Welcome to my NEW website!! I’m so glad you stopped by today! If you found your way here from the Proverbs 31 Ministries invitation to join us on The 7-day Doubt Diet, click here for more details or simply sign up in my sidebar.
If you’re visiting after reading my P31 devotion, “When Worry Makes Me Wonder”, thanks for hopping over. In my devotion, I shared how a few years ago I felt like I was suffocating under everything that was going on in my life. Have you ever been there?
Slowly, I let worry weave it’s way into my thoughts and wear me down. Eventually, I came to a point where I was exhausted and ready to resign from just about everything…life, ministry, etc.
I ran out of fuel and felt like I didn’t have enough energy to handle all of my roles, relationships and responsibilities.
I also ran out of faith. I started doubting my ability to to hear God clearly and to do all I assumed He wanted me to do.
All my worries started making me weary. And they made me wonder… I wondered if I could manage my life. I wondered if God noticed and cared about all I was doing for Him, and others. And I wondered why God wasn’t doing something to make my life easier.
One day I was reading in Luke 10 and noticed Martha felt the same way. She couldn’t get everything done and it was making her come undone. That day I noticed something. She went to Jesus. Yes she was freaking out, but she went to Him about it.
And she asked Him the same question I’d been asking in my heart:‘Lord, don’t you care?
“She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care?that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” Luke 10:40b (NIV)
And how did Jesus respond to Martha’s doubts and demands? “’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (NIV)
I knew God wanted the same for me. He did care. He did notice. He’d left a note for me right there in scripture to show me what was going on in my own heart. And He’s done the same for you.
I sensed He wanted me to come to Him and talk to Him, instead of talking to myself (in my head) which only made me worry more. And when I did come to Him with my concerns, He replaced my thoughts with His thoughts. He replaced my worries with His peace.
Some days I needed to do more than pray. I needed to give my worries to Him. So I wrote them down on index cards and put them under a cross I have next to my bedside. Physically placing them there, and giving them to Jesus was so powerful.
I also looked up promises in scripture to replace my worries and doubts. I found verses like Psalm 55:22 that says: “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you…” (NLT) I also found 1 Peter 5:7 that reminded me: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (NLT)
We need God’s presence and the promise of His care as a dwelling place for our hearts. And on those days when we we just can’t do it all and we wonder if God notices how hard we’re trying, He wants us to know He notices and He does care. He cares about us and He loves taking care of us and all that concerns us, too.
I’ve got a list of “Peace-giving Promises I’d love to share with you on my FREE resources page. And I’d love to pray for you today, too. Be sure to leave “share your thoughts” below and let me know one worry you want to leave with Jesus and I’ll pray for that concern. And also be sure to enter my drawing for my “Contagious Confidence” Give-aways.
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Peace-Giving Promises GIVE-AWAY!
In my book, A Confident Heart, I share in chapter 9 how we can turn our fear-filled thinking into faith-filled believing and stop Satan from stealing the confident peace that’s meant to be ours in Christ. Today, I’m giving away 5 copies of A Confident Heart to ONE of you – along with a Free “Confident Heart” Q&A Conference Call. That way you can gather some friends to go through the book together and we can talk about it if you want to! And, because I want more than one winner, I’m giving away 2 more Advanced copies to another one of you, too.
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I would love for you to join me in sharing God ‘s peace-giving promises today! Here are a few things you can do to enter today’s give-aways:
1. Share this post or a link to the “Peace-giving Promises via email, Twitter, your blog or Facebook. Let’s encourage as many women as we can and disarm the enemy from his weapon of worry. My “Tell a Friend” buttons below makes it really easy.
2. Sign up for the 7-day Doubt Diet (if you haven’t already) and invite friends too! It includes a week’s worth of devotions with more powerful promises, personal encouragement and scripture-based prayers to help you lose the weight of worry and doubt so you can gain a confident heart!
3. Sign up for my email updates in the little box at the top of my website to receive news on give-aways, free resources, blog posts and more! I’ve got all kinds of announcements coming up!
Leave a comment by clicking “Share Your Thoughts” below and tell me how I can pray for you. Also, let me know which or all of these you are doing to share God’s peace-giving promises today. Your comment will enter you into the drawings. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, July 18th!
And be sure to download your copy of more “Peace-giving Promises. “
I met you in June in Muskoka and I really enjoyed listening to you speak. I find myself worrying over things that I cannot change but I just keep reminding myself that God is in control and he will take care of me. I look forward to reading your book. Thank you for the beautiful words; they are very inspiring.
I got the doubt diet and get the newsletter- thanks!
Can’t wait to get the book. Prayers for peace appreciated.
