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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Thank you for the music and the first week of study. God is working in my heart.
Thank you Renee and Chad…”Beautiful”, I began to weep immediately after I hit the play button. Tears of joy and a little sorrow. My 17 year old son and I have had some struggles here lately and as I began to listen, The Lord gave me tears of sorrow for how I feel right now about the situation, but they quickly turned to tears of joy for The Lord spoke to me…change is coming to renew and restore, trust me…trust in your Father. From the chapter questions: describe a woman with a confident heart – Like a solid, rooted tree. Knowing whom she is in Christ. Strong, bold in Christ….not caring what others say or think of her. Does not sway with the wind (the wind of others condeming, un-Christ like opinions whispers). A confident will be given the task, but may be afraid, not sure of one’s self, but know that she would not have been given the assigment without the tools given by Christ to complete the work. I believe that Christ will not give you something he knew you could not handle. You will already be equipped. A confident woman is not afraid to fail…(oooo, this is a BIG one for me, I don’t like to fail and let people see my failure). A confident woman is sure of who she is in Christ, who the Lord made her to be, no compromise. ~ God Bless
Melinda…you have encouraged me today as I too am going through some heart hurts with my 17 year old son. Thank you for sharing your heart. And I loved the last sentence you wrote: “A confident woman is sure of who she is in Christ, who the Lord made her to be, no compromise.”
No compromise…thank you! 🙂
As I listened to this song, tears poured out. I felt a sadness for all the things that I had missed because of my self doubt. As the song went on I felt Jesus touching my heart and releasing me from the pain in my soul that has consumed me for so many years. I listened to the song again as I read through the posts and I cried tears for all of you. I realized that I am not alone in this struggle and heard God’s telling me that he is here for all of us.
I first had feelings of doubt and insecurity as a very young child. Having been adopted I always had a sense that I had been thrown away and was not good enough. My relationship with my parents was based on performance and I felt like I could never be good enough for my mother. She always compared me to my brother or other people’s children. She was highly critical and as a result spoke words of failure over me. . I have forgiven her and understand that she too had suffered as a child however I carried these feelings of inadequacy throughout my entire life.
A woman with a confident heart would know who she is and what she is here for. She would know her purpose in life and be able to trust God to accomplish his purpose through her. She would be at peace with herself and with others. Her life would be organized and stable and free of turmoil.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful music and for this study.
As soon as I get the internet back at my house, I want to buy this so I can listeen to it better. It is beautiful and I have always loved piano music.
I have always loved the piano and love listening to its sound. I have also wanted to play the piano as long as I can remember. Many times off and on throughout my life I have taken lessons. But when the lessons became harder, I would struggle with the confidence that I couldn’t do it and finally quit. Listening and watching Chad play so beautifully brought tears to my eyes. Not only because the song was so beautiful and peaceful, but it brought me to my knees to ask forgiveness for all the missed opportunities that the Lord has brought my way and I had tossed away because of insecurities. If only I would have known and believed of God’s promises as in verse Hebrews 10:35-36, to not throw away your confidence for I would have been richly rewarded. Preserve was not a word I was familiar with so I did not realize what was available to me.
I am 59 years old and have never had the courage to do a lot of things, even though I had wanted to do them so badly. Something as small as entering into a contest or giveaway just for the fun of it would bring all kinds of doubts and negative feelings. I would think people would see how dumb and dorky I was if I did. It has only been a week of this study, but I feel I have grown and I have decided today I will take a step of confidence and just answer the question irregardless of the thoughts and outcome. And you know what. After I wrote the words above, for the first time I felt a sense of freedom from a chain of doubt. I fought back and found it really wasn’t all that painful. And another thing I realized was after hearing and seeing the music being played, I found that the desire to play the piano is still there and I have decided to try again, only this time it will be with perseverance. The reward may be small to most, but to be able to say I finally did it would be so fantastic and so rewarding.
Thank you so much Renee and Chad for help making a difference. I am so looking forward to being a new confident person in Christ.
Kathy…I love what you wrote here…It has only been a week of this study, but I feel I have grown and I have decided today I will take a step of confidence and just answer the question irregardless of the thoughts and outcome.
Keep engaging yourself in this study…if you allow God to do what He wants with you, you won’t close this book being the same woman you were when you first opened it. God is good, Kathy.
And keep answering the questions because you never know who your boldness and transparency will help. 🙂
Great job!!
