What Happens When Women Walk in Faith: Trusting God Takes You to Amazing Places

by Lysa TerKeurst

What if the next big step God wants you to take is actually small?

Stepping into the assignments the Lord has for us and pursuing the dreams He's placed in our hearts can feel overwhelming and exhilarating all at the same time. But walking in His will begins with our daily obedience to Him.

Lysa TerKeurst knows what it means to walk by faith and encourages you to discover the deeply personal truths of God's Word for your calling. What Happens When Women Walk in Faith is filled with stories and Scripture that will help you apply practical, Biblical truths to your life and equip you to:


Discover 5 phases of your faith walk and embrace the direction that the Lord is leading you.
Identify one area where you can draw a line in the sand and take a step toward something new.
Be prepared for God to use your small steps of faith to unleash His work and wonder in your life.
No matter what God has called you to, you can take this first step!

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Living, Christian Non Fiction, Spirituality, Religion

206 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Lysa TerKeurst is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the New York Times best-selling author of Univited, The Best Yes, Unglued, Made to Crave, and 18 other books. Her newest book, It’s Not Supposed to be This Way, is scheduled for release in November of 2018. Lysa was recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has been published in multiple publications such as CNN and Fox News online. Additionally, she has appeared on the Today Show as one of the leading voices in the Christian community.

Each year, Lysa is a featured keynote presenter at more than 40 events across North America, including the Women of Joy Conferences and the Catalyst Leadership Conference. She has a passion for equipping women to share their stories for God's glory through Proverbs 31 Ministries' annual She Speaks Conference and writer training program, COMPEL: Words That Move People.

Connect with Lysa on social media @lysaterkeurst or at http://lysaterkeurst.com/.

Reviews

[Pascha Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that Lysa wrote many years ago. I'm so glad that I found it (I think that I had a bit of divine help). Lysa discussed her early failures as an author. She knew that she had been called by God into ministry, but everything she tried to do failed. After she stopped trying to do things her way and completely gave it to God, He started opening doors for her.

As a new author, this book was incredibly encouraging for me. Honestly, I recently came to the same conclusion that she did - stop trying to do it my way and hand it over to God. I'm a doer and great at meeting project deadlines, but I simply couldn't get my book launch to come together. It has been incredibly frustrating for me. When I gave up on launching my book on a certain date and started giving every day to God, things started coming together!

I'm still in the launch phase, but I'm starting to get some traction now. I think the main lesson that God has been trying to teach me is to have faith in him. I've heard a similar message from Joyce Meyer. She calls this learning phase "Wilderness University".

I think this is a great book for new authors to read as it provides encouragement and strength to press forward. I'm sure that I will listen to this book again when I get discouraged.

[Hunter Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Lysa Terkeurst, and it was much of what I expected. There’s a desire in me to say that it was too much about God offering Christians prosperity on earth if they follow Him, just because of the language she used, but I can’t say this. Her life shows that she is not following God for earthly prosperity, but because He is life itself. Her adoption of orphans, her reconciliation with her husband, her willingness to let God mold her ministry, take it away, give it back, etc. shows that, despite my discomfort with her language, she has a heart obedient to God.

She does seem to say that if you desire something deeply (She called it “God’s dream for you.”) it’s from God, or God has given it to you. I understand, I think, what she means, but this could be a dangerous thought to apply to all of our strong desires we have, especially if we’re ignorant of Scripture.

I gave this three stars, not because I didn’t enjoy it or because it offered me little, but because I think for Christians who are young in the faith this might steer them in a poor direction, the effects of which would have to be painfully undone later in their walk with Christ.

[Mindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you long to make a change in your life, but haven't been able to get over that last hurdle? Then this is the read for you. Lysa shares intimate stories of how she feels like she's a bad wife and mother and is at the end of her rope. She endures pitfalls in her career and wants to throw in the towel. Ultimately, she decides to take control of her life and use her life lessons to help others.

I am positive that everyone will take something with them after reading this book. If you let go and let God and follow God's path for you, you will knock down those hurdles quicker then you ever imagined!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! I absolutely love Lysa and the way God has used her for His ministry.

[Julia Reffner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very applicable to where I am in life right now (as often is the case with Lysa's books, but especially this one). I really enjoyed doing this study with P31 OBS. I love how Lysa includes reflection questions which require significant thought as well as biblical study for support. Lysa's journey of faith through adopting her children, attempting to adopt another one, publishing her first book, etc are some of the journeys she takes us through to show us how to walk in obedience with God's amazing plans for our lives.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Lysa TerKeurst. I think she writes in a very real and relatable way. I also enjoyed how she wove together stories from the bible with her own experience. I think this book is good for those who might feel themselves in a place of uncertainty, a place of waiting, or a place of not feeling right in their own skin. Her ideas and assurances about being in that place would bring me comfort. I likely would have gotten more out of the book had I been better about engaging in the personal study at the end and reading the recommended scriptures.

