A Sneak Peek into Our New Mother-Daughter Tween and Teen Devotional Book

Calling all moms and daughters!  Today’s post will be a bit different!  Bekah and I are just dropping by to share an excerpt from the mother-daughter tween and teen devotional we wrote together this year!  In case you missed our announcement last week, it’s called Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith.

The book is designed for mothers and daughters to read the devotions out loud together (or aunts and nieces, grandmas and granddaughters, or mentors and younger women), and we’re excited to share one of our devotions here with you today.  The book will go on sale in mid-November, but we want to get you excited about its contents!

Let’s get to it!  Straight from the book:

Bogged Down

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

Mom’s Thoughts:

Have you ever been worried about something that felt like it was bogging you down?  Maybe you had an argument with a friend or failed a big test at school.  Maybe it was an even bigger problem: A loved one was sick or your parents were going through a divorce.

These are some heavy burdens.  The Bible tells us to cast these cares on the Lord.  You might be wondering what it looks like to cast your cares on the Lord.  How do we cast our cares on God when we can’t see him sitting with us face-to-face?

First, it might help to notice that this verse isn’t telling us to gently lift our cares; we’re supposed to throw them.  God knows how heavy our burdens feel, and he wants us to robustly cast them onto him—even when we feel like we’re being crushed.

You might feel too weak to cast your heavy burden onto the Lord, but I have good news.  When the burden is too heavy to cast, God will lift it for you.  All you need to do is ask him.

God is big enough to reach down and take your burdens from you.  When I feel bogged down with a heavy burden, I imagine myself holding out the burden in my open hands.  I then ask God to reach down and take it.  I imagine him lifting the weight of my distress, and I trust that he has lifted my burden.  I don’t always feel relieved immediately, but every time the burden comes back into my mind, I remind myself that I already gave it to God.

Girl to Girl (Bekah’s Thoughts):

Sometimes, I feel stressed or worried.  When I feel this way, I usually say a quick prayer.  It’s as easy as saying, “God please help me to feel better.”  Usually, I feel a bit calmer after asking God for help.  It can be hard to give God your stress and your worries.  Stress can linger inside you like a virus that eats away at you.

When this happens, it’s usually helpful to talk to an adult.  A parent, teacher, grandparent, or any trusted adult will be happy to pray over you or try to help.  Don’t be afraid to ask.

You can also do things to keep your mind off of the stress.  You might invite a friend to hang out or do something exciting to get your mind off the hard times.  Most of all, remember that God wants you to bring your burdens to him.  He is strong enough to lift even the heaviest burdens and help you feel lighter.

Talk About It:

• What heavy burden came to mind as you read today’s devotion?
• What’s stopping you from casting your heavy burden onto God?
• Try the activity described together today: Name your heaviest burden or biggest worry, hold it out in your open hands, and imagine God reaching down and lifting it. Every time you feel tempted to dwell on this issue in the future, remind yourself that you have entrusted it to God.

Pray Together:

God, thank you for the promise to carry our burdens for us.  Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light.  Help us trust you to take our heaviest burdens and work behind the scenes in our lives.  Amen.

Journal Later:

Is there a part of your life that frequently causes you stress and worry?  Maybe you worry about your grades, your friendships, your future, or something about you that makes you feel different from others.  Write about this burden here today as a way of being open with one another and fulfilling God’s command to carry one another’s burdens.

Get a fee for our new mother-daughter tween and teen devotional right here:

Before I buy a book, I like to know what I’m getting!  For this reason, Bekah and I put together a short preview of our forthcoming paperback devotional book.  We created a mother-daughter 7-day free eBook called The Girl to Girl 7-Day Devotional.  Get your free copy with promo code GIRL right here!  And stay tuned!  The paperback featured in this post will go on sale in mid-November!

Check out this free devotional eBook for mothers and daughters to read together! The Girl to Girl 7-Day Devotional by Bekah and Stacey Pardoe! #girltogirlbook Click To Tweet