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Brenda and Eddie got in the car and began their Thursday evening ritual. “Where would you like to eat?” “Oh, Eddie, I don’t care, anywhere is fine, really.” Eddie’s been here before. “Okay, how about The Windmill?” Brenda bristles, “No, anywhere but there!” Eddie sighs. “So where then?” Brenda insists, “Really, anywhere is fine.”

It’s the stuff of comedy sketches, humorous from a distance because we know how maddening it is in the moment.

Sometimes it can be that way in our prayer lives too. We’re too vague. In contrast, the prayer in Daniel 9 reveals Daniel boldly saying what he wants. First, he confesses the sins of his people: “We have sinned and done wrong” (v. 5). Then he makes his requests. “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant” (v. 17). “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act” (v. 19). God owed nothing to Daniel, but such was Daniel’s trust in God’s “great mercy” (v. 18) that he felt free to bring the full weight of his desires.

It’s always right to pray “not as I will but as you will,” as Jesus prayed to His Father the night before He was crucified (Matthew 26:39). But there are also times when saying what we want is the way forward. God honors our boldness when we come before Him with repentant hearts. So be bold, pray what’s on your heart, and entrust it to the God of great mercy.

When Sun’s husband had a stroke, her life took a dramatic turn. She found herself having to assist her husband with daily living activities and cope with his emotional outbursts. For seventeen years, she’d faithfully cared for her husband. When a fall hastened his decline, however, the weight of caregiving finally became too much, and Sun sank into depression. She shared, “I felt I’d lost my faith, and I couldn’t see God.”

But looking back, Sun now believes that God saw her. She believes that in very real and timely ways, He soon provided subsidized home medical and nursing care to manage her husband’s chronic condition and sent social workers to support Sun in managing the emotional challenges of caregiving.

God revealed himself as the God who sees in the story of Hagar. In Genesis 16, the slave Hagar was running away from her mistress’ mistreatment (v. 6) when the angel of the Lord found her “near a spring in the desert” (v. 7). He urged Hagar to “go back to [her] mistress” (v. 9) and assured her of His blessing. Even though Hagar was a nobody in her culture, God was watching out for her well-being. In gratitude, Hagar declared: “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13).

God sees us in our distress too. We’re never alone because our loving Father knows our situation, and He’s trustworthy. We can cry out to Him for help and trust that He will lift us up.

The church is in a moment of honest reckoning. Attendance is shrinking, institutions are thinning, and many who once belonged now stand on the outside looking in. In this conversation with author and priest Stephanie Spellers, we explore what the “nones” and “dones” are teaching us about faith, community, and the way of Jesus. Stephanie invites us to look directly at decline, name the shame we carry, and listen to the prophetic longings rising from a generation hungry for authenticity, belonging, and spiritual depth. We talk about Christian nationalism, idolized structures, meeting God outside our buildings, the table as a site of renewal, and the possibility of becoming a true Jesus movement again. If you care about where the church is headed, or whether new life can emerge from the dry bones, this episode offers clarity, courage, and hope.

Rev. Stephanie Spellers is a renowned author, Episcopal priest and change agent. Her newest book, "Church Tomorrow?: What the Nones and Dones Teach Us About the Future of Faith," explores the stories of nonreligious young Americans and their prophetic charge to traditional, declining religion. She recently completed nearly a decade leading The Episcopal Church's work on evangelism, racial reconciliation and environmental justice. Today she serves as canon in residence at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City.

Stephanie's Book:

Church Tomorrow?

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A friend of mine asked her students to make a list of questions they would like to ask Mary. “What was Jesus’ first word?” “Did he ever get sick?” “Did Jesus ever misbehave?” All legitimate questions. And the fact that we can ask them raises a greater one: Why did God go so far? Why did he become a human being? A chief reason? He wants you to know that he gets you.

The Bible says in the book of Hebrews he understands how you feel and has faced what you face. “[Jesus] has been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin! So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help” (Hebrews 4:15-16 MSG). Because of Bethlehem, you can boldly go to him.

Read more Because of Bethlehem

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It was Tuesday at the gym, so the people walking around the track were supposed to go clockwise. The first walkers my wife joined were doing that. But then another person walked onto the track going counterclockwise. A couple of her friends joined her—and then another. Suddenly there was chaos on the track—and it took a few minutes to restore order.

While no harm was intended by the wrong-way walkers, I couldn’t help but think about the power of influence. One person headed the wrong way leads to another, and on it goes. It’s a bit like Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” Following the lead of a person going the wrong way leads to trouble.

In Galatians 5, Paul explains how such a mistake can halt our spiritual progress. “You were running a good race,” he says. “Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you” (vv. 7-8). God, who desires obedience, never leads us away from truth and “into confusion” (v. 10). But those who oppose His truth can hamper our spiritual walk by redirecting us from Him.

God wants to be our guide. When we walk with Him we’ll never wander in the wrong direction.

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Lysa TerKeurst opens up about the end of her marriage and offers insight into the distinction between difficult and destructive relationships.

Lysa shares the biblical grounds for divorce, and Carey...

Read the whole entry... »

Too many leaders assume trust should be unconditional — but Scripture tells a different story.

In this season finale of Behind the Seal, bestselling author and Proverbs 31 Ministries president Lysa TerKeurst reveals why unconditional trust is not only unbiblical, but unsafe — and how to rebuild trust with wisdom, boundaries, and Spirit-led discernment.

Lysa unpacks the difference between blind trust and wise trust, why forgiveness is ultimately about your freedom, and how to discern between a triggered fear and a legitimate red flag. She also shares from her own journey through heartbreak, healing, and surrender — and what it truly looks like to walk forward without becoming hardened, bitter, or closed off.

If you’ve ever been hurt, betrayed, or left wondering if trust is even possible again — in ministry, leadership, or life — this episode will meet you right where you are.

About Lysa TerKeurst

Lysa TerKeurst is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of eight New York Times bestsellers, including I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t, Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, and It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. She enjoys life with her husband Chaz and her kids and grandkids. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com
or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.

Additional Resources

·       I Want to Trust You, but I Don’t – Lysa TerKeurst

·       Forgiving What You Can’t Forget – Lysa TerKeurst

·       Good Boundaries and Goodbyes – Lysa TerKeurst

·       Therapy & Theology Podcast with Lysa TerKeurst, Dr. Joel Muddamalle & Jim Cress

·       American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) – for counseling referrals

·       ECFA.org/LeaderCare – Resources for healthy, trustworthy leadership

·       Proverbs 31 Ministries

If this conversation encouraged you, share it with someone navigating hurt, healing, or rebuilding trust.

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