My mom has always called me a “worry wart”. I worry about everything. If my children are making the right choices in thier lives, I usually want to make them for them, or aleast advice them my way. If my husband and I have done all we can in raising them? Have we prayed enough? Have we disipilined enough? Have we loved enough? It’s a never ending cycle. My husband was diagnosed with CHF and type 1 diabetes just 8 yrs ago and I worry about his health all the time. He used to have a hospital stay aleast once a year for the first 6 years. The last couple of years have been better, alot better. I have always believe that God knows that Matthew is needed here, especially to til all 5 of our children are grown. Some days are better than others, but your 7 day Doubt Diet has helped alot. I have done all 3 things requested above, and am so excited about doing the bible study coming at the end of August. I have had this peace for the last fews weeks, and I think that is because you allowed God to use you to touch our hearts. THANK YOU!
Thank you Renee I needed to see this I am currentlyfacing unemployment and have been for tha last yr and a half and sure does not look good out there plus taking care of an elderly parent . So sometimes I wander what I will do when I get a job how to balance both. I am looking forward to your book and would love to do the study . So much going around now with all the bad stuff in this world thank you for loving us women and praying for us . Prayer for me would be a job soon and what God wants me to do and how to live life thru all of this.
Carol
Renee I have posted your link on my Facebook page and joined the 7day doubt diet. I have been fighting against the spirit of doubt for some time now. I am not sure where I allowed the enemy to get in but it has been a battle to get him out of my mind. I know GOD loves me and I have been speaking his word but sometimes it just seems like the walls are closing in. When I read your devotion today it was a GOD wink for me. His way of telling me that he sees what I am going thru and I just have to keep seeking him. He wanted me to know that he has not left me. My family and I are in the middle of a housing problem because the home we have been leasing for 3 years is in foreclosure. I will be honest I am very upset becasue I don’t understand why the owners would not pay the mortgage for 17 months when we have paid on time for 3 years. School starts in less than 3 weeks and now we don’t know where we are going to live. Our credit scores are to low to buy but thanks to GOD’S provision, we make more than enough money to pay a note. We just have to find a place. Everytime the enemy comes to attack my thoughts I immediatley reply “I Trust in GOD” . I just need peace. Thank you for this devotion because I can make it one more day. Be Blessed and continue to allow GOD to use you.
I really needed to read this post, it is as if it was written for me. I have been living with worry and frustration for over two years and sometimes I just felt like my praying was not enough. I have started writing down my worries and concerns on the index cards at night and it has helped me to not lay at night and worry as much. I feel more at peace and that I am truly giving my worries and concerns over to God. Thanks so much for your posts and encouragements!
thanks for the great thoughts, it’s so easy to listen to doubt instead of truth!
I,ve done all three , I’m a worrier and have overcome some .Thanks for Proverbs 31 I really enjoy this site.
Renee, thank you for your devotional–I so desperately needed to hear this. I signed up for the 7 Day Doubt Diet before this post and plan to forwad your devotion to my friends this evening. It never ceases to amaze me how God uses the words of others to touch my heart and whisper words of encouragement when I’m crying out to Him. My worry is for my teenage children; primarily a teenage daughter who has run away from home. She just turned 17 in June and has been gone for over a month now. I also have 15 year old twin boys who are on probation for underage drinking and marijuana. Needless to say, I am brokenhearted and worried for their futures. My cry to God has been that my children and my husband would all come to know Him as I do, for I know that without Him our family will continue to crumble. Don’t mean to sound crazy, but I feel as though Satan has a bulls eye on me and my family right now. However, God is my rock and I keep repeating “I can do all thing through Christ who strenghtens me” to get me through one day at a time. I also keep reminding myself of all that God has provided; one of them being the adoption of my children when my husband and I weren’t able to conceive. I’ve shared with my children that when we accept Christ as our Savior that we become His adopted children and how that means so much to me because I know the depth of love in my heart for them so for God to feel that way makes it even more special. Please pray that my daughter remembers this and runs to His loving arms. Thank you so much.
I have done all of the above 🙂 and would love to receive a copy of your book to share with our weekly ladies Bible study group. We are so human and female… does that say it all or what???? I’ve really enjoyed reading over your sight and love your words of encouragement. I’ve actually shared your information with many — especially one of my dear friends who is going through a rough time right now. God knew I needed His words and direction — and you were the vessel to deliver it at the right time. Thank you. I’m excited to see and read your daily devotions and looking forward to the 7-Day Doubt Diet. God bless you for all you all allowing God to do through you.
