One Prayer Away Excerpt by Lauren Fortenberry

We are honored to share with you Ms. Fortenberry’s debut book, a devotional called One Prayer Away: Healing Words to Speak Over Your Day (Zondervan Gift; on sale April 23, 2024). Below, we are sharing a vulnerable and beautiful excerpt from the book.

“I want your life to be transformed through a closer walk with God—one that finally, finally surrenders to Him the heavy things you hold in your heart,” writes Lauren in One Prayer Away. “My hope is that you will be spiritually fueled as God fills you with His peace and understanding. God loves you unconditionally, and my heart is for all women to be lifted up in prayer and encouraged in their faith as they seek true healing in God.”

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One Prayer Away

By Lauren Fortenberry

The year I turned thirty-three was the most difficult of my life. My father was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and our family was enduring a difficult season in the first weeks of that year. But in the deepest pit of my life, God did the unthinkable: He joined me.

Over the course of three months, I endured overwhelming grief and multiple eight-hour drives home to see my father while balancing full- time work and caring for two small children in a home where peace and rest were impossible for my heart to find. But God met me one day in my bedroom closet as I rediscovered a study Bible I had purchased a few months before. Every morning I woke up early, crawled into my closet, and talked to God through tears as I encountered His Word.

During that season, I remember searching online for any book that could speak to my situation: Grief. Loss. Trauma. Apart from the Bible, I was unable to find the right book for my circumstances. What I could not see then was that God was crafting my book One Prayer Away.  This thought alone gives me chills and affirms a single truth for me: “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28). Wherever you find yourself in this moment, God has a plan for your story, and He wants to lead you to His Light.

I want your life to be transformed through a closer walk with God—one that finally, finally surrenders to Him the heavy things you hold in your heart. My hope is that you will be spiritually fueled as God fills you with His peace and understanding. God loves you unconditionally, and this daily communion with Him will help you trust in His steadfast promises. My heart is for all women to be lifted up in prayer and encouraged in their faith as they seek true healing in God.

My favorite verse in the Bible—the one God anchored to my soul years ago—is the promise that God also offers to you: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). You were not made to be wrapped up in worry. You were not made to fit back into the boxes you have outgrown. You were made to live free in God’s Truth and Light.

Do not let the weight of the pieces you hold discourage you. God loves you. God is ready to make you whole.

YOU ARE ONE PRAYER AWAY FROM A NEW LIFE

It sounds unbelievable until it happens.

You pray the impossible prayer.

Because you are at the edge of what your heart can handle.

You are at the edge of what your emotions can endure.

And even though you may have prayed that prayer many times before,

this time is different.

Because something shifts on the outside.

God answers the prayer.

God opens the door.

And God invites you to take the next step into a whole new life.

This is the miracle of mercy.

This is the foundation of faith.

So today, offer that bold prayer with this sweet confidence:

One single prayer can change everything.

Because one single prayer can change you.

Dear God,

I pray for the woman who cannot see the road ahead. Lord, her vision is clouded by emotions and overwhelming uncertainty. Remind her, Father, that You will equip her for every difficulty and decision—that You will be beside her all the way. In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Wherever you find yourself in this moment, God has a plan for your story, and He wants to lead you to His Light.

Lauren Fortenberry

[Adapted from One Prayer Away by Lauren Fortenberry.  Copyright © 2024 Lauren Fortenberry.  Used by permission of Zondervan. HarperCollinsChristian.com]

Get your copy of One Prayer Away today!

About Lauren:

Lauren Fortenberry is a writer, speaker, and influencer whose greatest passion is fearlessly and faithfully encouraging women through the love of Jesus Christ. She is a writing instructor at the University of Mississippi, and her writing has been featured by NBC’s TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and a variety of other media outlets and blogs. She currently resides in Oxford, Mississippi, with her husband and two kids. One Prayer Away is her first book. Learn more at laurenfortenberry.com.