming more like Christ.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of worrying about world events, particularly wars and rumors of war, we are hearing about in the news right now. The media shows us horrific details of bombed-out buildings and burned-out homes. People fleeing and parents weeping. Then God reminds me... 

Spring is a season of invitation—an opportunity to release what feels heavy and make room for what brings life. The Spring Reset is not about extremes or perfection, but about alignment: nourishing the body with vibrant ingredients while creating space for spiritual clarity and renewal.

“A fresh start for your home, welcoming light, life, and joy.” Spring is nature’s invitation to let go of the old and welcome new energy into our lives—and our homes are the perfect place to start.

Somewhere along the way, we complicated what God always intended to be simple. Prayer wasn’t designed to impress heaven—it was designed to connect hearts.

I’ve carried a soft place in my heart for girls who live in that tension. Maybe it’s because I’ve been there—the small-town whispers, the sharp edges of words meant to sting, the ache of feeling just outside of belonging. I once thought that moving, studying, changing everything around me would dissolve it.

By Peggy Easterling I remember one time I truly believed I heard the voice of God. Not in an “audible-from-the-sky” kind of way, but in that deep inner knowing that feels holy and clear. I felt prompted to offer an opportunity to someone, and I obeyed with confidence. And I got rejected. Not gently. Not subtly. I mean, rejected in a way that made me replay the entire conversation afterward and question everything. I walked away thinking, “ Did I miss God? Did I make that up?

When shame tightly clings, prayer can become the very instrument needed to loosen its grip by reawakening truth, re-centering our identity in Christ, and opening a channel through which healing flows. “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced.” (Isaiah 54:4) This promise allows you to show up proudly in this world with a Kingdom daughter posture and purpose.