[Beccah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proverbs 31 online Bible study was another amazing read. This book that was written 10 years ago still had so much relevance today. Lysa's great at painting a story of faith from a real woman's outlook. I went through SO many things personally during reading this book and I truly know God had a purpose for me reading this book when I did!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding, as much because of the writing as because of the timing. I happened to be reading it during a time when the stages of faith in the book just happened to coincide with events in my life. It was really amazing to read and really lean into God during this time.

[Michelle M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author, speaker, and Bible teacher. I have read many of her books & have loved them, sadly, this book was not one of them. The subject matter was great & informative, but the writing style and stories seemed a bit "clunky"...nothing seemed to flow together.

[Shelly Mendenhall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Read it a couple of years ago.

[Mikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

We used this book for our Fast at church...Now there are more pages than 160...My book has 201. I learned so much about myself and the steps for discipline when listening to God and moving accordingly.

Struggling with doing things your way, this book will definitely make you feel like Lysa is talking to you.

I love how she breaks down the things (situations) she went through in her life and how honest she was about what she felt at those times, even after finding answers still going back and forth with her comfort and God's Will.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout this book, Lysa TerKeurst gently shares lessons with the tenderness of someone who learned it personally and with the humbleness of someone who knows she still needs to learn more. Her stories were deeply personal yet many times universal, sometimes heart-wrenching and often thought-provoking. Although her lessons of faith and growth were different than where I currently am in life, they were still relatable to what I'm facing and encouraging to keep fighting forward. To keep stepping faithfully on the path before me with the confidence that God is good.

[Anni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read and gave me so much to think about. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was that a good amount of the book was around adoption and her family’s success in adoption. This is a very triggering topic for me and my past (which I won’t go into details) but if you also find adoption triggering, I’d definitely avoid this book.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 There were some very profound things in this book. There was also a good amount that didn't apply to me at the moment. However, I might read it again. The person who recommended it to me got a lot from this book.

[Missy Baroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has God given you a dream or desire to be more for Him or be used by Him in ministry, yet, it just doesn't seem to be happening? I know I've been there. Actually, I spent a lot of years there, and it has only been recently that God started moving on my desire. Oh, how I wish I would have read this book sooner.

Lysa TerKeurst's "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" is a book about following your God-given dreams, yet it is about so much more. In her book, Lysa equips us with the encouragement and knowledge to "keep on keeping on" when life's disappointments and distractions try to come between us and God's plan for our lives. The whole premise of the book is that God gives us dreams tailored for our own talents and His purposes. But just like the Israelites, we must grow and overcome giants to get to our promised lands. The bad news is that there is no short cut (just grow quickly) to the grand prize; however, the good news is the best part of the whole process is the process. The process is where we dig down deep and not only grow, but develop strong relationships with God. God is our grand prize, not the fulfillment of our dreams.

Well, if only it were that easy. Lysa knows the real task is enduring the process and not letting Satan steal us from our calling, thus the "5 Phases of Faith". Lysa's 5 Phases of Faith came out of common phases she found in Bible stories of people who stepped out in faith, such as the stories of Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. It consists of the following phases:

"Leaving-In order to go to a new level with God, you've got to leave the old behind;

Famine-In this new place, you'll realize your comfort zone is gone, and you'll learn to depend on God like never before;

Believing-You've always wanted to really believe God, but now your experience of Him becomes too real to deny;

Death: Coming to the end of your ability to make things happen seems like death to you, but to God, this is the only way to new life with Him.

Resurrection: In a way only he could, God makes your dream come true. Only then do you understand that real joy isn't in the dream itself but rather in the richer faith you acquired along the way." (pg. 10)

Lysa's own ministry began with a dream, but it didn't just go from dream to reality. No, she also had to go through the 5 phases in order to become the woman, writer, speaker, teacher, business woman she is today. This is what I like best about Lysa; she is not shy about sharing her experiences, even her dirty laundry, in order to lead others into a stronger relationship with Christ. I also like how she gets us to look at the same Bible stories we have read time and time again with new eyes. I will never look at the stories of Abraham, Moses, and Joshua the same again, and I bet you won't either after reading this book.

