Praying God’s promises — it’s changed me.
That’s why I included a prayer, at the end of each chapter, weaving together Scriptures from that chapter and others I sensed God wanted us to engrave on our hearts.
“Praying God’s Word has been one of the most life-changing ways I’ve learned to live in the security of His promises…and isn’t that what we all want?
“One way God tells us that confidence will come is when we ask Him for what is already part of His will. ‘This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us’ (1 John 5:14 NASB). So there you go: we can be confident we are praying God’s will when we pray God’s Word!” p.25
But that’s not all.
Romans 10:17 tells us that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” so let’s pray these promises out loud again and again.
Out loud. Yes, even if it seems weird. Find somewhere you can be alone to speak these truths where you can hear them, and let them echo in your heart
Trust me, it makes a difference.
“When we pray God’s words out loud, and hear them, the Holy Spirit engraves them on our hearts and writes them in our thoughts. We internalize God’s truth and our faith grows as we are transformed from the inside out!” p.25
Let’s pray this week’s prayer {together}:
Lord, I pray that You would give me a confident heart in Christ. Take me beyond believing in You to truly believing You. Help me rely on the power of Your promises and live like they are true. You say blessed is the one who trusts in You and whose hope and confidence are found in You. Those who hope in You will not be disappointed, because You work all things together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose.
When self-doubt tells me I can’t overcome my insecurities, I will believe Your promise that all things are possible to whoever believes. I will not throw away my confidence, because You say it will be richly rewarded. I will persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what You have promised. My confidence is in Christ and I am no longer one who shrinks back and is destroyed, but one who believes and is saved! In Jesus’ name, Amen. {See Jeremiah 17:7; Isaiah 49:23; Romans 8:28; Mark 9:23; Hebrews 10:35–36, 39}
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{Special Gift & GiveAway}
Chad Lawson, my friend, award-winning composer and pianist , has graciously shared his beautiful, Spirit-filled Song of Prayer below. Watch and listen below for FREE. {If you’re reading this via email please click here to visit my website to watch}.Friend, you don’t want to miss this – trust me.
Even though it will probably be hard at first, please pause to soak in this God-gift that was filmed while Chad listened to the Holy Spirit. Chad simply played what God laid on his heart. You’ll see the joy of Christ in Chad’s smile but more than anything, you’ll experience the peace of God’s presence through his music.
You can find and download A Song of Prayer on Itunes ($1.99) or Amazon ($.89)
{Today’s Give-Away}
3 Special Order Song of Prayer CDs
To enter to win one: Click “share your thoughts” below this post and describe how you felt or what you sensed God whisper as you listened to Chad’s Song of Prayer. Also share one or two of your answers to questions you feel comfortable sharing about from the end of Chapter 1.
Remember, if you’re reading this via email please click here to visit my website and participate. All entries must be put in the “share your thoughts” section.
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Simply “Be still and know that I am God” Thank you Chad
The sweet spirit of this music makes me feel that all the cares of the day, all the worries, and yes….the insecurities in my life just slipped away…took flight….and left a deep peace in their wake.
One of the questions in ch. 1 asked if a lack of confidence ever kept you from doing something. About 25 years ago, I was asked to do the devotion at our women’s meeting. I was so excited and pleased that these Godly ladies wanted me to share. It just felt great. However as the day approached, I too saw that huge shadow of doubt which made me feel so small and unworthy. I just couldn’t do it. I called the ladies leader to decline, but she wouldn’t let me. Her words, “Are you saying that God can not help you do this. That he is not sufficient?” Funny how I still remember that. Yes, that is what I was saying…..believe it our not, I actually pretty much called in sick to a friend and had them do it for me and I missed the meeting. I was so ashamed of myself. I have become a bit more confident over the years, but nowhere near where I should be. Father, help me realize whose I am and who I am!
Wow is all I can say. I definitely felt God’s presence when I was listening to this. It brought me to tears. Overwhelmed by God’s love. I sense he was telling me to stop feeling afraid. To just let go of my fears and be free. I felt joy but some sorrow. Sorrow probably because I’ve never felt confident in myself, probably ever since kindergarten. I’m always full of doubt. God is telling me to be confident in who I am in Him. Stop doubting myself. Trust in Him. I am His child and he loves me and will never leave me.
i l-o-v-e that part about praying God’s promises out loud! so effective, renee; thanks for that reminder! it works so well–with my “style” of learning–to SEE and SPEAK and HEAR God’s promises. thankful, too, for these incredible brains that the Almighty has created for us His humans.
oh! and thanks to you for sharing with us, and to mr. lawson for using his gift of music, and to our wonderful God for inspiring this beautiful music! <3
The music is beautiful and calming in midst of my current storm. My answer to question 1 is “Starting school and not knowing how to play 4 square–I walked away embarrassed.” I still remember that moment like it was yesterday–I am 43 and a grandmother now.
