There was a time in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed. We had 5 kids under 10 years old. We had just moved and were living in temporary housing at a summer camp where my husband ended up responsible for running the camp kitchen after the unexpected departure of another staff member. I felt completely alone and overwhelmed. Our kids were fighting constantly it seemed to me. I started having difficulty getting out of bed. Eventually, I began sitting on the porch while the kids played, but turning towards the Lord for help. I poured over the Scripture, especially the Psalms in my search for help and healing from God.
There were times that I had no idea what to say to God. Each time though, as I opened my Bible, the words there brought a comfort and closeness that I craved. The Scriptures guided my thoughts toward God. I believe during that time of trial, I would have greatly benefitted from this book recently released by Suzie Eller, Prayer Starters, Talking with God about Hard Times. I wish I had it then, because as I read through it now, I see the deepness based on Scripture behind it. Each of the prayers that Suzie has written are based on a Scripture verse, and there there is room for journaling underneath. My heart actually aches to think of that season, and this book in so many ways could have been a reflection of so many of the things the Lord taught me during that time. One can tell reading through this book, that Suzie has gone deep with God in her difficult times. This has allowed her to guide others gently and gracefully to the Father in their own trials.
The other thing I really like about this book is that it is SO similar to what the Lord has been calling me to write lately! This past summer, the Lord led me to begin writing family prayer guides to make available free. Each one is based in Scripture with discussion questions, and a prayer at the end. I love how God led Suzie to write these prayer starters. To me, it just shows how much our God wants that communion with and for us! What a personal, loving God we have!
You can find Suzie’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Starters-Talking-about-Times/dp/0764240234
You can find my Family Prayer Guides here: https://onehappyhouse.org/family-prayer-guides/
