Praying Christian Women
By Praying Christian Women
Whether you’re brand new to the faith or have been a believer for decades, the Praying Christian Women podcast brings you biblical encouragement and inspiration (as well as an abundance of practical tips and easy-to-implement suggestions) to deepen your prayer life.
Praying Christian WomenApr 11, 2022
311 Biblical Balance with Vivian Cumins
What do you think of when you hear the word “balance”? If you’re like many women, it might evoke guilt, feelings of never measuring up, or even anxiety.
If you’ve ever struggled with balance in any aspect of your life, you’re going to love this week’s guest, Vivian Cumins. Vivian shares wisdom from the Bible on how to actively pursue balance in your life, some examples of times when balance seemed out of reach to her, and the important role prayer plays in creating a peaceful, balanced life.
You can connect with Vivian, sign up to receive her free Out of Balance Believer prayer guide, and find out more about her new podcast Juggling Life, Finding Balance at VivianCumins.com.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
310 Mom Guilt and Prayer
Got Mom guilt? If so, you are certainly not alone. There might be no better topic so close to Mother’s Day than this week’s “Mom Guilt and Prayer” episode!
In it we discuss what Mom guilt is, how it can specifically rear its ugly head in the lives of all women (regardless of Mom status), make some candid confessions about our own experiences, and of course offer plenty of hope and encouragement!
In case that isn’t enough inspiration for you, we are offering a special Praying Mom Bundle of digital resources for over 50% off in honor of Mother’s Day! This bundle makes a great gift to treat yourself or another Mom in your life just in time for Mother’s Day!
309 Thank God He Didn't Answer That Prayer!
Note: This episode contains references to suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, contact the Suicide Hotline: dial or text 988, call 800 273 8255, or visit 988lifeline.org.
We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about longing for answered prayer, celebrating answered prayer and everything in-between. But we don’t often talk about the prayers we look back on and thank God he didn’t answer the way we wanted!
This week we share some times we prayed for something that in retrospect wouldn’t have been the best thing. Then we springboard into an exercise that can help when things don’t go as planned, to help us keep in mind that God really does know best!
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
308 The Power of Therapy Dogs with Larry Randolph and Jennifer Marshall Bleakley
If you've been around for a while, you know we're dog lovers. That's why we're incredibly excited to bring you a very special episode of the podcast: This week we sat down with Larry Randolph and Jennifer Marshall Bleakley to talk about their book Finding Grace: The Inspiring True Story of Therapy Dogs Bringing Comfort, Hope, and Love to a Hurting World.
Larry and his wife Susan co-founded Canines for Christ in 2007, and since then they’ve seen the therapy dog program grow into an international volunteer-based ministry reaching hundreds of thousands of people with God’s love.
Join us as Larry and Jennifer talk about the surprising role prayer played in Canines for Christ becoming a ministry, some of the ways they've seen therapy dogs open doors for prayer and ministry, and the power of therapy dogs to bring the love of God to a hurting world.
You can connect with Jennifer and find Finding Grace and the Pawverbs books at JenniferBleakley.com
You can find out more about Canines for Christ at K94Christ.org.
307 Praying for Graduates
This week’s episode focuses on how to pray for graduates, or really anyone you love who is moving on to a new season! Some of the questions we address include:
What are some challenges and pitfalls to avoid when praying for graduates?
How do I recognize when the one who needs prayer is me?
How can we embrace grief and lament while looking ahead expectantly?
And as always, we include lots of practical tips for how to pray for children, grandchildren and loved ones during times of transition.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
306 A Story of Faith, Forgiveness and a Family Restored with Judi Logan
Note: This episode mentions the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: dial or text 988, call 800 273 8255, or visit 988lifeline.org.
Our guest on the podcast this week is Judi Logan, author of The Unraveling: My Story of Faith, Forgiveness and a Family Restored. Judi talks with us about a devastating family secret that launched her on a journey to unravel the truth, figure out where she truly belonged, and to embark on the difficult process of forgiveness.
You can connect with Judi and find her book at JudiLogan.com.
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
305 Advancements in Prayer Technology
Have you heard of the "P-Lexa" Prayer Pal, the newly-released Prayer VR headset or our personal favorite: pHarmony, the place to find your perfect prayer partner?
To learn more about these (and more!) advancements in prayer technology, listen to this week's episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast.
Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal today at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal!