What beautiful music! I feel such a sense of peace listening to Chad’s music. I think that’s what I love the most about it. All my life, I have struggled with confidence. As an infant, just two weeks old, my body went into convulsions and I was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. I am very blessed, as it is only an extremely mild case. I remember the first time I prayed to the Lord. I was about twelve, I think. I was scared. I didn’t want any harm to come to my father, who had been drinking, and wanted to get in the car and drive. I remember my parents yelling in the darkness of the night, and there was mention of divorce. I prayed so hard that God watch over my dad, and also that he not leave my mother and I. He answered my prayers. I kept praying from that point on. I know I am a child of God and that He loves me. But I have always felt such a need to please everyone. I’ve always been very hard on myself when I don’t live up to my own expectations. I am learning that my expectations don’t matter, nor do those people I surround myself with. The only One whose expectations I must live up to are my Lord Jesus, who loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that we should not perish, but have everlasting life! Thank you for sharing this wonderful bible study with all of us, Renee. I already feel more confident, and we’ve barely begun!
I felt a sense of God asking me to just “rest”… it’s a Friday and I’ve been so busy running around all week – and He’s asking me to just sit here – close my eyes…. and rest….
The question at the end of chapter one: What do you think hinders you most from living with God-confidence on a consistent basis? Is there a promise listed above that speaks to your greatest need right now?
It gets hard to live with a God confidence on a consistent basis because I so easily listen to the lies that the world feeds me about what it means to be a confident woman. The verse above I most resonate with now is “See, I am doing a new thing!”… I want to be made new, better – more confident in Him than I have ever been before. I look to the past and see who I use to be – so confident and I get so disheartened that I have lost that person – but the verse reminds me that this is something new – not a repeat of the old, even far better than I was in the past. It gives me hope that things are getting better.
What came to my mind as I listened is that beauty, excellence and rest exist with calmness rather than in the rush of things. Thanks for sharing.
I saw Chad’s lip quiver as the song began, it was if there was something heavy on his heart, or perhaps it was just the awe of being in God’s presence as he put what was inside of him into the notes. The notes too had a heaviness to them, like he was laying his burdens out before God. Then the notes instead of being able to be heard predominately individually, became a melody, as if the laying down of his burdens had lifted his heart and he was feeling the joy of being in harmony with God. However, there were also ups and downs in the music, as if there were questions he was asking of the Lord. But again the music would become less somber, and more joyful, as if he had heard the Lord and understood what to do.
I felt what Chad played was a prayer in the form of music. It reminded me a lot of what we are doing now, tossing away our burden or doubt, and how much joy it can bring us to instead put our faith in Christ’s promises, His word. How when we do this we too have harmony in our relationship with Christ. That’s not to say we will not still experience doubt, or ups and downs, but in the end it forms something beautiful, again like Chad’s song, and in our case a closer and more intimate relationship with the Lord, and not just believing in what He says, but feeling it, living it.
I will also tell you what I answered for the first question. When I was about five years old my baby sister was born. At this time my parents marriage was ending, silence was the norm for our home. The silence was so loud it was deafening actually. My parents wouldn’t talk to each other, and my dad, wanted my mom’s attention, but she was beyond angry due what was now out in the open, his infidelities. She was only staying in the marriage for her children, and wanted nothing to do with him she was so hurt. One day I went to go see my baby sister as my dad held her. He pushed me away saying, “Get away!”. I thought I had done something wrong, so I left. Then later that day as I stood near my dad he reached out and grabbed my ponytail, pulling it hard, making me cry. He had wanted to get my mom’s attention in doing this, and oh boy did he! They got in a huge fight. I also starting doubting that I was loveable. Before that my dad had made me his world. I was his girl, and we did everything together. I always felt his love, and we were very close. Now he was pushing me away, and he hurt me… There had to be something wrong with me. Not too long after that my parents divorced, and I was convinced it was my fault. If only I hadn’t made them fight, if only my dad found me more loveable, everything would be OK. But it was never “OK” again, and thus began my cycle of feeling undeserving of love, and feeling insecure.