Thank you for a great devotional today. I am at a point where I’m just tired of waiting. I sometimes wonder if God has forgotten how long it’s been since He gave me a promise regarding my marriage. It just seems impossible as nothing is pointing in that direction. He has reminded me several times throughout this waiting period that He hasn’t forgotten His promise but at times I just get weary. If you could please pray for me to just focus on Him and not the circumstances….trusting in His perfect plan. Thank you!
This devotional reminded me of a moment in my life when I was completely overwhelmed by everything (one of many), so I cried out to God, “Lord, I can’t do it all!” And He clearly replied, “Sandy, you don’t have to do it all….at the same time.” He does give us what we need when we need it…..just enough manna for today….just enough “light for the step we’re on”….etc. Thanks for the reminder, which will help me to let go of the worry I have about getting new jobs and where we’re going to live next month.
Thanks for the devotional today at Prov. 31. Your words are so encouraging and just what I needed in my life at this time. I face many difficult famly issues and things just seem to get worse(according to the world’s view). But I know God will not give me more than I can bear and he gives me strength. Looking forward to the 7-Day Doubt Diet.
Renee, thank you so much for your devotion today. I woke up this morning with so much on my mind. I felt like I couldn’t take any more. This was a good reminder to look to my God and know that he cares and stop relying on myself. I would love if you could pray for our financial situation and for my Husband to have wisdom to listen to God and know what he would have us to do. He is so discouraged also and I need to pray for him, lift him up and not feel defeated in this time.
Also my heart is heavy because my son’s wife has left him and he is hurting so much and I feel so helpless. Thank you so much for your encouragement today….It really blessed me..
I have given my dear friend a link to your page. This dear friend is dealing with chf (congestive heart failure) along with a variety of other life threatening complications. She had to quit her job last summer and her husband was laid off from work over the winter due to a lack of building projects available. So needless to say the worry and stress of financial burdens that they have, along with the medicial problems have really wieghed down their lives. I believe your book would be a great encouragment and burden lifter for my friend.
My prayer request for this dear sweet woman and her family is that all who read this post would take a minute and pray for them. God knows who they are and what their needs are. How awesome our God is and He knows all our struggles, He will supply ALL our needs according to His riches in Glory! Thank you to all who will, and have said a prayer tor this family.
Angel
Renee,
Thank you for what you do. I would love to have this book, since I worry about most everything. I also have several friends that I worship with and I would love to share the book with them. I had wanted to be at the she speaks conference next week, but it was full when I started to signup. If you want to pray for me, I would ask for wisdom and discernment in regards to what the Lord wants me to do. I feel like He is calling me into some type of women’s ministry – which is one of the reasons that I wanted to be at the conference next week. Again, thank you for what you do!
Renee: Thank you for your insights. I am struggling with over-commitment and the sense of not getting to do the things that are really important. I get reminded of what I want to do, but then get caught up in the busyiness of “doing” life and lose perspective again. After our family’s yearly spiritual retreat I am again resolved to work on what matters instead of what seems to be so important in the moment. Satan has regularly used doubt to try to dissuade me, and I need to fight harder to overcome those arrows.
God’s blessings on your iministry.
I shared you with my friends! Am looking forward to your book. My prayer request is that I can trust God, believe in Him and leave my worries at His feet. Thanks for your devotional. Nanci D
Loved the 7-Day Doubt Diet. Would love to have a copy of your book and would covet your prayers for my family’s finances. Thanks for all you do. You are a blessing to me and so many others.
Wow, what a blessing your devotion was and how awesome Gods timing is. I would really love to win those books. I feel completely overwhelmed often because I feel that I have an endless to -do list and not enough time. So I will leave everyday worrying if im being a great wife, mother , student..at jesus’ feet and trust him for direction to help me shrink my to-do list 🙂 God Bless
Thank you Renee for all your encouragement and awesome freebies <3
Your devotion today really spoke to my heart. I find I am consumed by worry about so many things… my children’s job searches, the direction our nation is headed, how to be present to my dying mother… I long for a way to know peace in my heart. I felt called to share today’s devotion with 3 special friends who I know also struggle with worrying. We need to find a way to let that go, and writing it down and placing it in my Prayer Jar may be one step to helping me do that. Thanks for the suggestion — don’t know how I forgot about it! I signed up for the 7 Day Doubt Diet, and am looking forward to reading the insights you have to share. Thank you for sharing your blessings with us.
Thank you for being a vessel for God’s word. You’d said you’d pray if we left a concern…would greatly appreciate the much need prayers. I recently discovered my husband had an affair. There are no words to describe the depth of heart ache and pain. Just trying to hang on and protect my children. It makes me sick to think how this could impact them….I know how it’s made me feel…numb.