304 Holy Saturday: Remaining Faithful as We Wait For the Light with Jessica Herberger
On this Good Friday, we’re joined by author and Bible teacher Jessica Herberger to talk about the much-overlooked day of Holy Saturday. As we lament the death and burial of Jesus, we took some time to contemplate the in-between time when the disciples didn’t have the advantage we have of knowing what was about to come on Resurrection Sunday.
Our own lives are full of “Holy Saturday” seasons, and Jessica shares about some of her own experiences in this realm, what the Bible can teach us about how to acknowledge where we are and look to what God has for us there. We discuss tips and pitfalls for our Holy Saturday seasons, the role of prayer in processing times of grief and waiting, and the importance of bearing witness to the pain of others.
You can connect with Jessica, find her book Peace in the Dark: Faithful Practices as We Wait For the Light, and get access to lots of bonuses and freebies at JessicaHerberger.com.
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
303 A New Way of Praying the Psalms with Leslie Leyland Fields
This week we welcome fellow Alaskan Leslie Leyland Fields to the podcast to discuss her brand new book Nearing a Far God: Praying the Psalms with Our Whole Selves. Leslie brings deep wisdom about prayer and fresh ideas about how to incorporate our whole body, mind and spirit into prayer and worship that you will not want to miss.
In our conversation Leslie talks about knowledge-based vs. emotion-based faith, her unconventional first experience with prayer, and introduces us to the field of neurotheology. So don’t wait, tune in now for an incredible discussion!
You can connect with Leslie and find all of her books at LeslieLeylandFields.com.
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
302 Prayer and Productivity
Are you too busy to pray…or too busy NOT to pray? Which is more important to prioritize, praying or doing? These are important questions, and the reality is the answers aren’t as black and white as you’d think.
If you have too much to do and what feels like too little time to do it in, this episode is for you and we’d love for you to join us for a discussion about prayer and productivity. We’ll share some of our own productivity struggles and wins, discuss the role of prayer in our practical, productive lives, and of course leave you with some practical tips for how you can incorporate prayer into your incredibly busy life!
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
301 Finding God's Path When a Friendship Falls Apart with Elizabeth Laing Thompson
When a friendship or other close relationship falls apart, it’s hard to know what comes next. There are probably countless people willing to give you advice, but is it good advice? Godly advice? On today’s episode of the podcast, we’ve invited Elizabeth Laing Thompson to share some biblical wisdom and her own personal experiences to point us to God’s path for healing, forgiveness and (maybe) help letting go.
You can connect with Elizabeth and find her books at LizzyLife.com.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
300 Prayer and Callings
We started this episode thinking it was going in one direction, but it turned out being completely different…that must mean it was meant to be! So please join us for a conversation about the role prayer plays in our calling. Does God only place one major calling on your life? How do you know if you’re being “called” to do something or just have a desire to do it? If you’ve ever wondered these and other questions about finding your purpose through prayer, don’t miss out - listen now!
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
299 How to Find Faith in Hard Times with Amy Lively
Holding on to our faith during hard times can feel impossible at times, which is why we’re so thankful to have Amy Lively on the podcast this week to offer encouragement and hope. Her book Can I Borrow a Cup Of Hope? takes lessons from 1 Peter and offers wisdom for how to navigate some of the most difficult times in our lives, keeping God at the center.
You can connect with Amy and find out more about her book at AmyLively.com
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
298 How Adult ADHD Impacts Women's Prayer Lives
Are you a woman who struggles with focus, attention or sticking to a schedule? Whether you have adult ADHD, suspect you might, or simply feel like you’re wired “differently” from the other women around you, this episode is for you!
This week on the podcast we’re unpacking the book A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD : Embrace Neurodiversity, live boldly and break through barriers by Sari Solden MS, Michelle Frank, and Ellen Littleman, and exploring how ADHD could impact women’s prayer lives. As always, we provide lots of advice and tools to equip you to pray like you...and nobody else!
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
297 How to Change the World One Blessing at a Time with Becky Kopitzke
Does all the negativity in the world ever get you down? Do you feel helpless to do anything about it? If so, you're not alone - and there's hope!
This week we welcome one of our Praying Christian Women team members on the podcast, Becky Kopitzke. Becky also happens to be the author of Love Because: How to change the world one blessing at a time.
In this episode, Becky shares about some of the unique barriers to kindness women face today (and tips for how to overcome them!), some inspirational stories of real-life women who have changed the world through doable acts of kindness, the secret weapon of prayer in changing the world, and SO much more!
