Day 1 of the Becoming Her 30-Day Series | Week 1: The Return & The Foundation
Will it be easy to return to your first love? No!
Will God meet you with shame, disappointment, or a list of everything you did wrong? Absolutely not!
Sweet sister, this is not an invitation back to a performance. It is an invitation home.
There is a place in your relationship with God where prayer felt natural, Scripture felt alive, and simply being near Him felt like enough. You did not need a perfect morning routine or an elaborate Bible study method. You just wanted Him.
Maybe life became loud. Maybe disappointment hardened a tender place in your heart. Maybe your calling became so urgent that you slowly stopped sitting with the One who gave it to you.
I understand. I have opened my faith journal with every intention of writing something profound, only to realize I was spiritually exhausted. I had been serving, planning, working, and trying to carry my vision, but I had forgotten to remain close to the Vision-Giver.
That is the subtle danger of spiritual drift. It does not always look rebellious. Sometimes it looks like busyness. Sometimes it looks like ministry without intimacy. Sometimes it looks like doing everything for God while rarely being still with God.
But today, the Father is calling you home.
Fact #1: You Can Be Faithful and Still Need to Return
The church in Ephesus was commended for its hard work, perseverance, and discernment. Yet Jesus still addressed the condition of its heart.
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”
, Revelation 2:4–5, NIV
Notice the order: remember, repent, return.
Jesus did not tell them to create an impressive new identity. He invited them to recover the love they had allowed to grow cold.
This is not condemnation. It is correction wrapped in mercy.
You are not disqualified because your prayer life has been quiet. You are not a failure because your Bible has been closed more often than it has been opened. You are not too far gone.
The enemy wants you to believe that distance makes you unworthy of returning. The Father says distance is the very reason He is calling you closer.
Spiritual Truth
Your dry season is not proof that God has abandoned you. It may be the gentle alarm reminding you that your roots need Living Water again.
Excuse #1: “I Don’t Know Where to Begin”
Begin honestly.
You do not need the perfect words. You do not need a spotless spiritual record. You do not need to feel deeply emotional before you pray.
Begin with:
“Lord, I am here.”
That is enough for the first sentence.
A prayer journal gives your heart somewhere safe to tell the truth. You can write the questions you are afraid to speak aloud. You can record the grief you have minimized. You can confess the distractions that have quietly taken your attention. You can write down the promises you are still learning to believe.
Journaling is not about impressing God. He already knows your heart. It is about becoming present to Him, and becoming honest with yourself.
Open a notebook. Take a deep breath. Invite the Holy Spirit into the room.
Then write without editing your heart.
Truth vs. Lie: Returning to God
The Lie: “I have to fix myself before I can come back to God.”
The Truth: You return to God so He can restore you.
The prodigal son did not clean himself up before going home. He came while he was still carrying the evidence of his wandering. And when his father saw him in the distance, he ran to meet him.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
, Luke 15:20, NIV
That is the heart of your Father.
He is not standing at the door with crossed arms. He is watching for you.
Maybe your return begins with tears. Maybe it begins with silence. Maybe it begins with one verse and a trembling prayer. However it begins, grace is already waiting.
Remember the Love You Had at First
Think back to the beginning.
When did you first become aware of God’s presence? What season made you fall in love with Jesus? What songs, Scriptures, conversations, or quiet moments awakened your faith?
Do not romanticize the past or assume your best days are behind you. Instead, pay attention to what made your heart responsive to God.
Maybe you used to pray while walking. Maybe you kept Scripture cards beside your bed. Maybe you wrote letters to God every night. Maybe you simply spent ten undistracted minutes listening.
Those practices were not magical formulas. They were pathways of connection.
The goal is not to recreate an old season perfectly. The goal is to notice what helped you make room for God, and ask Him what a faithful rhythm looks like now.
Your life has changed. Your responsibilities may have multiplied. Your calling may have expanded. But your need for God has not decreased.
It has deepened.
7 Christian Journal Prompts for a Gentle Homecoming
Use these Christian journal prompts in your faith journal over the next seven days. Do not rush. Let each question become a conversation with God.
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Remember: When did I first experience a deep awareness of God’s love? What do I remember about that season?
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Notice: Where have I sensed spiritual distance lately? Is the root busyness, disappointment, fear, sin, grief, or distraction?
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Return: What “first works”, prayer, Bible reading, worship, service, generosity, or stillness, is God inviting me to practice again?
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Be honest: What have I been afraid to tell God? Write the unedited version.
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Receive: What would change if I believed that God welcomes me with compassion rather than condemnation?
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Rebuild: What is one small, realistic rhythm I can practice for the next seven days to make room for God?
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Respond: What is the Holy Spirit highlighting about my identity, calling, or next step?
You do not have to answer all seven today. One prompt is enough. One honest page can become the first seed in a newly tended garden.
How to Battle Spiritual Drift
Returning to your first love requires more than inspiration. It requires stewardship.
Here is your gentle battle plan:
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Choose a meeting place. Set aside a peaceful corner for prayer and journaling. Let it feel calm, intentional, and welcoming.
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Start with ten minutes. Do not create a routine so demanding that you abandon it by day three. Begin small. Consistency grows from grace-filled expectations.
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Put your phone away. The enemy does not need a dramatic distraction when a simple notification will do. Protect your attention.
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Read one passage slowly. Start with Revelation 2:4–5, Luke 15:11–24, Psalm 63, or John 15:1–11.
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Write what you notice. Record one truth about God, one honest feeling, and one response of obedience.
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End with surrender. Place your schedule, relationships, responsibilities, and vision back into His hands.
A beautiful tool can help you remember the appointment. Consider using the Dear God Prayer Book for written conversations with the Father, or explore faith-based articles from Charlet’s Stationery for continued encouragement.
A Prayer for Returning to Your First Love
Father,
I am coming home.
I confess that I have allowed busyness, disappointment, fear, and distraction to compete for the place that belongs to You. Forgive me for pursuing the gifts while neglecting the Giver. Forgive me for trying to fulfill my calling without remaining rooted in Your presence.
Thank You for welcoming me with mercy. Thank You that I do not have to perform my way back to You. Restore the tenderness of my heart. Renew my hunger for Your Word. Teach me to pray honestly, listen patiently, and obey faithfully.
Show me the first step. Give me grace for today’s rhythm. Help me become a woman whose roots are deep, whose faith is anchored, and whose life flows from love for You.
I surrender my plans, my timeline, my wounds, and my vision. Be my North Star again.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Homecoming Assignment
Before you leave this page, open your faith journal and write this sentence:
“Lord, I am returning to You: not because I have everything together, but because You are home.”
Then finish the sentence in your own words.
That is your first step.
Not a dramatic reinvention. Not a promise to become perfect overnight. Just a sincere turning of your heart toward the Father.
You are still a masterpiece. You are still a winner. You are still a key part of God’s plan.
And the calling on your life will never be sustained by striving alone. It must be nourished by intimacy. Your vision needs roots. Your purpose needs prayer. Your stewardship needs the presence of God.
So come home, sweet sister.
The door is open. Grace is ready. And your Father is nearer than you think.
With so much love,
Charlet
