Quotes by Lysa TerKeurst

Where there is a lack of rest, there is an abundance of stress.

Jesus is the sanctuary every time we gather with other believers. We need that truth to soak into our hearts.

Cynicism dressed like a security guard, making me believe that if I hoped for less, it would protect me and prevent more pain.

It's not my perfect performance that captures God's attention. It's my complete dependence on Him that He notices.

I am made for more than a vicious cycle of eating, gaining, stressing.

Being married is amazing. Being married is incredibly difficult. Being married can seem impossibly hard. Being married is incredibly beautiful. Yes, marriage is a fragile blend of all of this and more.

Labels start out as little threads of self dissatisfaction but ultimately weave together into a straightjacket of self-condemnation.

Chase God's heart today. Christianity has got to be more than a label, a lingo, and a lifestyle.

If you are a woman who honors God right where you are, you are in ministry.

The only true satisfaction we can seek is the satisfaction of being obedient to the Lord.

A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.

Some prisons don't require bars to keep people locked inside. All it takes is their perception that they belong there.

Trying to fix another person will only add to my anxiety. Letting Jesus work on me is where real progress can happen.

My attitude of love must not be sacrificed on the altar of activity.

Instead of wishing things would change, I'm asking God for His strength to make a change.

Today, let's be determined to see blessings in the midst of things that seem like burdens.

I realize how desperately I need grace, therefore I try to lavishly give it.

One drop of the Lord's mercy is better than an ocean of the world's comfort.

Trusting God's plan is the only secret I know in the gentle art of not freaking out.

Feelings are indicators not dictators.

Food can fill our stomachs but never our souls.
Posessions can fill our houses but never our hearts.
Sex can fill our nights but never our hunger for love.
Children can fill our days but never our identities.
Jesus wants us to know only He can fill us and truly satisfy us.

It is a rare and beautiful thing when we choose to offer love in situations when most people would choose to scorn or ignore.

Progress. Just make progress. It's okay to have setbacks and the need for do-overs. It's okay to draw a line in the sand and start over again -- and again. Just make sure you're moving the line forward. Move forward. Take baby steps... Then change will come. And it will be good.

Remember, the Devil loves to make us focus on the little that's wrong so we miss the big picture of all that's right.

Remember: even the smallest drop of God's strength is more than enough to cover our frailties, our shortcomings, and the places where we deem ourselves weak.

Most of us spend years chasing things in this world that we think will make us feel loved. But everything this world has to offer is temporary. Everything. The kind of love our souls crave is lasting, eternal. And only God can fill up our hearts with that kind of love.

This life is not about me. It's about joining hands with Jesus to fulfill whatever tasks He sets before me and to share His love with all He brings my way.

My goal should never be to raise kids that make me look good. (Oh but how my flesh craves this!) My goal should be to raise kids who love God and spend their lives making His goodness known in their corner of the world.

Remember who you are. Don't compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.

Which do I care more about -- demanding my rights or displaying right choices?

What if God's 'NO,' is really a gift? His way to protect us from what we cannot see, provide something better than we can imagine, or be part of the process of growing us closer to Him.

So often, we want big directional signs from God. God just wants us to pay attention. But we need to leave enough space in our days to get up from our prayers and actually look for God in the moment-to-moment things that happen.

When God becomes routine rather than revival, it's time to switch things up.

No matter your age, stage of life, or circumstances, don't forget to dare to dream with God. You don't have to figure anything out. Just keep saying yes to Him, in big ways and small, and watch what He does.

A woman who is careful with her words is a gift to all who know her.

Raw emotions -- anger, frustration, bitterness, resentment -- are the feelings we tend to hide from people we want to impress but spew on those we love the most.

I know deep hurt. But I also know deep hope. Sometimes God's power is shown as much in preventing things as it is in making them happen. We may never know why. But we can always know and trust the Who.

Nothing done with the focus on God is ever a waste of time.

We want big directional signs from God. God just wants us to pay attention.

I was made for more than being stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat. I am not made to be a victim of my poor choices. I was made to be a victorious child of God.

Regardless of where you are tonight, God is with you. God is wooing you. God wants you to experience Him. Whatever you are going through today, you can find His joy and peace. However distant your dreams may seem, God is working things out, and today is an important part of that process.

