Welcome to this week’s session of our Bible study. I am glad you are here. I have been in awe of what God is doing in all of your hearts. He is so amazing! Please forgive my delay in responding to you last week. I had computer problems in the beginning of the week, and I am still catching up. Please know that I continue to pray for you daily! You are constantly on my mind and in my prayers.
Week Three, “A Healed Heart,” is right in the middle of our study. I look forward to seeing what God does in all of your hearts this week. I am praying for miracles, sweet ones. I am believing that He will heal all your hidden wounds. I ask You, Lord, to “enable your servant to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
Through speaking at women’s events and blogging I have had the opportunity and great privilege of meeting and hearing the stories of many women. One common theme I have found is many of these women are hurting. It is heartbreaking to see women carrying heavy burdens, especially when Jesus longs to take them from us.
“God heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
Even if you cannot complete this week’s study guide, I ask that you take a few minutes and read my personal story of forgiveness. I pray it touches your heart, inspiring you to take this step, make the choice, and forgive anyone you need to in your life. I think it is so important for you to know that I understand your pain. Like you, I have personally walked through it. Like you, I have had deep, hidden wounds. But, precious Sister, God wants to heal those wounds, giving you “beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).
Are you ready to get really honest with God this week?
I ask you again: are you ready to get really honest with God? Ready to let the Holy Spirit sift through your heart? Ready to let go, palms open wide, releasing your past, your pain, and people who have hurt you over to the Healer of all wounds?
This week we will be talking about trust: trusting God. Our theme verse is Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.” Another translation says “you will live safely and prosper.” It can be hard to physically trust, can’t it? Sometimes our hearts do not want to give up control. Sometimes our hearts have been betrayed by someone and we find it difficult to trust. Sometimes it seems too scary to surrender ourselves.
As you sit quietly before the Lord, ponder these:
- Has there ever been a time in your life when you doubted God’s plan or His timing? Have you come to trust in His plan for your life? What did God teach you through this experience?
- Do you have any hidden wounds that need to be healed?
- Is there someone you need to forgive (including God or even yourself)?
Please pray with me:
Father God, we thank You for Your goodness. We praise You and give You all glory and honor. Lord, I pray that You would open the eyes of the heart of this sweet sister. I pray that You would make her love “abound more and more in knowledge and depth and insight” (Phil. 1:9) so that she will be able to discern what is best. I pray that she would put her trust in You, Lord. I pray that whatever trial she is facing right now, she knows with absolute certainty that You are walking with her, watching over her, protecting her, and loving her.
I pray that she has forgiven any and all people in her life through You. Your word says we are strong in the Lord. No matter how undeserving or terrible a person has been, You give us the strength to release that person and forgive him. Help this sister to “guard her heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23). Help her to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Please, Lord, put Your healing hand around her heart, completely binding up any wounds. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Ladies, please know I am constantly in prayer for you. I know this may be a hard week, but it is so necessary in our heart’s transformation. There cannot be any poison in it. God wants to set us free. I lead you in prayer all through this week’s study guide in a step-by-step process God took me through. I hope you are able to take the time and work through it this week. Many blessings, sweet sisters.
Transformation of the Heart – Week 3 Study Guide
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Wow, I had a lot go wrong this week. Sometimes I tend to want to blame God? It is so frustrating too! The enemy has been feeding my lies saying if God loved me He would not allow certain things to happen,but that is not true. I know through my weaknesses and struggles His strength is made perfect!
Thank you for your thoughts,Tracy. Very timely!
Sweet Heather….
I know what you mean about a frustrating week. Please remember whenever we are pressing in, seeking God, the enemy will come in and bring every scheme and plan he can think of to discourage us. Sweet one, always remember God loves you so very much and that He walks with us in times of trouble. He promises that He will never leave us. And, “though we walk through the waters, they will not overtake us and we walk throught the fire, we will not be burned.”
Bless you, sweet friend. Remember you are being prayed over constantly.
Love,
Tracy
Tracy,
Thank you so much for sharing with such transparency. Your testimony is moving and inspirational. One of the best definitions I’ve heard on forgiveness is “letting go of the fact that person didn’t meet our expectations.” It doesn’t make what they did/said, etc…right, but it sets us free.
This week was God’s way of pointing to me that I thought I let go…but it’s obvious in one area I have not. The funny thing is God has seen us through so much of the majors, I’m tripping up on a minor.
Thanks Tracy again, I know God is using you and this study to work a change in me.
Thank you, Julie. My prayer has been/is that God DOES change all of us through this study.
Aahhh…the “minors.” I know what you mean…..it can be the “little foxes” that trip us up- the mundane “daily-s”…day after day “life.” You know what I find? These are the times that I think I can handle “stuff” on my own- I don’t always go to God in these “small things.” I depend on “Tracy strength”, but soon find that I can not depend on myself, even in the MINORs. That is probably why Paul says to pray about EVERY THING. We think “everything” means the big things- financial struggles, disease, divorce, etc. But everything means EVERY THING!!!
