One Powerful Way To Help a Hurting Friend - Encouragement for Today - September 25, 2025

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September 25, 2025

One Powerful Way To Help a Hurting Friend
LYSA TERKEURST

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“Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.’” Acts 3:6a (NIV)

When I was in college, my family endured a tragic loss. It was a very dark season of my life. What I once knew to be true suddenly seemed questionable.

Is God good? If so, why this? How can I ever trust God again?

Hard questions. Honest questions. Questions that haunted me.

Then one day, I got a note from a girl I not-so-affectionately called my “Bible friend.” She honestly got on my nerves with all her Bible-verse quoting. I wasn’t on good terms with God at that point in my life.

I made this known to my Bible friend. But in her sweet, kind way … she kept slipping me notes with scriptures gently tucked within. And one day, one verse cracked the dam of my soul, splitting open my hard heart — just enough for God to make Himself known to me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks. My stiff knees bent in prayer. And a whispered “yes, God” changed the course of my life.

Through my Bible friend, Jesus reached me. And now I’m determined to use my words as a gift to others who are in hard places … like a friend who recently told me she is struggling with feeling like she has no real purpose. Everything just feels hard, with very little reprieve. If ever there were a drowning with no water involved, that is where my friend is.

So I sat down to write her a card and send her a little gift. I desperately wanted to love her through my words, but I struggled to translate all I felt onto paper.

As I prayed about it, the word “loved” kept coming to mind.

It was like God said, Remind her that she is loved. Remind her how much you respect her. Remind her that she has so much to offer. Remind her that she is seen and valuable.

In Scripture, Peter and John once encountered a man at the temple who couldn’t walk. They stopped, noticed, and decided to reach out.

In Acts 3:6-7, “Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up …” (NIV).

Peter and John had a hand to offer and the gospel to give. The man was worth helping. He needed someone to see him. He had so much to offer. And after he got up, he praised God and stirred up wonder and amazement about Him (Acts 3:8-10).

I want my friend to remember she, too, has praise for God left inside her. She, too, can get up. She, too, can stir up amazement and wonder about our God. I want to help her see that —— just like my Bible friend did for me.

I will never doubt the power of one woman reaching into the life of another with whispers of God's love. One way you can make this kind of impact today is by giving a donation to Proverbs 31 Ministries. Together, we can be those friends who remind another hurting soul that she is not alone. We can show her that God is still working, no matter what her situation looks like right now. If you’d like to partner to make a difference, you can find out more information below.

Now, let’s pray.

Dear Lord, I’m so thankful for the relationships You’ve placed in my life. Would You help me discern what encouraging words my friends need to hear today? I want to show others Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Sometimes what changes a life isn’t a dramatic shift — it’s one moment of encouragement right on time. That’s what your gift can be today. A reminder that God hasn’t forgotten her. A light in the middle of a dark season. And with just days left before the fiscal year ends, your generosity helps close the funding gap and reach the next woman with the steady, Scripture-rich hope she’s been longing for. Give now, and help close the gap before September 30.

ENGAGE

Find real-life encouragement when you connect with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (NIV).

Which person in your life might need you to reach out to them today? Make time to send them a text message or handwritten note with words of love and scriptural Truth they need.

You can also find a woman who needs encouragement in the comments!

© 2025 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.