Hey Kyrie. I just listened to this awesome podcast and I wanted to share it with you. Hope it encourages you. 🙂
http://ec.libsyn.com/p/2/0/f/20f3409635973e0e/the429_Chase_The_Lion_Part_1.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cb8230d3cb5a4c97&c_id=4360750
Wow. Your impression of the the song was really deep Kryie. I am so sorry for what you had to deal with growing up as child. Something I heard and learned is that people often see God the way that they see their early father. This could be why you so doubt that God loves you. I mean really loves you. Something to remember is from Psalm 139. God created you in his image. He made you exactly the way he wanted you to be. When he formed the earth, he had you in mind, and He knew every joy and sorrow that you would face. God could have taken you out of this world, but He chose to keep you here. He is not done with you. 🙂 He still has big plans for you. I am very thankful for what Satan does for evil God can take and make it good. As you continue to grow in character and closer to God, you will have a great testimony to share with the world of how God helped to move from being hopeless to hopeful, fearful to faithful, and have victory in Christ. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and opening up. I am sure it was hard for you to do, but God has your back. 🙂
Thank you so much Jessica! You are such an encouragement to me. You know, I never thought about the comparison between my earthly father and my Heavenly Father. I think you are right in thinking that perhaps this is where my inability to fully believe in God’s promises, and His love for me stems from. Thank you for pointing that out. I really want to put my past in the past, and live a future free of that hurt, and the impact it has on my life today.
Your advice to grow closer to God, and let that hurt become something good in my through God is wise. God is sure laying some great things to impart to me on your heart 🙂 How are you though? How is school? The issue with your friend? I know you were hurting a lot last week, and I have prayed for you. You are such an encouragement to me, and others, but I want to be able to be here for you too. I may not be as wise in Christ as you are, but I do know that God wants to take all of the pressure you put on yourself and put it on Himself. He wants you to know He thinks you are already a success in school just for trying, and he has felt the hurt of losing a friend and will comfort your heart in that situation. I think one of the most wonderful things about being a Christian is that we serve a God who came in the form of a man, a human being, just like us! He can truly say he has felt everything we have. It has been hard for me to believe that someone so wonderful could love someone like me, who isn’t good about disciplining herself in so many aspects of her Christian life. I still seem to believe acts equal love, and although I know that flies in the face of the crucifixion, it is hard for me to rest in the fact that despite my faults, and feeling like I never do the Christian life ‘right’, that He could still love me.
It has been hard for me to open up here, to risk rejection (in my mind, and as a result of my own insecurities), but it has also helped me realize so much about what is going on with my doubt of God’s love, and His promises. I still fall back into those old ways of thinking, but am learning with everyone here, and Renee’s great book, how to counter that, and I hope one day the “old ways”, will come to me less and less, and my first thoughts will be of God’s promises and love.
Thanks again for being there Jessica, and I look forward to hearing that podcast! 🙂 Thanks for that too! Take care, God bless you!
Oh, Kyrie- I know you may not get this since I am behind… but what a hurt to endure! Little girls need their Daddy’s love! Had I read this sooner, I would have said the same as Jessica- it is hard to feel loved by God the Father if your own Father did not model this love in a tangible way. I grew up feeling that love was to earned through my performance (not intentional on my parent’s part, just what happened)… and projected that on to God. I struggle with a fear of failure and not wanting to be a disappointment to others… and to God. Being able to make that connection between the two was the beginning of my healing- and I hope that it will be for you as well.
OH, You have all just blessed the socks off me today!! Renee, I just love your post and the wonderful reminder… the song wonderful… the whole posts and replies, priceless!! Love you and your ministry!!!
As a pianist myself, I truly appreciate his talent. I felt an immediate sense of relaxation listening to him, as if God himself was coming over me. Thanks for sharing this, Renee.
1. Insecurity set in about high school 2. Yes insecurity has kept me from doing things 3. I feel like nothing or a nobody when doubt whispers in my ear. 4. I’m so very encouraged by God’s Word…Rom 8:28, Is 43:19, & Mk 9:23 I hold onto dearly! 5. Shame & guilt from my past hold me back from living God-confidence consistently 6. A woman with a confident heart is one who may be afraid to do something, but doesn’t let that stop her. Instead she settles in deeper into God’s Word and continues moving forward without letting her fear stop her. 7. I am BLESSED!
Elizabeth….keep encouraging yourself through God’s Word and let Him fill in any gaps you may feel in your life. I love what you said “she settles in deeper into God’s Word”. Yes, my friend…settle in and believe the truths He says about you! 🙂
Very beautiful and relaxing. I would love to listen to this when I especially those hard days happen. Love it.
