062. The Power of Prayer with Speaker & Author Chrystal Hurst

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 Evans 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 www.ChrystalEvansHurst.com. Follow Chrystal on Facebook + Twitter + Instagram: @ChrystalHurst FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM  Elevating Motherhood Links: Website: www.elevatingmotherhood.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/loribethauldridge Facebook: www.facebook.com/elevatingmotherhood iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevating-motherhood/id1479731562 Blog: www.yayamamas.com