I am praying for you, sweet friend. You are such a blessing to so many. Thank you for your beautiful heart that seeks God and shares your love of Jesus with everyone. Blessings!
Hey Tracy,
As always, I’ve been blessed through your words!! Looking forward to sharing more soon!
Wanted to let you know I AM going to join up this week, I’m just going to be late! What a week!
I look forward to your post, Chelsey! I know you will have beautiful wisdom to share….
Tracy, how I love your honesty and transparency. I’ve watched your videos and read your words these past three weeks and I would never have guessed what you had to go through as a young child. Somehow I imagined that you were a Christian since childhood and that your upbringing was probably normal (well, what really is normal?).
I thank you for being open with us about true forgiveness, especially when that person doesn’t deserve it. When I consider how patient and forgiving the Lord has been with me, how can I not forgive others?
I will link up this week. I’m a bit late as I like to do this on Monday. But my post should be up on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. I’m praying about this area of my life. Thank you for leading us in the makeover of the heart.
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Sweet Debbie,
Thank you for your kind words. Oh, if we only knew one another “stories”! I know we would be surprised when we find out the pain the sweet tender woman sitting in the pew next to us!
We think the women in our lives have “everything together”- great spiritual lives, terrific marriages, and a clean minivan to boot! The enemy comes in with lies and deception, trying to make us believe that we are the only ones who are facing trial, pain, and suffering. We think we are the only ones (besides the guests on Jerry Springer!) with “messed up” childhoods. We think we are the only one experiencing a dry season with the Lord. We think we are the only ones who have a marriage holding on by a thread.. We think we are the only ones with financial problems. The truth is we all experience trials, pain and suffering. But, praise God! We are more than overcomers in Christ. God so wants to heal our broken hearts. He wants to bring wholeness to our lives. He wants to complete us.
But, the first thing we must do is be HONEST with God and with ourselves. We need to allow Him to heal our wounds. Surrendering to this healing can be so hard because we WANT to hold on to it! I love the Natalie Grant song, “Held.” She says in one hand is bitterness and that we are tempted to feed it. But, oh the sweet release, the peace, and the joy we experience when we finally forgive.
Thank you, sweet friend for your wonderful comments. I look forward to reading your post!
Love you, friend!
God is so amazing. I thank Him for sendin you our way to share the joy of the Lord, which is our strength. It’s so awesome that God will speak to His children through His other children concerning the same matter. Last week I was in chruch service on wednesday and our pastor talked about matters of the heart. AAAAWWWWWEEEEESSSSSSOOOOOOMMMMEEE!
Blessings and Favor
Thank you, sweet sister! Oh, how true you are about God sending many different messengers with the same message! How wonderful that He keeps confirming for you this message of the heart.
Praying for you, Erika. Blessings, friend.
God is so amazing. I thank Him for sendind you our way to share the joy of the Lord, which is our strength. It’s so awesome that God will speak to His children through His other children concerning the same matter. Last week I was in chruch service on wednesday and our pastor talked about matters of the heart. AAAAWWWWWEEEEESSSSSSOOOOOOMMMMEEE!
Blessings and Favor
Wow Tracy! This is such great stuff!! Your questions really kind of stopped me in my tracks! I thought I was going along, trusting God with everything…….but have I ever doubted His plan for me, or His timing???? Well, I never really thought about it like that, and I have to admit that I have work to do in that area….I did not even realize that. I have an onging wound, and I am aware now that I have ongoing doubts because of it. God does not make mistakes, does He. Thank you for this revelation….so much to ponder and pray about. More transforming taking place!!
Blessings to you all.
Becky
Sweet Becky,
Thank you for your comments. I am praying for you sweet sister, especially as He heals your wound.
I was just thinking about my little ones when they have a “boo-boo.” They will sit and pick that scab off…pick at the wound and open it up all over again. I think we tend to do that sometimes as well with our spiritual wounds. I realized that I need to stop picking at it and allow God to heal it! And, the victory, freedom, joy, and peace we experience is amazing!
Thank you for praying and pondering and being HERE to allow God to make this transformation! That is the most important step, sweet sister!!!!!! Praying for you…..
Just getting caught up to week three… My friend Bernice invited me over.
Great questions Tracy….
Look forward to a heart transplant!
{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}
Holly
I should really wait until I finished the study guide, here in a few minutes, to leave a comment. But I’m feeling compelled to go ahead and comment on God’s timing with this study. (I always seem to be getting to this study later in the week.)
I’ve had a couple days off of work this week, which we’ve been spending with family. Yesterday was a very quiet day of fishing and I had a lot of time to talk to the Lord. I kept asking Him what it is I need to know.
The word “trust” kept coming to me again and again.
Now, I open this study and look what you are talking about! Isn’t God funny in His ways!
And forgiveness!
The family members who are visiting with us are among those whom I need to work on forgiving… See Him speaking to me? This one hurts a bit already, and I haven’t opened the study guide yet.
I’m hoping that by doing it, all the “junk” will **poof!** magically disappear, but I have a feeling it won’t… It’s going to be more on-going prayer and work on MY part.
Thanks for this study.
And thanks to God for its timing.