I felt this strong sense of reassurance…God whispering…”It’s going to be ok, I’ve got this”
Been trying to decide the next step to take in the job market…lots of activity here lately and the temptation to worry and fixate on it to the exclusion of turning it over to God. This song is a great reminder that God has definitely got this for me and for His glory.
Thank you for this song, Renee!
Helen 🙂
What a beautiful piece of music!!! Psalm 23 kept popping up in my mind while I listened to him play. I could envision walking with Jesus and him holding my hand….knowing and feeling like everything is just as it should be. Jesus is telling me he will give be rest from burdens, that he has great plans for me, that everything will be okay. The footprints poem also came to mind….and I could envision walking on the beach with Jesus and then all of sudden he’s carrying me because I feel so overwhelmed by life circumstances and he whispered as he carried me that everything will be okay, I will never leave you nor forsake you! Towards the end of the song it was as if we were heading back to our repsective places but I was with him laying in his lap just soaking it all up. Inspite of the lies that Satan may say I know that everything is going to be okay!! Renee, thank you for sharing it was amazing!!
The question that struck me most was #7….Something that I struggle with is when finances are so tight and things must be paid for, ie rent, food, gas among other bills plus our regular tithing, I, have in the past not always put God first because I fear and do not trust Him enough to provide for us. Like rent is coming due next week and my husband and I’s check combined will barely cover rent let alone everything else and so often in situations like this I will not tithe because my doubts and insecurities take over and say “well if you tithe you wont be able to pay rent or buy food, or buy gas, etc. And those same feelings are back. I am taking a step of faith and absolutely putting God first before my rent and trusting that He will take care of the rest.
Trusting God with my finances has been my biggest struggle as a Christian! He has been working with me and has been sooooo extremely patient too!
I am a Julie from Colorado too! What part of CO are you from? I am from the Boulder area
I am from Lakewood! Nice to meet you! 🙂
Julie i love the picture you painted while listening to the song, i couldn’t have done it any better. I also can relate to the financial worries and my tithing and being able to trust God with taking care of me. I am disabled and on a fixed income that barely covers the necessary bills let alone anything extra like tylenol or groceries etc. I will pray for you and you pray for me and we will get better at this trust issue we have. Praise the Lord for His patience with us! Hang in there i’ll be praying for you.
WOW I have been reading the comments, I love it.
We are praying about moving. And I need clear direction
My son needs a job with medical benefits. My grandson has some health issues.
So this was the perfect music to enter His Courts with thanksgiving and praise
I sensed such peace and calmness listening to the music. Interesting enough my son immediately came into the room and asked “what is that? I heard dinging from the other room?” …He was watching his favorite TV show but the Holy Spirit lured him into my room with the music. My son is filled with the Holy Spirit and senses his direction. I am so grateful to have a son like him. Thank you Lord for sending him to me and sending YOUR SON TO DIE FOR ME! Such love you give us!
I was completely encouraged and the comments from others spoke to my heart. When other women open up and become “real” with their feelings it tells me I’m normal. I always feel like I’m the only one who battles these things, so I spend a lot of time alone. I am now searching for that 1 or 2 who I can confide in. I am going to start praying God’s promises aloud so I can own them.
I could make a comment on almost every post, you are all writing the words in a book that describes my life. I to feel like I am the only one who feels like this. This opportunity has been a blessing. keep sharing ladies because someone who is reading is saying AMEN! and it is helping them on their journey! Thank you! Let’s find that confident woman inside us!
Thank you for sharing this song. It brought me God’s portion of peace and joy that I needed for this day to begin. Things have been really difficult for me the last few weeks and where I thought myself confident and strong, God’s truth and good word is revealing deep doubts. Magnified by issues in my marriage, these doubts are attempting to cripple me. I breathe in God’s merciful love each day, but was fortunate enough to wake up to this blessing of music. It’s beautiful.
Beautiful. I wrote as I listened.What I felt. I thought maybe I should try to put it more eloquently, but here it is, raw:
Jesus is dancing with me. In a field where girls are laughing and playing, God is chasing after me, running with me, holding my hand. Laughing. Carefree. Tears are streaming. We slow and He walks with me. Through everything. Solemn. Where I’ve been anxious, it’s unnecessary. He’s solidly there. Knowing. Handling. Patient. Loving. Knowing. Being. Doing. Trustworthy. Offering His grace where I have not trusted. He holds me. He just curls up in the big comfy chair with me and holds me. He doesn’t make little of heartache. He sees. He is answering. He is beautiful. glorious. Praiseworthy. He IS. He lets the rain come because the rainbow is so beautiful. He consistantly offers His peace. True peace. Faithfulness. He fills me. Then He sends me. He showed me He is has always done this, my whole life, my whole journey. His beauty brings down walls. Without pain. With joy. He has healing and joy to give. He is steadfast.