For a limited time, Becky is offering the Love Because bundle including her Love Because e-book, Love Because journal and prayer journaling sheets for 50% off - so don't miss out!
Visit https://www.beckykopitzkementoring.com/love-because-bundle to learn more.
296 Believing in God When Life Doesn't Make Sense with Kristen LaValley
The great thing about being a Christian is that if you pray, read the Bible and go to church, life is pretty much smooth sailing…
Right?
Wrong!
If you’ve lived the Christian life for very long at all, you’ve surely realized that this line of thinking is not true. Either that or you’ve wondered where you’ve gone wrong to find yourself walking through hard times.
This week’s guest knows what it’s like to walk through difficult times, and we’re so thankful to welcome Kristen LaValley to the podcast to share her heart, her story and some valuable lessons she’s learned along the way.
You can connect with Kristen at KristenLaValley.com
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
295 Answered Prayer Game Show: God, Coincidence, or Law of Attraction?
We’ve talked in previous episodes about the differences between prayer and the secular ideas of manifesting and the Law of Attraction. This week we’re playing a little game show called “God, Coincidence, or Law of Attraction?” In this fun, lighthearted episode we take real-life stories and examine them to reveal which of these three phenomena is behind their results (spoiler alert: God is involved in every single one, regardless of the answer!).
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
294 How to Give God Your Full Attention in a Distracted World with Katie Westenberg
Got distractions? Katie Westenberg can help! This week’s guest wrote an entire book (part book, part Bible study) to equip women just like you to train your brain and your soul to focus on God. Combining scripture and brain science, Katie helps map out the path from frenzied to focused in her book “But Then She Remembered: How to give God your full attention in a distracted world.”
You can connect with Katie and find out more about her book at https://katiewestenberg.com/
Special Offer! Praying Christian Women listeners can get all 9 of Alana’s Kennedy books, a fast-paced Christian mystery series PLUS 9 bonus audios and an entire prayer journal - on sale! Go to https://bit.ly/pcw-kennedy to dive headfirst into Alana's thrilling series today!
293 Prayer Lessons from Christian Fiction
What can your favorite novels teach you about prayer? Today Alana is chatting with her friend Mackenzie about prayer lessons from Christian fiction, specifically from Alana's bestselling Kennedy Stern series.
Special Offer! Praying Christian Women listeners can get all 9 of these fast-paced Christian mysteries PLUS 9 bonus audios and an entire prayer journal based on the Kennedy series on sale! Go to https://bit.ly/pcw-kennedy to dive headfirst into Alana's thrilling series today!
292 Renewing Your Mind to Break Free From Emotional Eating with Barb Raveling
There’s no better time than a new year to work on creating better habits, which is why we’re excited to have Barb Raveling on the podcast this week! Barb is the author of Say Goodbye to Emotional Eating: 100 Renewing Exercises to Help You Break Free From the Control of Food.
Join us for a great discussion about how to know if you’re an emotional eater, some of the roots of emotional eating, and both spiritual and practical ways you can break free from emotional eating.
You can connect with Barb and learn more about her books, app and podcasts at BarbRaveling.com.
We’ve updated our website!
Some old links referenced in past episodes may not be working any more, but we have lots of new things for you!
JUST FOR YOU: use code 2024 to get a discount on our Praying in the New Year online retreat! https://prayingchristianwomen.com/products/praying-in-the-new-year
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
291 Lessons in Prayer from Anna in Luke 2
Happy New Year! This year we’ve decided to do something a little different for our New Year’s episode. We’re going to discuss prayer lessons from Anna, the prophet mentioned in Luke 2.
We hope your new year is off to a great start, and pray God’s blessings will go before you in 2024.
We’ve updated our website!
Some old links referenced in past episodes may not be working any more, but we have lots of new things for you!
JUST FOR YOU: use code 2024 to get a discount on our Praying in the New Year online retreat! https://prayingchristianwomen.com/products/praying-in-the-new-year
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
290 What Christmas Carols Teach Us About Prayer
Note: If you’re listening to this episode with little ears nearby, you might want to use headphones
Merry Christmas from all of us at the Praying Christian Women podcast! This week’s episode is all about Christmas carols: what they get right, what they get wrong, anecdotes about our favorites, and so much more. Join us for a fun celebration of the Christmas season.
We’ve updated our website!
Some old links referenced in past episodes may not be working any more, but we have lots of new things for you!