As I am listening to this beautiful music, I am feeling God lifting me up and making me soar. Flying above all distractions, troubles, and worries. Then quietly setting me down, with a gentle nudge to go forth with a renewed vigor and confidence to serve Him and live.
My earliest memory of feeling a lack of confidence was elementary school. Just as Amanda said, I to, am afraid of making mistakes, and am very uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations. I have been deeply hurt by others words and actions, which make this very difficult to trust myself and others. I am hoping this book and study will help me to regain some of what I have lost and allow me to live better and serve Him better.
I hope we both regain confidence together. Praying for you during this study!
What did I feel as I listned to the song? Overwhelmed with His love. I often close my eyes and go to Jesus in my mind, usually when I go there and I lay on his lap and look at him and he looks back. He can see in my eyes my hurts and my insecure nature( there are no words necessary). He usually holds me and He just knows. Today as I listened to that beautiful musical piece I closed my eyes and went to my sweet Jesus and Idanced for him. I laughed and he delighted in me. I am usually a little girl when I go to Jesus in my mind. I think that its because this is when my insecurities began. I can not pinpoint the moment in which I felt a lack of confidence. I have lived lacking confidence and insecure for as long as I can remember. A woman with a confident heart is one that can admit they are not confident in themselves and can openly disclose that…but they are confident because of God. A confidant woman can admits to their errors and apoligize. A confident woman knows the word of God.
The first word I think of is PEACE. The music is flowing and peaceful. My first thought was “Is it really 32 minutes long?’ I thought I do not have time for that right now; but if I wait to listen then I might lose the blessing from it. While listening I realized that I tend to hurry though one thing to get to the next thing. I just do not find the time to relax. In so doing I think I miss something along the way. Thanks Chad and Renee, as I would not of stopped to think about this if you had not shared this song. I remember the saying to stop and smell the roses along the way. I will consciously slow down as I do my bible studies and try to hear what Jesus is saying to me.
I find much hope in the verses in question #4. “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This is my second time around with this study. I have clung to these verses in several circumstances in the past few weeks. I worried that I was not going to do well enough. In fact, I was so worried that I almost did not go to this new job. I had much more confidence knowing that the Lord was with me; helping me to do the best that I could. I went and I did fantastic!!! The Lord was with me in so many ways. I give thanks to the Lord for his faithfulness.
I took time after a busy week to relax and to review the chapter and lesson as a Friday Night Date with God upon a friend’s advice. God always gives us what we need when we need it! The song was a beautiful way to meditate on His Word 🙂 PERFECT!!
How beautiful! Thank you Chad for being obedient to God’s voice to share you gift. Thanks Renee for allowing us this hear this blessing.
The music was beautiful and touched me. My anxiety at the time I began listening was high and by the end I felt at peace or at least had less anxiety. It made me feel that God loves me with all my flaws, not be afraid and to come and walk and be by his side that he is with me and I am worth it.
The first recollection of feeling insecure was around 5 years old when I was called names such as accident prone, klutz due to falling or tripping and then making feel more like it was my fault or I was bad due to the fact I was adopted. They then found out I had a form of MD that I was born with and continues to progress. I see a someone who is confident as someone who is authentic in all areas of life and when interacting with others , grateful, courageous and believing God and his will. This study is beginning to help me begin this journey. This past week I have seen some changes in how I am handling comments or situations and really trying to focus on “God loves me and has plans for me”.
Debbie,
I can relate as I had various childhood ailments. I was diagnosed with a hearing loss when i was 6. You know how cruel kids can be when another kid is different.
This was an amazing video and song. Thank you so much for sharing it. My earliest memory of feeling insecure is honestly in 1st grade. I’ve always been insecure in new situations and have a hard time gaining confidence in these situations to this day.
I am right there with you.!
I’m right there with you, too. I don’t remember a time that I didn’t feel insecure, and I still don’t like new situations. I watch my young boys feel confident at home and I want them to stay that way. But then we go out into new situations or with new people and they are shy and quiet until they warm up. I don’t know if personality and temperament plays into the “shy” factor. I assume it does, and that is fine – there are all types of personalities in the world and we need them all. I just don’t want them to be insecure like I am – worrying about what other people think and second guessing themselves. I want them to be free to be who they were created to be. As I am writing that, I am feeling the Lord saying to me that He wants me to be who He created ME to be. Wow.