When a person sets aside the distractions of life to focus on seeking the Lord, God can work in amazing ways! Recently, ten young ladies from around the country gathered in Big Sandy, Texas, to do just that. Attending the Young Ladies’ Journey to the Heart, held July 22–29, this group of young people chose to retreat from the routines of life and worldly distractions to spend time seeking God and drawing closer to Him. 

The seven days of the Journey were spent in various ways. Together in sessions, the young ladies covered Biblical teaching on topics such as bitterness, pride, lies, and hidden sin. Times were also set aside for personal devotions and time in God’s Word and prayer. One day was dedicated to a focused time of seeking God while fasting. Enjoyable times of recreation, such as games, canoeing, and leisurely walks combined to round out the ladies’ enjoyment of a deeper relationship with God and in His creation.

Following one particular session—regarding bitterness and its devastating consequences in one’s life—the Journey participants had an opportunity to deal properly with bitterness that they were harboring toward their parents or others. This important first step was taken by several to restore their relationships with their parents. In Malachi 4:5–6, God says: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” God also revealed to some of the young ladies the lies from Satan that they were believing. With the related truths from God’s Word, they were able to recognize the lies and claim God’s truth. As one attendee experienced the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, she expressed joy at feeling “clean”! Other young ladies said “yes” to God regarding areas He was bringing to light, and as they confessed and renounced those areas, their faces reflected the joy and freedom they were experiencing. 

For the ten young ladies who set aside a week in their lives to focus on seeking God, the time seemed to have been well-spent. Besides going deeper in their personal relationship with the Lord, God blessed them with a special bonus during their recreational time fishing—a nice catch of five very fine fish! 

To learn more about Journey to the Heart, visit lifesrealjourney.com.