JUST FOR YOU: use code 2024 to get a discount on our Praying in the New Year online retreat! https://prayingchristianwomen.com/products/praying-in-the-new-year
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
289 What Secular Manifesting Gurus Get Right (and What They Get Wrong)
Have you heard of the term “manifesting”? It’s become quite a buzz word in recent years, particularly in secular circles. Some Christians believe it’s New Age or even evil, while others embrace it as compatible with scripture. Join us today for Part 2 of a 2-part series were we analyze what manifesting is, look into what scripture says on the matter, and come to some pretty interesting conclusions about whether manifesting has a place in a Christian’s prayer life.
We’ve updated our website!
Some old links referenced in past episodes may not be working any more, but we have lots of new things for you!
JUST FOR YOU: use code 2024 to get a discount on our Praying in the New Year online retreat! https://prayingchristianwomen.com/products/praying-in-the-new-year
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
288 Navigating Domestic Abuse and Recovery with Melanie Campbell
This week’s guest on the Praying Christian Women podcast bravely tackles a difficult topic that needs to be discussed: how to navigate domestic abuse, hurt and forgiveness as a Christian woman.
Melanie Campbell writes about these heavy issues in her novel One Woman Falling, and in this episode Melanie talks about her own experience with an abusive relationship that inspired the book, gives practical advice for how the Church can better support abused women, and talks about the importance of your relationship with God in navigating abuse and recovery.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
Abuse Recovery website mentioned in this episode: https://abuserecovery.org/
**If you are experiencing abuse and need help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
TTY 1.800.787.3224, Text "START" to 88788 or visit https://www.thehotline.org/
287 Manifesting: Hocus pocus or Bible based?
Have you heard of the term “manifesting”? It’s become quite a buzz word in recent years, particularly in secular circles. Some Christians believe it’s New Age or even evil, while others embrace it as compatible with scripture. Join us today for Part 1 of a 2-part series were we analyze what manifesting is, look into what scripture says on the matter, and come to some pretty interesting conclusions about whether manifesting has a place in a Christian’s prayer life.
We’ve updated our website!
Some old links referenced in past episodes may not be working any more, but we have lots of new things for you!
JUST FOR YOU: use code 2024 to get a discount on our Praying in the New Year online retreat!
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
286 Stuff I'd Only Tell God with Jennifer Dukes Lee
How honest do you get with God? Even though you know God sees it all, is there a part of you that holds back in prayer, or attempts to conceal motives and desires, hopes or dreams because you’re not sure they’re good enough for a holy God?
The problem is, when we don’t feel comfortable being totally transparent with God it can keep us from being honest with ourselves, uncovering who we truly are, and even stunt our spiritual growth.
That’s why we’re really excited to welcome Jennifer Dukes Lee onto the podcast to talk about her amazing new journal Stuff I'd Only Tell God: A Guided Journal of Courageous Honesty, Obsessive Truth-Telling, and Beautifully Ruthless Self-Discovery. In our conversation Jennifer shares about some of the deeper reasons that keep us from being honest with God, gives some helpful advice for how to open up more in our prayer lives through journaling (even if you don’t consider yourself a journaler!), and talks about the importance of honesty beyond our prayers and journals.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com today!
285 Praying for your Business
Do you run a business? Own or co-own a company? Help manage a team of employees?
Today, Becky and Alana are chatting all about how to pray for your business!
But even if you're not your own CEO, today's episode applies to women who feel guilty for praying for yourselves, women who struggling knowing how to pray for your finances, women who feel like you have disappointments but don't know how to take them to prayer in a God-honoring way ... basically all of us!
If you're interested in the resource we mention in this show, grab your own personal praying for your business prayer retreat now at https://alana--theinspiredbusiness.thrivecart.com/praying/
284 Thanksgiving Testimonies
Happy Thanksgiving week to our friends in the U.S.! Whether you observe American Thanksgiving or not, there’s no better time to celebrate the power of gratitude.
Here at Praying Christian Women we have a lot to be thankful for. We’ve been making some changes behind the scenes that include adding a new member to our team, Becky Kopitzke! In this week’s episode we bring Becky on to introduce herself, and each of us takes time to share our testimony and reflect on answered prayer and gratitude.
283 Praying BIG: the Pros and Cons of Big Prayers
Do you ever feel like you've been playing it safe in your prayer life by limiting your prayers to small, manageable prayers rather than asking big things from a big God? You're not alone! We all get into prayer ruts from time to time.