I definitely think this is a must read for all Christian women. I just can't say enough good things. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. I would like to leave you with my favorite lines in the whole book,

"God is good. He is way more interested in developing our characters to match our calling than manipulating our circumstances to make us happy." (pg.149)

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable and easily applicable are the three words I would use to describe What Happens When Women Walk In Faith. At the end of each chapter there are personal bible studies where she encourages you to dive deeper with God through prayer and his word. These personal bible studies have revolutionized my walk with God. She sheds light on scripture for everyday life and the challenges one endures while walking in Faith. The book is broken up into five phases, leaving, famine, believing, death, and resurrection. I had no idea that there were phases to walk in faith until I read this book. Throughout walking out each stage, What Happens When Women Walk In Faith is a God given guide to embrace the phase you are in. Lysa hits on so many things that we often overlook in our daily life that give us the opportunity to grow closer to God and walk in faith. Throughout this entire book Lysa points back to God’s sovereignty and who he is. You are continually reminded that God will never break a promise and encouraged to continue but with his help.
I love that she shares her life with you in such a vulnerable way. This book is quotable but not in a mundane way. It is quotable in the sense that when you are facing times you have the choice to shrink in fear or stand in faith you are reminded of the word of God and the words Lysa has spoken. This book is memorable but also one you can read over and over again. I love that she uses other people’s wisdom on faith in What Happens When Women Walk In Faith. She not only sought out tools to help herself while writing this book but shares these resources with her audience. I love that there are several tools that we are given.
My recommendation is that you use this book to it’s full capacity. Not only read this book but highlight throughout, take notes, and do the personal bible studies she has provided at the end of each chapter. In a hard season on my life where there were many trials what was inside of the book encouraged, strengthened, and ultimately had me walk in faith and see the promises of God come to pass. One of the quotes that changed my life in this book is,
“God is interested in my character, not my comfort”.
Lysa really helps you not only seek God throughout the book but see him for who he truly is from not only her testimony but the Word of God. All that she speaks points back to who God is.
I love What Happens When Women Walk In Faith by Lysa Terkeurst because it is not only a book but a tool to help you understand what Faith is, how we stand in faith, and where God is in the midst of all this. You will want to grab a highlighter, a notebook, and your bible when you read this book. The personal bible studies are such a wonderful tool and I am so thankful for them. I give What Happens When Women Walk in Faith a 5/5 star for the sheer fact that there is biblical wisdom at the turn of each page that brings you closer to God. This is what I am looking for in a book, one that will change my day to day living.
Title: What Happens When Women Walk In Faith (Trusting God Takes You Amazing Places)
Author: Lysa Terkeurst
Publisher: Harvest House
ISBN: 0736972641
Price: $11.90 (With Prime!)
Affiliate Link To Amazon: https://amzn.to/31EGDBS
Relatable and easily applicable are the three words I would use to describe What Happens When Women Walk In Faith. At the end of each chapter there are personal bible studies where she encourages you to dive deeper with God through prayer and his word. These personal bible studies have revolutionized my walk with God. She sheds light on scripture for everyday life and the challenges one endures while walking in Faith. The book is broken up into five phases, leaving, famine, believing, death, and resurrection. I had no idea that there were phases to walk in faith until I read this book. Throughout walking out each stage, What Happens When Women Walk In Faith is a God given guide to embrace the phase you are in. Lysa hits on so many things that we often overlook in our daily life that give us the opportunity to grow closer to God and walk in faith. Throughout this entire book Lysa points back to God’s sovereignty and who he is. You are continually reminded that God will never break a promise and encouraged to continue but with his help.
I love that she shares her life with you in such a vulnerable way. This book is quotable but not in a mundane way. It is quotable in the sense that when you are facing times you have the choice to shrink in fear or stand in faith you are reminded of the word of God and the words Lysa has spoken. This book is memorable but also one you can read over and over again. I love that she uses other people’s wisdom on faith in What Happens When Women Walk In Faith. She not only sought out tools to help herself while writing this book but shares these resources with her audience. I love that there are several tools that we are given.
My recommendation is that you use this book to it’s full capacity. Not only read this book but highlight throughout, take notes, and do the personal bible studies she has provided at the end of each chapter. In a hard season on my life where there were many trials what was inside of the book encouraged, strengthened, and ultimately had me walk in faith and see the promises of God come to pass. One of the quotes that changed my life in this book is,
“God is interested in my character, not my comfort”.
Lysa really helps you not only seek God throughout the book but see him for who he truly is from not only her testimony but the Word of God. All that she speaks points back to who God is.
I love What Happens When Women Walk In Faith by Lysa Terkeurst because it is not only a book but a tool to help you understand what Faith is, how we stand in faith, and where God is in the midst of all this. You will want to grab a highlighter, a notebook, and your bible when you read this book. The personal bible studies are such a wonderful tool and I am so thankful for them. I give What Happens When Women Walk in Faith a 5/5 star for the sheer fact that there is biblical wisdom at the turn of each page that brings you closer to God. This is what I am looking for in a book, one that will change my day to day living.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think what I needed this book for at this time was the reminder of the different stages of dreams. I had forgotten that dreams are resurrected. Now, it may not look like I thought, and I don't think all dreams come out of the death phase, but I forgot there was anything past that phase at all. It was good to be reminded.

