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. “
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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!