This week we discuss some root fears that keep us from praying bigger, offer some tips for how to stretch yourself to pray more audaciously, and even talk about some pitfalls to avoid when praying big prayers.
Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!
282 Powerful Prayers for the Middle East with Lana Silk
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Sunday November 5th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. We could think of no better person to talk to than our guest this week, Lana Silk. Lana is the CEO of Transform Iran, a ministry to help Christians and the Underground Church in Iran.
We talk with Lana about what it was like for her to grow up in Iran, the civil rights challenges that face women and girls there today, and how the conflict in Israel is directly impacting Christians in Iran and in other parts of the Middle East.
She reveals some powerful ways we can be praying for the persecuted church in Iran, as well as for the conflict in Israel. We’d love for you to join us today!
You can connect with Lana and find out more about Transform Iran at TransformIran.com
281 Praying Small: the Pros and Cons of Praying for the Little Things
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Today we do a deep-dive into a question we've touched on in past episodes: should we pray for little things? We've called them "parking space prayers" before - praying for small things that others may think are too insignificant to take to God.
What constitutes a "little thing" anyway? Can we take it too far? Does focusing small take away from praying big prayers to a Big God?
We discuss these questions and more, so pull up a chair and join us!
(and FYI, stay tuned for a followup episode on praying big in a couple of weeks!)
280 The Power of Spiritual Reflection with Molly Ovenden
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
When was the last time you took time to do some spiritual reflection? More than ever before, we need to fight for time to be still and reflect. That’s why we’re so happy to talk with Molly Ovenden, author of Closer: Spiritual Reflections for Writers and Thinkers. Molly understands how hard it can be to create time and conjure up energy to do the much-needed work of partnering with God in self-examination and reflection.
Join us on the podcast this week to explore the importance of reflecting and journaling, some barriers to doing so, and some very practical ways to make it happen in your own busy life!
You can connect with Molly at www.mollyovenden.com
279 What Prayer and Good Vibes Have in Common (and What They Don't!)
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you ever heard someone offer to send "good vibes" and wondered if it was basically the same as prayer? Or have you felt like it was too woo-woo to be part of a Christian vocabulary? Wherever you land on the "good vibes" spectrum, we'd love for you to join us in our conversation about this popular saying.
In this off-the-cuff conversation, we discuss where the phrase "good vibes" comes from, what it has in common with prayer, and what it doesn't. We explore different perspectives on when or when not to use it, and offer up some tips for how to resolve conflicts on this and other disputable matters in the Church.
278 Finding Hope When Your Family Falls Apart with Julie Plagens
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/podcast today!
Have you been hurt by someone you love? Have you wondered if it’s time to set some boundaries, or maybe even take a break in a family relationship but aren’t sure what godly boundaries look like? If so, you absolutely don’t want to miss our conversation this week with Julie Plagens, author of “Estranged: Finding Hope When Your Family Falls Apart.” Julie shares her own story of estrangement from her family, the role prayer played in some truly miraculous events taking place, how to navigate restoring a broken relationship wisely, and so much more.
You can connect with Julie at MomRemade.com.
277 Lessons About Prayer from Guatemala
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
In this episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast, Jaime shares with Alana about some takeaways from a mission trip to Guatemala she and her oldest son were part of over the summer with Athentikos, a ministry dedicated to transforming lives with the gospel through art.
To learn more about Athentikos and their I Am Art events, visit their website at Athentikos.com.
Watch their film Reparando today on Amazon prime!
276 The Prayers of Elisabeth Elliot with Ellen Vaughn
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
You may be familiar with the famous love story of Elisabeth Elliot and her husband Jim, who was tragically speared to death with fellow missionaries while attempting to bring the Gospel to an unreached people group in Ecuador. You may remember Elisabeth's shocking choice to move with her young daughter to live among the very people who were responsible for her husband's death. You may have read some of her books like Through Gates of Splendor or Passion and Purity.
But there is so much about Elisabeth Elliot you don't know.
Join us today on the podcast as we talk with New York Times bestselling author Ellen Vaughn, author of the two volume authorized biography of Elisabeth Elliot: Becoming Elisabeth Elliot and Being Elisabeth Elliot (which just became available last week!). She reveals a side of Elisabeth known only to those closest to her, until now. She had the privilege of speaking to close friends and family members of Elisabeth, reading decades of Elisabeth's journals and letters and painting a beautiful picture of the private prayer life of this incredible woman of faith through these books.