No person, possession, profession, or position ever fills the cup of a wounded, empty heart. It's an emptiness only God can fill.

Life as a Christ follower will always be a learning process of depending less on our own strength and more on God's power.

When feelings of inadequacy come creeping in, let's park our minds in God's truth.

Jesus, I don't want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted girl whom You loved, redeemed and wanted.

Compromise built upon compromise equals failure. Instead, resisting temptation allowed promise upon promise to be built up in my heart, and that creates empowerment.

Dear Lord, forgive me for all of the times I've compared myself to others. I know that You have hand-picked all of my qualities. Help me to see these things as beautiful reminders of Your great love in creating me as Your daughter. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Sometimes we need the salt of tears to remind us how to savor the sweetness of life.

The only way our faith will ever strengthen is for us to use it. We need to apply thought and prayer to our decisions and then trust God for the outcome. We need to set our sights on growing in faith, not shrinking back for fear of failure.

Don't get so locked in to your overwhelming schedule that you haphazardly spend your soul.

If I really want an unrushed life, I must underwhelm my schedule so God has room to overwhelm my soul.

To be set aside is to be rejected.To be set apart is to be given an assignment that requires preparation.

Unbroken companionship helps us hear His instruction so then we can see His direction. We must not seek direction before obeying His instruction.

We need to make sure our activities and our attitudes line up with what pleases God first and foremost. Wherever we focus our attention the most will become the driving force in our lives.

At the end of the day, honoring God leads to good things. Anything else leads to confusion, emotional exhaustion and a lack of good things.

I want to honor Jesus with the things I say and the things I choose not to say. Lord, help us all be so careful with sharing opinions as if they are truth.

When to give grace? I'd rather stand before God knowing I loved others too much rather than regretting that I judged too harshly.

The more we read God's truths and let truth fill our minds, the less time we'll spend contemplating untruths.

I can face things that are out of my control and not act out of control.

Spending some time getting quiet can really be the best remedy for tangled situations. Taking a step back from all the emotion, frustration, and exhaustion to sit quietly with Jesus will do more to untangle a mess than anything else I've ever found.

Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step -- will we operate in God's all powerful Truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies?

Whenever an opportunity comes your way, challenge yourself to first thank God and then quickly follow up with the question, God, who else is supposed to be blessed by this connection or opportunity?

Today, let's set our minds and hearts on feeling more thankful for what we are than guilty for what we're not. Let's cut the threads of guilt with grace.

Big things are built one brick at a time. Victories are achieved one choice at a time. A life well lived is chosen one day at a time.

God is mighty. God is caring. God is worthy of praise. God is loving. God is able. God is in control. Nothing takes God by surprise. Some sweet reminders to soak in before falling asleep tonight.

Saying yes all the time won't make me Wonder Woman. It will make me a worn out woman.

God gave me emotions so I could experience life, not destroy it.

Great love isn't two people finding the perfect match in one another. Great love is two people making the choice to be a match.

Toxic thoughts leave no room for truth to flourish. And in the absence of truth, lies reign. Spend some time soaking in your favorite verses from Scripture tonight. The more we read God's truths and let truth fill our minds, the less time we'll spend contemplating untruths and toxic thoughts.

Not reaching back for what was lost in my yesterdays. And not reaching for what I hope will be in my tomorrow. But living fully with what is right in front of me. And truly seeing the gift of this moment.

Satan wants anxiety to hinder us from becoming effective servants of Christ.

We have to slow the rhythm of rush in our lives so that the best of who are can emerge.

Determine to pray more words over your marriage than you speak about your marriage.

Being uncertain and scared and riddled with doubt some days isn't a sign of bad things to come. It's actually quite the opposite. After all, if great things weren't on the horizon, I don't think the enemy would be so bent on attacking us.

I'm an encourager at heart. I love to give words of encouragement and I love to receive words of encouragement. That's probably why words of discouragement affect me so deeply.

This morning, you have a choice. You can lay in the dark replaying the awful events of the week, or you can turn the light on and read God's Word-His truth-which is the best thing to do when lies are swarming and painful thoughts are attacking like a bunch of bloodthirsty mosquitoes.