Author and Bible teacher Amanda Hayhurst describes herself as “an outgoing introvert.” The kind that delights in opportunities to be with people — but much prefers deep, one-on-one conversations over fast-paced small talk. She uses this God-given trait to pour into women, mentoring them with biblical principles and honest stories from her own life. With that same wisdom and authenticity, she wrote her first devotional, “Pray for Him,” which walks women through how to stop trying to change their husbands and start praying for them instead.

Join us now for an engaging conversation, all about finding spiritual delight and community through cooking, how Jesus has been filling the father-shaped hole in her heart and how prayer infuses her life and writing with power and hope. Plus, discover her favorite tools and resources for Bible study and personal healing.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?

Fourteen years ago, I traded Midwest winters for Southern charm — and somewhere along the way, I became quite the Southerner. Case in point? My near-weekly trips to Chick-fil-A. It really is that good. No wonder they call it the Lord’s chicken!

But lately, I’ve found myself less interested in exploring the many restaurants around North Georgia and more drawn to something different — inviting people into my home. Since I love to cook, I whip up a light lunch (my go-to is lemon zucchini flatbread — so good!) and serve cappuccinos from the very bougie espresso machine my husband insisted we buy. Honestly? I’m so glad he did. I think it’s half the reason people keep coming back!

Just last week, I had a friend over — a young wife walking through a difficult season in her marriage. Sitting at my kitchen table, she shared her heart in a way that wouldn’t have been possible in a crowded restaurant. I told her stories of my own marriage struggles and how God restored what once seemed impossible. And then — at just the right time — my husband walked in. She turned to him, asking his perspective on her situation. Again, a moment that wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been sitting right here at my kitchen table.

Pouring into younger women has become a passion of mine, and I’m realizing that my home is the place I do it best. I want to invite young women into my life — not just to hear my words but to witness my walk. And more often than not, it all begins right around the kitchen table.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?

I can still hear the sizzle of olive oil hitting a hot pan, the scent of roasted spices thick in the air, and the warmth of fresh pita in my hands. Cooking brings me back to Israel — the winding streets of Jerusalem, the bustling markets of Tel Aviv, the quiet hum of prayers at the Western Wall.

When I traveled to Israel, I didn’t just taste the food — I experienced it. I watched locals knead dough with care, pour golden tahini over warm falafel and mix fresh herbs into a crisp, citrusy salad. There was something deeply sacred about the process, about the way meals were prepared with intention, shared in community and savored without hurry.

Now, back home, I find myself in my kitchen recreating those flavors. Chopping fresh parsley to sprinkle on tomato and cucumber salad, flipping pitas on my cast iron skillet, stirring a pot of slow-simmering chickpeas — it’s more than just cooking; it’s communion. Each dish is a bridge, connecting me to a place that changed me, to a people whose hospitality mirrored the heart of God.

As I measure, mix and taste, I realize this, too, is worship. Slowing down, paying attention, creating something with my hands — it reminds me that God is in the details, in the textures and aromas, in the joy of sharing a meal with those I love.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness; every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you confront its power head-on?

At 8 years old, I remember one of the very first times I felt jealousy. One of my new friends, Sydney, had the most picture-perfect family. Her mom, a sweet Southern belle, was always dressed to the nines, her pearl necklace shining as brightly as her warm demeanor. Her dad, an airline pilot for Delta, had the kind of steady, protective presence that made her feel safe and adored.

But it wasn’t their picturesque family I found myself envying. It was the intimacy Sydney had with her dad. It was the way she looked up at him and said, “I love you, Daddy.” The most intimate of words: Daddy. Words that overflowed from a genuine bond between a father and his child. A word that can’t be forced, and one I never could say. It was this longing for intimacy with my dad that created a void inside. One that, as I grew into a young woman, caused me to make decisions to give away the most sacred parts of who I was — every encounter falling short and never satisfying the deep longings of my heart.

Although the Lord has been healing my heart and showing me how his perfect love satisfies like no earthly love can, I still find my desire to be noticed and loved sorely misplaced at times. The lack of engagement on a social media post I pour my heart into stings more than I like to admit. A friend not responding to my text whispers, “You don’t really matter.” My husband — on days he’s distracted and busy — makes me wonder if I’m truly seen. But healing is a process, friend. And God is still at work, reminding me that my worth isn’t found in who notices me but in the One who has never taken his eyes off me.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?

Six years ago, I decided I would stop trying to change my husband. Not because I was giving up on him or us, but because I realized I was trying to bear a weight I was never meant to carry. I knew God wanted more for him and for us, but I was exhausted trying to make it happen on my own.

So I began a journey of praying for him each morning before I started my day. Every tear, every desperate cry from my prayer closet to God’s throne, I was learning to trust him with my husband’s future. He was not only working in my husband; he was also transforming me.

This journey of prayer led me to write “Pray for Him,” a devotional born from my own struggle and surrender. By God’s grace, it became the No. 1 devotional on Amazon, a testimony to how deeply women resonate with this same burden — the longing for change in the lives of those we love yet feeling powerless to make it happen.

Here’s what I’ve learned: prayer is the most powerful way to see change. I’ve witnessed God move in my husband, in myself and in my children — sometimes through immediate answers, and other times through his quiet work in my heart as I drew near to him daily.

Now, my passion is to help other women make prayer a daily rhythm of their lives, to grow in intimacy with the Lord, and to experience the healing and breakthrough that only he can bring. Because if he did it for me, I know he can do it for them too.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

Prayer is the heartbeat of my writing. Every morning at 5 a.m., I step into my office — my sacred space-turned-prayer closet — with a steaming cup of coffee from my very bougie coffee maker. And I start a conversation.