Hi Renee! I signed up for the 7 Day Doubt Diet emails and can’t wait to start getting them. I know that I have a major problem with self confidence that I need to work on……..
Worry and anxiety can sometimes consume me. Your words and insight are so very helpful. God is so much bigger than anything I have to worry about. My job tends to really get to me sometimes. My prayer request is that I will be able to trust God more and give Him my concerns. Thank you for the difference you are making for Him.
I signed up for the 7 day diet – really encouraging and I’m looking forward to the book. I’m starting my third year working with a very difficult person and I worry about it daily – perhaps I’m being as difficult in my rebellion. Please pray for peace within myself and at work. Thank you.
Thank you for message and website. I loved hearing your story. I ask you to pray for our finances and that I will be able to stop worrying and trust God. God Bless!
I really enjoyed your devotional. It is just what I needed. I have felt so discouraged lately. My husband died in a tragic accident over two years ago leaving me with our two sons now ages ten and four to raise. I am ready to move on with my life and I am praying for God to send me a godly man to be my husband and a father to my boys. I worry what people will think about me wanting to move on, but I know it was what my husband would have wanted for me and my boys because we had talked about it a month before he died on our anniversary. I worry God will not bless me with another husband. I know I must trust Him and not worry, but I feel like the man in the bible that said “Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief.” I am excited about your book because I know it will be encouraging and I can’t wait to read it. Thank you for your prayers.
I am looking forward to these emails and reading your book. So often we are focused on the details of our lives and get worn out “doing” instead of sitting at the feet of Jesus worshipping. It sucks the life, joy and peace right out of us. The Lord is teaching me to replace worry with worship. I realize that the more I focus on His goodness, the more content I am to just sit at his feet in quiet expectation.
i really enjoyed the devo today, thank you. I shared it with my bible study babe, so 7 ladies. I signed up for the newsletter and the 7 day doubt diet,
thanks!
I have signed up for the 7 day devotion, I am looking forward to going through the 7 day. My family and I need it right now. we have gone through a crises we never thought would happen to us, the healing process is overwhelming!
Your message on worrying was sent to me from above. The last two weeks I have been struggling with doubt. I couldn’t see how God was going to work out circumstances for my son. I was overwhelmed with decisions, financial concerns, issues for safety. I’ll though I read these same scriptures for comfort, your message helped me remember that even though we may suffer, God will lift us up in due times. I don’t have to pray the answers to Him-He knows! I would ask that you pray for concerns regarding my son’s college. Thank you for being willing to share your story.
Doing all 3…need desperately…
I have done all 3. This post was felt like it was guided my way today. It fit so perfectly with my life at the moment – worry, overwhelmed, where can I get more time to get it all done, take care of everyone else, have everything just so for work because you feel that you have something to prove. I know this but this was a reminder that the only person I need to be the best for is our wonderful, loving God that is standing there ready to shoulder our worry for us if we can just let go long enough to give it to him. Thank you for that reminder.
My much needed prayer is for me and my Mother. She was a very hateful abusive Mother and now she is very sick and it was left to me to take care of her. I am 58 she is78. Even though she can’t speak now due to several strokes I can still see the hate I always felt she had for me in her eyes. I need forgiveness in my heart toward her to be able to handle this “gift” God has given me of being her caregiver. I struggle daily with this situation and as one of God’s girls I try to do what is right but I don’t always do it with a loving heart. Please pray for me and this terrible burden that I feel I have. Thank you so much and please sign me up for the book give away,
As I read your daily devotion today, I felt a sense of peace knowing that I do not have to be a Martha!! At times I feel as if I am having to be “super mom”, “super wife”, “super employee” and on and on and on……
At times I feel like God has left me and when I am crying out to him he is not there. In this season of my life I need a confident heart! I am grateful that I found your web site. It is wonderful. Thanks for sharing your story and being a witness to us ladies!
Please pray for me that I do God’s will (and not my own) and that I be a Mary and not a Martha.
God Bless
Thank you for such a wonderful devotion. I saw your book advertised the other day (I think it was in a previous devotion this week or last) and was super excited about it. Even more excited about it once I saw that there was a giveaway! I am a person who always tries to please people, seeking out there approval instead of focusing on God. I have struggled with self image and being who God has called me to be for years now, and I would love to have a more confident hard. Keep up the good work and thanks for even giving us this opportunity!
Renee, thank you so much for the devotion. Please pray for me and my family as we are in the midst of change. I just finished your 7 day doubt diet – what an awsome study. Please sign me up for the book give away. I would love to read more of God’s promises.