You can connect with Ellen at EllenVaughn.com
275 Defeating the Enemy and Embracing Abundant Life with Patricia Souza Holbrook
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you ever felt like there is something standing between life as you know it and the abundant life you know God has planned for you? If so, you need to tune in to this week's episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast! Patricia Holbrook examines scripture to reveal how the Enemy's schemes can derail us from God's plans for us. She talks about how to recognize spiritual attack, some of the common tactics Satan uses to deceive us, and how to embrace abundant life regardless of circumstances. We can't wait to see you there!
You can connect with Patricia and find her book "Twelve Inches" at at https://patriciaholbrook.com.
274 Praying in the School Year
Make sure to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Many of us are gearing up for another school year, so we wanted to devote an episode to talking about transitions, new beginnings, and how to go about praying in this new season. Whether you find yourself sending a child to kindergarten for the first time, dropping a child off at college or simply ushering in a new season of work and family this fall, we would love for you to pull up a chair and join us!
273 When Giving Up Isn't an Option with Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
If you haven’t heard of Bianca Juarez Olthoff, you might be about to meet your new virtual BFF. If you have, you know you do not want to miss this week’s episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast! Bianca’s passion for the Lord and teaching God’s Word permeates everything she does, and our conversation about her new book Grit Don't Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn't an Option is no exception.
Join us as Bianca shares about truly miraculous ways God provided for her family as a child, how to navigate friendships when conflict strikes, and some powerful and practical tools for persevering in your faith when you feel like giving up.
You can connect with Bianca and find her new book at BiancaOlthoff.com. (Her book releases August 29th, but you can preorder today for some really fun preorder bonuses!)
272 Prayer and Sports with Brooke McGlothlin
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you ever struggled with balancing sports and church in your home? Have you ever prayed for a kid to score a goal or win a game, but wondered if that’s even the right thing to pray for? If so, you’re going to love this week’s conversation with longtime friend of the podcast, Brooke McGlothlin from Million Praying Moms! Brooke talks about her family’s journey to find balance in sports and faith, shares tips for praying for your children as they participate in athletics and other activities, and so much more!
You can connect with Brooke and find SO many resources for praying for your kids at https://www.millionprayingmoms.com/
In our conversation we also mention Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which you can find at https://www.fca.org/
271 How to Hold On When You Feel Forgotten By God with Ashley Morgan Jackson
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you ever felt forgotten by God? It can feel incredibly lonely, frustrating and tempting to give up. Ashley Morgan Jackson has been there and has a lot to say on the subject, so we hope you’ll join us for an incredible conversation with her! Ashley works full time for Proverbs 31 Ministries, is a speaker and author of Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten.
We talk with Ashley about a 5 year period she refers to as her “wrestling season,” how unhealthy ways of coping with disappointment and spiritual fatigue can keep us from God, the hidden benefit of frustration, how to get to the root of our frustration - and so much more!
You can connect with Ashley at AshleyMorganJackson.com
270 Toxic Positivity and Prayer
Grab your free scripture journal today at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal!
Curious about the term "toxic positivity"? We were! The idea of toxic positivity seems to have recently gained traction, so we wanted to talk about what it is and how this kind of outlook can impact our prayer lives.
Dictionary.com defines toxic positivity this way: "Toxic positivity is a critical term for the practice of promoting or attempting to maintain a positive mindset or attitude regardless of what circumstances and emotions are being experienced."
Our questions today include:
Can positivity ever actually be toxic?
Is it so bad to keep a positive attitude no matter what?
What is the line between maintaining our own positivity and imposing our expectations on others' attitudes?
What about reciting truths and affirmations - is that a form of covering up our true feelings?
Is being a "positive" person better than being a "negative" person?
We'd love for you to pull up a chair and join us for this really interesting discussion about "toxic positivity" and our prayer lives!
269 Finding Hope and Healing from Past Trauma with Bethny Ricks
Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
You are going to absolutely love this week’s guest on the podcast. Bethny Ricks is a dynamic speaker and leadership expert, poet, author and founder of the Jesus Led, Bible Fed community on Instagram. Bethny talks with us about her book An Inconvenient Journey which includes reflections along her own faith journey of working through past trauma toward healing and wholeness. She shares about how she worked through difficult questions about God and her faith, some helpful practices that allowed her to heal, and about the importance of allowing God to meet us at our deepest points of pain.