His way. His time. Not the same as ours. His is right. Because He knows. He knows all and waits for our hearts to belong to Him. I am His. He leads this dance.
To me, a confident woman is one who refuses to stop loving, no matter what. Continues to open her heart to others to offer God’s love.
LeAnne,
I am so glad you didn’t “clean up” your writing. Raw was absolutely beautiful!! Thank you for sharing, I needed to read that for myself!
Totally honest here – I couldn’t stay totally quiet and listen. The music is wonderful, but my mind drifted to thoughts of what I need to do today (last weekend free before I have surgery on May 9th). I started reading through the stack of mail beside me and pretty soon I was unloading and loading the washer. I’m going to try again later as I know how much I need a 1/2 hour of quiet and rest with the LORD through this music.
I’m glad to be back for my 3rd time in this study. Each time I get a little more and am so blessed.
It took a while for my head to clear from all of the things swirling around in it. After that, the peace, calm, and deep relaxation were very sweet.
Wow, this is what I started my day with. Very peaceful. I love this.
The music: peace and persistence…at times an urgency…the ebb and flow of prayer, of life, of confidence…quiet gratitude and reverence.
A woman with a confident heart knows, and doesn’t forget, from where her confidence comes. A woman with a confident heart trusts God. A woman with a confident heart receives God’s promises as her truth. As He is, so is she in this world.
As I listened to the music I closed my eyes and felt that I was in His arms and could sense how much he loved me and that I was His. I had felt so insecure since I was a small child because my uncle had told me that I was a disappment tommy father because I was the first born and not a boy. I found out recently that My birth certificate did not have a first name omit for over a wwek until my father got back from sea (he was in the Navy). For years I never felt like I made the grade with my dad because I was not a boy. all things work together for the good even though there are times along the way it is heard to see. Tank both you and Chad for sharing the music. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
Awww Cynde, I just picture your Heavenly Father and the joy He felt while forming you in your mother’s womb. And the day you were born…Psalm 45:11…the King is enthralled by your beauty. You are loved my friend by the King of all kings.
As I sit here listenin to this song I am amazed and in awe of how God can speak through simple black and white keys to the depth of my soul. There is something about a piano that speaks to the core of who I am. It is like I can see a baby grand piano sitting in the middle of a beautiful garden filled with flowers, birds, and all God’s little creatures all sitting in awe of God through the fingertips of Chad. I can hear God whispering to me to “Be still and know that I am God”. I have been through so many life changing events (alcoholic father, watching my mother die from breast cancer over a 6 yr period, being raped 5 months before my wedding, a terrible 9 yr marriage and no children(but oh how badly I wanted them), divorce) in my life and for many years was not a confident woman but through Christ Grace, Mercy, Forgiveness and Love I am growing more confident each and everyday. I have been blessed with a wonderful godly man who loves the Lord and is now serving as a Student Pastor and 5 1/2 yr old b/g twins! God continues to use me and my testimony to help others. I feel a confident woman is one who puts her hope and faith in the Lord. She truely believes she is beautiful because she was created by God to be a helper for others (man) and to know for such a time is this that God can use her for His kingdom. Thank you for sharing Chad’s song of prayer
As I closed my eyes to listen his songs with the calmness and then the music got stronger then calm again. Reminded me of the storms in life and that Jesus calms us in the midst of those storms to give us his peace and Love. Love and praises to our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂
The music is awesome. Just the look on his face, there is such peace, serenity and delight. What wonderful music to listen to in the midst of a storm.
Question #2: insecurity has kept me from doing many things. I can remember even as a child being afraid to try new things because I knew I wouln’t succeed. The fear of failure has always been a part of me and that others would be disappointed in me.
I have really needed this bible study. Thank you so much for listening to God and what He put in your heart.
I agree fear of failing so something that I am terrified of. Even things that I know I am good at or things that people tell me I am good at, I am terrified of failing, not pleasing, not giving enough of myself. I need this study more than words can say and am soo Blessed that it is here. Looking forward to tuning in to my heart and the lord and finding that confident person inside me!