I think if I had done this with a group face to face I would have put more time in answering the questions at the end of the chapters, though not all of the questions at the end of the chapter were actually questions. Some seemed like thoughts she didn't quite know how to fit into the chapter but wanted to make sure we thought about.

[Jaclyn D Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new Beginning

As I read through each chapter I could feel so many emotions brought to life that I had hidden deep in my heart for fears that society and the devil bring upon us. I feel this book opened my heart for a new beginning. I came expecting to grow and I feel I have. If you are looking for answers within yourself lately and know that they need to come from God but you are just not sure of if it is God's voice, your voice or the devil pulling you in a direction, I encourage you to read this bible study, deeply reflect after each after and see where you are and how much you be grown afterwards. Life changing and a new beginning for me.

[Brittany Craver · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pros: a few good quotes here and there such as “make the choice to rejoice”

Cons: surface level fluff, catchy words, and contradictions. From the first sentence “I believe God gives every woman a dream” where is that in the Bible? Her use of the word dream is not biblical and should be exchanged for purpose, plan, or Gods will. She also makes claims like “I believed this was going to happen before it did” but then goes on to say “our job is not to manipulate it into being”

I read this book for a book club and would not recommend it. Instead, sit under the teaching of local, wise women, not false prophets whose goal is a multi-million dollar empire labeled as ministry.

[Tasha enderby · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a great way to transition into summer! This is my summers kick off read and it was a good read. For me the steady theme being repeated and forcing us to open the scriptures instead of adding them all in is a great challenge and biggest reward. I want to skip it giving me the excuse that I have read it, I know what it says. The truth has a new depth each time you read it so I challenge you that if you give yourself the same excuse then choose a new bible translation to use so it will be new and fresh.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her life that she portrays in this book resonances with my life. No matter what we are doing and our different background, people who walk in faith with Holy Spirit's guidance will always go through this phases in life.

It is very encouraging book and a lot of testimonies that are not hard to believe the truthfulness of her story!

Recommended to everyone, especially those who are have hard times to stand firm in trials.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed it, but not the favorite study I have done, hence the lower rating. I thought it was a book full of great scripture and testimonies from the author. She challenged me in areas and gave me hope in those areas that seemed lost. She has an easy to follow style and is not afraid to share her past experiences that were difficult or emotional for her. Very relatable.

[Carolyn Reardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at a time in my life I needed it. I read it for Proverbs 31 online Bible Study. You will get out of this book what you put into reading it and the scriptures given it it. The five phases of faith are well described in a simple a forward way with the scriptures to back them up and to help you as you go through them. I liked that Lysa TerKeurst shared her life through these phases and how she came through. It made me realize that I as a woman can do the same.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. It's simple, not complicated. It's good because of the timing. I have been reading it during a time when all these phases are playing out in my life. Very enlightening, eye opening & encouraging to read, learn & apply what I've learned as I lean into God during this time. Lysa TerKeurst is a gifted writer & I'm thankful that God's given her this gift!

[Becky Schaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

This book is an amazing journey for a woman in her walk of faith! I have followed Proverbs 31 Ministry for years and had the pleasure of hearing Lysa speak. This is a book I would recommend for anyone in their walk of faith and it doesn't matter where they are at in it.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so surprised I failed to add this last year. This book was very helpful to me in embracing God's vision for my life and talking through big decisions and surrenders with Him. God used it particularly as part of a big work He did in my life, teaching me to walk in faith, especially as related to my leaving home and marrying Matthew.

[Lauren Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an amazing tool in helping me in my walk with Christ!! It helped me dive into a deeper understanding of the Father and how he is so intentional in placing dreams in our hearts and how his plan is full of challenges, but full of so much purpose. I recommend this book to anyone to is unsure of their dreams or feels discouraged in pursuing them.

[Brenda Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps people to trust God. We need to trust that we can really be forgiven of all our sins when we trust in God's sacrifice of Jesus. When we do that then we can know for certain that when we die we will go to heaven.

[Sandy Schubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book - using this in our women's small group in church. Lysa has an incredible way of sharing life experiences and tying them to God's truths in ways that women can relate to. I have been challenged and inspired by this book.

[shannon schiebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book on faith

This book really makes you look deep into the root of your faith and where you need to be with God. Faith is what you don't see but what God is leading you towards.