Episode 062

Mind, Body, Spirit…I believe that we have a lot of resources for how to care for our minds and bodies as moms, but what about our spirits? I think it’s really important that we as mothers nourish our spiritual side as well as our mind and body. It’s honestly one of the main ways I get closer to feeling “whole” and more like my authentic self, when I work on my mind, body, AND spirit (but especially my spirit). For some of us, this is done through our religion or church. Some moms don’t have a clearly defined or defined by an institution faith base.

So how do we talk about prayer when there is such a mix? I think it’s in sharing our stories, hearing the stories of others, sharing our hang ups, our doubts, our questions, our needs. I use prayer as a way to tune out the nonsense in our world and tune into my spiritual side. Prayer is my medium of choice. God is who I speak with as a person who identifies as a Christian.

But I’ll be honest, I’ve had doubts on my prayer journey. I’ve felt like I wasn’t saying or thinking the right things while praying, I don’t feel like I’m very good at praying out loud, especially in groups of people, and I’ve taken seasons off from consistent prayer in the past. But I never felt like it was okay to say those things out loud or explore ways to deepen my prayer practice.

That’s why I’m so glad I had the chance to talk with today’s wonderful guest, Chrystal Hurst about her new book The 28 Day Prayer Journey. It’s awesome. It’s thorough and thoughtful. Chrystal shares so much insight and makes prayer do-able. Her book really helps readers establish rhythms and habits to transform their prayer practice.

Whether you have an active prayer practice or not, I appreciate you listening to this episode. I think it’s really powerful to acknowledge and grow the spiritual side of you. And we do that by slowing down, hearing stories, reading books, being still, and listening.

Chrystal shares some great ideas about the how, why, and when of prayer and brings ease to some common doubts surrounding prayer and what it’s like to talk with God.

Chrystal’s Bio: Chrystal Evans Hurst is an energetic, life-loving “girl-next- door” who loves encouraging others to fulfill their potential in Christ. With humor and vulnerability, Chrystal tells it like it is but does so with grace, integrity, and love.

She is the best-selling author of She’s Still There and Kingdom Woman. You can find Chrystal regularly sharing encouragement via her podcasts and blogs, where she poignantly reflects on faith and speaks with frank honesty about the everyday experiences of women.

Chrystal firmly believes God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans that I have for you…” and she desires to help other women believe and apply that truth to their lives. You can find Chrystal sharing chronicles of the journey at ChrystalEvansHurst.com.

Chrystal’s Links: Web Site, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

In this episode Chrystal & I talk about:

• Her new book The 28 Day Prayer Journey
• How the book came to be
• Spiritual heritage
• When we feel like we’re “supposed to” already know how to pray
• Unpacking doubts we have about whether we’re “doing it right” or not
• The basics of prayer – prayer as communication between you and God
• What prayer looks and sounds like to Chrystal
• The power of consistency in prayer
• An ongoing awareness of God’s presence in our lives
• Taking the drama out of praying…the answer for “I don’t know what to say”
• We are imposing things on ourselves that God is not imposing on us
• Withness
• Prayer as a way to feel less alone in motherhood
• Kids did not come with a manual
• Suffering and parenting…how they create a dependency on God
• Prayer as a two-way communication
• The unexplainable peace that comes from prayer
• Praying morning, noon, and night
• My water and worship time
• Mathew 6
• The balance between asking and gratitude when praying—prayer as relationship
• The importance of honesty and authenticity in prayer
• Healthy communication
• Co-creation in relationship and prayer
• Reflection time in prayer
• Give & take in prayer
• Gratitude as a way to release our closed fists
• The results of prayer
• Signs and symbols in prayer

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SPONSORS

Branch Basics: Thanks to Branch Basics for supporting today’s episode of Elevating Motherhood! Branch Basics is an educational company that offers non-toxic, simple to use cleaning solutions for your home—using one powerful, plant & mineral based cleaning concentrate. You can literally use their one concentrate to clean everything…from bathrooms & windows to floors & laundry. Simply dilute their safe, effective cleaner into their refillable bottles. The instructions are right on the label. Branch Basics has been an amazing addition to our home. I’m always looking for ways to reduce my family’s toxic burden & Branch Basics fits the bill. Plus their goals align with mine…to make cleaning sustainable, affordable, and simple…all without the use of gmos or animal testing. Head over to www.elevatingmotherhood.com/branchbasics for my personal review of their products.

Beautiful & Simple: My other favorite passion project is my online boutique Beautiful & Simple. I’ve filled it with products that remind us to slow down, practice self care, and focus on the meaningful parts of our day…the beautiful and simple ones. My favorite mug is the one that says “you cannot pour from an empty cup.” It’s my daily reminder to take care of myself so I can take care of my family. Go check out the collection of mugs, shirts & bags currently available at www.beautifulandsimple.com

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