Thank you for your great devotion. I especially like the idea of physically writing and laying your cares at the cross. Powerful! Your website looks fantastic. Love how easy it was to share the link with friends. May God bless you and your ministry exceedingly abundantly more than you can think or ask. 🙂
OK – I have shared the link and signed up a few weeks ago for your emails! I loved the post today and need to read it over and over again. I am so looking forward to your book and it is coming at a time I really need it!
Thank you for sharing your faith and encouraging others!
I absolutely loved your devotional today. It really spoke to me at a time that I needed to know that God cares and that I should give my worries to him. I shared the link with my 3 best girlfriends and I signed up for both your newsletter and the 7 day Doubt Diet.
Thanks so much for your words of encouragement.
Philippians 4:6-7 is one of my favorite passages. Worry is something I struggle with. But I must always put my faith in the Lord. Thank you for today’s devotion.
I really enjoyed the devotion running on Proverbs 31 today and goodness, did I need to hear it today as well! The book sounds great and I’m looking forward to reading it. And I’m looking forward to the 7-Day-Doubt Diet devotions as well! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and God’s word and wisdom!
I was happy to share the link about the new book and devotion with friends because I’m sure others would get a lot from it as well.
Did all three. Can’t wait to read this! I know it will be very useful in my life as I feel I’m approaching a new chapter soon with recent happenings. Thanks for everything you do to encourage us.:)
I have been telling friends, emailing and posting the link about your new book, because it has been speaking so much to my heart. I have way too much on my plate, along with guilt, and sometime the confidence to do these things weighs me down. So glad your sharing you wonderful gift God has given you and for sharing His word. God’s blessings!!
I love your new blog! It looks great!. I am so excited about your new book. I have recently faced doubt and worry over serveral job situations recently. Sometimes when I am wrapped up in a defeating situation, I forget that God is in control! Thank you for the beautiful reminder!
Renee thank you so much for this was truly for me. I am going through a difficult period in my life and the more I pray the worst it seems to get. I wondered if God really heard my cry. On yesterday I pulled out my little book of God’s promises and among them were the two scriptures you gave in today’s message. I began to meditate on hem and was able share them with a friend who is going through a difficult time too. I am going to share this message with her today and I know she will be blessed by it too.
Thank you very much for your message today. I woke up this morning worried about a particularly difficult job situation that I am facing. I appreciate the reminder to turn my fears over to the Lord, trust that He has a plan for me and pray for the guidance that I desperately need. Bless you as you continue in your ministry.
I have done all three – thanks for sharing the first chapter of your book. It touches my heart deeply because the issue of confidence and fear is everpresent. Am I doing enough? Am I doing what I’m supposed to be doing? And on and on. I’d love to share this journey with my Bible Study group so we could grow together and encourage each other as girls who want to live a confident life in the light of Jesus. Thank you for allowing God to bless us through your obedient heart.
This post brings back many memories from your book and ’09 She Speaks talk!! Since I’m up at 1 AM with much on my mind I believe it is just what I needed to hear!! Thanks Renee! And I’d love to win the give-away to share with my friends and do the study together, but win or lose I pray it’s something God plans for us!!! Blessings and prayers, Jill
Hi Renee,
I’ve done all the above! 🙂 I live in Singapore so I’m not sure if I qualify. That’s not the most important, though. I just wanted to say that I believe that God was the one who led me to come across your writing through the Proverbs 31’s Encouragement for Today’s devotionals. I purchased your Shaped with purpose workbook and CD which was very useful and has led me to want to find out more about myself and what God actually meant me to be.
I will definitely get your book somehow, someway. 🙂
It was blessing to read your devo today. I couldn’t keep the blessing to myselt, so forwarded to my cousin so that she could be blessed as well. I have posted your link on my facebook wall, and have downloaded your free resource. Thanks for all you do for the kingdom of God. Your reward will be awesome!! God bless you!!!
The 7 Day Doubt Diet is just what I’ve been searching for! I feel blessed already! God led me to this, so I know He has something special to say to me! Thank you for taking up the cross and following Christ !
An Angel sent this to me right when I needed it, ironically that’s what we call her even though it’s not her name! My heart, head and body ached so bad with pain that I just wanted for Jesus to take me home.. I wasn’t suicidal because it’s not my life to take but I heaved with pain for weeks, I read scriptures, listened to gospel, PRAYED HARD and it didn’t go away! She was one of the only people I could talk to that understood where I was and after reading this I could BREATHE again! “A body made from the dust on the ground with the breath of life breathed into it”. AMEN!! Can’t wait for the “food” of the seven day diet! With lifted spirits and a New light heart, thank you Jesus for not only your Grace but your worker that sent me this!