Author Chat with Hannah C. Hall on Her New Devotional, Thirsty
It’s barely spring in Florida, but already, our temperatures are climbing upwards of eighty and even ninety degrees some days. I’ve started craving ice pops and ice cream (even more than usual). Heat makes us thirsty for refreshment, doesn’t it?
Regardless of the season, we should always be thirsty for time in God’s Word, which is exactly what Hannah C. Hall’s new devotional, Thirsty, encourages. Today, I hope you enjoy meeting Hannah and learning more about her heart for this book, which released April 5.
Q: Your children’s books are best-sellers and some of my favorites to gift at baby showers. What prompted you to write a devotional for women?
Hannah: I was at an in-between time in my writing career. Things were quiet in the children’s book realm, and a good friend challenged me to write a devotional. I ignored her at first. I don’t even read devotionals, I thought. Though there are many amazing devos out there, they just weren’t my favorite way to study the Bible. Devotionals moved too fast for me. I preferred to sit with one passage of scripture, meditate on it, and let the Lord speak to me through it. And sometimes that means I spend weeks chewing over one verse. It’s not a fast method to Bible study, but, for me, it had been very fruitful.
But as I was continuing to pray over what to do next, the Lord continued to bring the devotional to mind, as well as a new idea. A way to write a devotional that utilized my “super slowed down” approach in a daily devo format. Thus, Thirsty was born.
Q: How is Thirsty different than typical devotionals for women?
Hannah: Thirsty is a unique approach to a daily devotional because it focuses on a verse or short passage of scripture for a full week of study. The devotions are intentionally short, but because we stick with the same scripture each day for 7 days, we’re able to go deeper into studying the context of the verse(s), as well as focus on memorization and personal application.
Q. Would you share a personal story about how being “Thirsty” for God and His Word has impacted you?
Hannah: I wrote Thirsty for women in those seasons of life when time is not plentiful, but their desire to go deeper with the Lord still very much is. Deep in the midst of raising children, I found myself wondering why my life wasn’t as “abundant” as Jesus promised it would be in John 10:10. I knew Jesus wasn’t wrong; therefore, the problem must be on my end. I realized then how thirsty I was for more than just an average life with a little bit of Jesus sprinkled in. God was kind to me, saw my heart, and began to lead me on a journey deeper with him. Through prayer and slowing down to really meditate on scripture—giving myself enough time to believe it and be changed by it—I began to see real fruit, abundance in my own life. I still have a long way to go, of course, but when we’ve tasted a bit of what Jesus offers, staying thirsty for more of him keeps us in his word and close to him. A very good place to be.
Q: What is your prayer for the women who read this book?
Hannah: I pray that God would draw them deeper into him. That they would know the rest he offers when we just slow down and let ourselves soak in the truth of his word. God knows our hearts and he knows our lives. He is gentle to the weary, and we are allowed to savor his Word one verse, one Truth, one word at a time. God has grace upon grace for those who seek after him in his word, however we go about it.
Q: How can readers stay in touch with you?
Hannah: Please subscribe to my newsletter at HannahCHall.com (for embarrassingly infrequent updates!) or follow me on Instagram (@hannahchall1) or on Facebook.
Q: Can you hint about what next project you have in the works?
Hannah: God has allowed me to publish at least one more children’s book, which I’m super excited about. It doesn’t come out until spring of 2023, so we’ll all have to wait a while for that one.
About the Author
Hannah C. Hall is a popular speaker and a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 30 children’s books, with over 1 million books in print. Her titles include multiple ECPA bestsellers, a Selah Award winner, a Cascade Award winner, and a Christian Book Award finalist. Hannah and her husband and their five children live in northwest Arkansas and share a small farm with dogs, cats, cows, and a flock of finicky chickens.
About Thirsty
Lots of devotionals offer short readings for busy women. Rarely do they dive deep enough into God’s Word to stick with you and make a real difference in your day, let alone your life.
Thirsty isn’t like other devotionals. Rather than breeze past a snippet of Scripture and a loosely related anecdote each day, this unique devotional focuses your attention on one short passage of Scripture for an entire week, encouraging you to memorize, understand, and apply its truth to your life. After 12 weeks of these rich, deep dives into God’s Word, you’ll find your soul restored and your life changed.
If you long for a closer relationship with God despite your packed schedule, discover how you can drink deeply from the well of Scripture in just 20 minutes a day.