You can find Bethny’s book, sign up for her Pour it Out newsletter, and connect with her at https://www.bethnyricks.com/. You can follow Bethny on Instagram at @jesusledbiblefed and @bethnyricks
How to Pray According to Your Values (Revisiting Our Top Episodes #199)
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
In the month of July we're going to be revisiting a few of our top-ranked episodes. Whether you haven't heard them for a while or missed them altogether, we pray each of these will be timely and relevant to you!
If you're a longtime listener, you know we love to highlight the importance of embracing the unique ways God made you and using them to your advantage in your prayer life. Prayer is a relationship, not a cookie-cutter activity.
So today we're bringing you one more tool to help you identify your strengths: the VIA Institute on Character Strengths test.
Take it here: https://viacharacter.org/surveys
We'll talk about our own results, and walk you through some ways to capitalize on some of these values in your own prayer life!
The A.C.T.S. Prayer (Revisiting Our Top Episodes #194)
Grab your free scripture journal today at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal!
In the month of July we're going to be revisiting a few of our top-ranked episodes. Whether you haven't heard them for a while or missed them altogether, we pray each of these will be timely and relevant to you!
In this week's episode we talk about the A.C.T.S. method of prayer (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), which is a fun, versatile, thorough method of prayer that we personally love - and think you will too!
How to Pray When Life Throws You Curve Balls (Revisiting Our Top Episodes #192)
Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
In the month of July we're going to be revisiting a few of our top-ranked episodes. Whether you haven't heard them for a while or missed them altogether, we pray each of these will be timely and relevant to you!
Episode 192: How to Pray When Life Throws You Curve Balls
Has life thrown you any curve balls lately? If it hasn't, chances are at some point it will. Jesus tells us that in this life we WILL have trouble. But because we have the Holy Spirit living in us, we have access to victory that transcends even the trickiest pitches.
Join us today for a solo episode where Jaime shares about some curve balls in her own life and what she's been learning. You'll even come away with some helpful questions to ask yourself the next time you find yourself in the line of fire!
268 Navigating Divine Detours with Lori Ann Wood
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you experienced a “divine detour” in your life - a curve ball you didn’t see coming? At the time, it could seem like the end of the world, or at the very least like God took a vacation from looking out for you. But our guest today on the podcast, Lori Ann Wood, has some real encouragement for us. She shares the story of her own “divine detour” and how it actually became the catalyst for a faith she never dreamed possible. Join us to hear her incredible story, including the hard questions she asked and the ways God showed up for her each step of the way (and continues to!).
You can connect with Lori and find her book Divine Detour: The Path You’d Never Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted at LoriAnnWood.com .
267 Spiritual Resilience
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Do you wish you had more spiritual resilience? In episode 265 we talked about spiritual burnout, and this week we’re taking a look at the other side of the coin: spiritual resilience. We discuss what it means to be more spiritually resilient, give some practical tips on how we can cultivate more spiritual resilience, and suggest some ways we can have more grace with ourselves and others in this area.
Here are some of our tips for how to become more spiritually resilient:
limit your time of “wallowing”
use affirmations of truth, as well as praise and thanksgiving
develop practices during good times to prepare you for bad times
surround yourself with a positive, supportive community
practice asking for help
read God’s Word and know who he is
cultivate an outwardly focused perspective
266 Prayer Starters with Suzanne Eller
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Do you ever want to pray but just not know where or how to start? This week’s guest on the podcast is here to help! Suzanne (Suzie) Eller is the author of Prayer Starters: Talking With God About Hard Times and host of the Prayer Starters Podcast. You won’t want to miss this incredible conversation where Suzie talks about some of the reasons we struggle to find words, shares some of her own story, and offers plenty of insights and practical tips to help you get started with your own prayers!
You can connect with Suzie and find her book and podcast at www.suzanneeller.com.
265 Spiritual Burnout
Grab your free scripture journal at www.prayingchristianwomen.com/journal today!
Have you ever experienced spiritual exhaustion? Maybe intense, extended intercession or a demanding ministry has left you feeling drained. Or maybe failing health or an overwhelming season of life leave you feeling like you have nothing left to give. No matter how strong a Christian or seasoned a prayer warrior you are, spiritual burnout is real, and nobody is immune. In this week’s episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast, we discuss some of the reasons spiritual burnout may show up, how to identify the warning signs, and some practical steps to take to move toward spiritual health and renewal.