I talk to God about my life, my struggles, my sin — the things that keep me up at night. I sit in the stillness. I listen. I pour out my heart. I read Scripture. I weep. I bring before him the burdens I’ve carried and the ones I know other women are carrying, asking, “Lord, how can I help them heal? What do they need to hear right now?”

Lately, I’ve been working on a book manuscript for a traditional publisher that will help women shed the shame of their past and step boldly into the confidence of who God created them to be. More than anything, I long for those pages to be anointed, to drip with the presence of the Holy Spirit, so that when a woman drowning in shame holds that book in her hands, she encounters him.

Because I’ve lived long enough to know — it’s not my words that change anyone. It’s the Spirit of a powerful God. And that’s why prayer must be the foundation of the words I share and the sentences I craft. My only job is to get out of the way so God’s message can move from me and into others.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?

There’s something powerful about reading God’s Word in community. In ancient Israel, God’s people gathered to hear Scripture read aloud, experiencing the bread of life as a body of believers. But in our individualistic culture, spiritual practices are often done alone — personal devotions, quiet time, prayer in solitude.

Lately, though, our family has been trying something different. And we have no plans to stop. For the past three months, as the sun dips below the horizon, we gather in our living room — me, my husband, our two sons and even our dog, Coco. We take turns reading a chapter of Scripture aloud, letting the words settle, making room for questions to rise.

“Why does God seem so different in the Old Testament compared to the New?” our 15-year-old asks.

We pause. We wrestle with the question together, not rushing past it. We talk, reflect and connect Scripture to the moments in our own lives — our struggles, our decisions, our personal faith journey. And in this shared experience, I’ve realized something: this is different from when I read alone. This kind of discussion, this sharpening of faith, this back-and-forth of ideas and insights — it’s shaping us.

I love how this is not only deepening our individual relationships with the Lord, but we are building a family legacy we did not grow up with. Our boys will remember these nights. These nights where we once went our separate ways after dinner but we now come together. My hope is that it doesn’t stop with us but affects future generations to come.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?

One of the most anointed resources I’ve ever encountered — something that truly set me free from unhealthy coping mechanisms — was “Pain to Purpose.”

When I first found out my son had Leukemia, I was desperate. I clung to anything that promised relief from my pain. But nothing truly healed my heart until I discovered this resource.

Davey Blackburn, a man with a heart-wrenching story, founded Nothing Is Wasted out of his own deep pain. Through his suffering, God birthed a ministry that now helps others walk through their own valleys of grief and loss. The Pain to Purpose course didn’t just comfort me — it kept me from getting stuck in heartbreak. It gave me a biblical foundation for pain and suffering, a framework to process my emotions, and ultimately, it helped me find purpose in the middle of it all.

His podcast, “Nothing Is Wasted,” became a lifeline of hope as I drove to and from the hospital with my son. Sometimes we just need to hear stories of others who have walked similar paths and come out on the other side. It reminds us that if God did it for them, he can do it for us. Every episode left me a little more hopeful when I needed it most.

And when it came to deepening my faith and understanding God’s Word, I found Logos Bible Software to be an invaluable tool. If truth really does set us free, then we need to interpret it correctly — and Logos provides some of the best Bible study tools available. It has helped me see Scripture in a fuller, richer way, bringing clarity and depth to my study time.

If you’re walking through pain and grief or just looking to strengthen your faith, these resources are ones I cannot recommend enough!

We all have things we cling to to survive or even thrive in our fast-paced, techno-driven world. How have you been successful in harnessing technology to aid in your spiritual growth?

I can’t get enough of Ray Vander Laan’s different video series. He has a rare gift — the ability to bring the biblical world of the Old and New Testament to life in a way that breathes fresh air into Scripture.

The more I immerse myself in the culture, geography and historical context of the Bible, the deeper my understanding of God’s Word becomes. His teachings have completely transformed how I interpret Scripture, helping me see it through the lens of those who first heard it.

What I love most is that his videos don’t just teach me; they transport me back in time. As he walks through the deserts of Israel and Egypt, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and through the ancient ruins we read about in Scripture, I feel as if I’m stepping into history, getting a glimpse of biblical events as they unfolded.

And honestly? His videos are so peaceful that I even watch them before bed sometimes! There’s something about seeing the real places where Jesus walked that settles my soul and stirs my faith.

If you want to experience the Bible in a whole new way, I highly recommend his teachings. You’ll never read Scripture the same way again!

QUESTION #8: dream

God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I was terrified to write the book I am working on now.

The thought kept running through my mind: If I write a traditionally published book, someone may ask me to speak about it. Like from a stage! And just imagining that made me sick to my stomach. But I couldn’t ignore this calling from the Lord. So here I am, doing something that makes me feel uncomfortable because God asked me to.

This book is for the woman weighed down by the shame of her mistakes. The one who has hidden parts of herself because she believes her past disqualifies her. I’ve written devotionals before, but this? This is a 60,000-word book — one where I share parts of my story I swore I’d never speak out loud.

I’ve seen hidden shame keep women like me uncomfortable in their own skin and afraid to step into the calling God has placed on their lives. And I just couldn’t sit back anymore.

I want this book to reach the woman who avoids community, the one who believes she’s too broken to belong. Because that’s exactly what shame does — it isolates us. It convinces us we are safer in the dark when, in reality, freedom is found in the light.

This new season scares me, but it excites me too. I know God is going to use this book to set women free, and I’m honored to be part of that.

Shame is a very real and persistent part of many believers’ lives. Some of us define ourselves by our shame and the regrets we carry from the past.

And yet God promises us: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame” (1 Pet. 2:6, ESV, emphasis added).

What regrets are you still holding onto, friend? What burdens can you hand over to Jesus today?

Amanda Hayhurst