I wish we could sit in a coffee shop and chat today.
I’d love to talk with you about things that may be weighing you down. They always seem to lighten when shared with a friend.
I’d tell you about the year I let my problems pile up… and how all that pressure almost took me down. It’s all in chapter 9 of my book, A Confident Heart, including the story about the time I accidentally took my dogs medicine. Yes ma’am. I sure did.
At the end of every chapter, I also share a prayer – weaving my tangled thoughts and sometimes-consuming concerns with His Words and wisdom. Praying in this way helps me to take my cares to Him with confidence, knowing when I pray His Word I am praying His will for me {and others}. Here’s the prayer that was birthed out of my piling up and tumbling down year:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. When concerns consume me, remind me that You are with me, holding me by my right hand and guiding me with Your counsel. Though my flesh and my heart may fail, You are the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Help me turn my burdens over to You, knowing that You will take care of me.
Because You are my shepherd, I shall not be in want. You promise that when I dwell in the shelter of the Most High, I can rest in the shadow of the Almighty. You are my refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, and with Your right hand You save me. Thank You for making known to me the path of life and filling me with joy and peace in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen. {See Psalms 139:23–24; 73:23–26; 55:22; 23:1; 91:1–2; 138:7; 16:11.}
From A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, Chapter 9
© 2013 by Baker Revell Publishing. All rights reserved.
Over the past few years God has been changing me and rearranging me. He’s taught me how to use prayer to turn my worry into worship. He’s also given me a practical way to physically hand Him my concerns! Since we can’t chat in a coffee shop today, I’d love to share them with you through this short video message:
Message Notes: You can download my “Video Message Notes” in a PDF here or in a Word doc here. They include the points of my message, verses and blanks to fill in. {If you’d like to watch more FREE Confident Heart videos based on my book, click here.}
FREE DOWNLOADS:
Download my “Printable Prayers Collection: How to Pray for Those You Love from Head to Toe.” Today, I’m offering “Praying for Your Husband from Head to Toe” {click here to download}YOU CAN also RECEIVE “Praying for Yourself from Head to Toe” and “Praying for Your Children from Head to Toe” when you sign up here to enter your name and email. Then come back so you can enter to win today’s giveaway below!
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Update on My Mom:
Thank you for your prayers for my mom. She’s had ups and downs but her kidney pain is less and less each day. Ive been concerned she had gotten pneumonia because she started running a fever, coughing, has had pain in her lower lung and some breathing issues {plus she has a history or pulmonary embolisms and has been off of her blood thinners for surgery.} We’ll be seeing her doctor on Monday to check on her kidney and lungs. I think she’s okay but it will be good to hear the doctor confirm that. 🙂
I loved Chapter 9 and this video! It spoke to so many issues in my life. Every time I think my life is under control, something pops up to prove otherwise. How blessed we are to have a caring, devoted Father who is there to walk us through all life’s trials! What a mighty God we serve! I loved the suggestion of writing out the cards and laying them at the Cross. I also love the prayers based on the Word of God! I don’t do that nearly enough & really want to start doing so. I have given “A Confident Heart” to a good friend of mine. She worries NON STOP!!! I told her to skip right to chapter 9. She read it and it has helped her so much already. She said, “This book is a jewel!” Renee, thank you so much for writing this book and sharing your heart with us! Glad your mom is doing better. Hopefully by now all of you are back home again. Will be praying for all of you. Praying for all you sisters as well. God bless you all as you continue to seek Him.
I cannot even say how many times I have over committed myself, got overwhelmed, and then resentful because it seemed that no one saw, or seemed to care that I was doing everything. I have been to the point of snapping at my family, because they didn’t notice all that I do for them and that they never seem to offer to help. Then I feel bad, all this ends up in my head at night, which keeps me awake, which makes me tired, and then I get up in the morning, only to start the same cycle all over again. So silly, when all I really need to do is have a conversation with the Lord ( then be quiet so I can hear Him speak to me) I need to stop trying to do everything, be everything to everyone. I need to spend more time with the Lord, and allow Him to do what He does. Thank you Lord!
I am famous for letting things pile up,….and then I am even better at saying, “everything is fine” and then I passively (agressively) make sure everyone knows, ‘things are definitely not fine’. :o\ Thank you for this opportunity and I’m sure glad that you survived the ‘dog medicine’ incident!
today, insecurity showed-up in my life and my heart felt heavy on me. I am so thankful for the prayer @ the end of Chapter 9- it reminded me that He is still God in any circumstances…thank you renee for sharing your heart
Will you please pray for me today. I am having a very down day.
A much needed message I needed today………:)
Hi Renee, when I started to read this blog my mom was sitting opposite me and the tears were running down her face. I had to smile at God’s perfect timing once again as this is just what she needed to read and hear. So I held her left hand as God is holding her right and we read your blog together and watched your video. Thank you! Huvs M (Huvs is one of my words and is hugs+love)
I have always love the passage “Search me oh Lord” I also sometimes feel like my thought are tangles too!
I also like Ps 138:8 He will perfect hat which concerns me. I am learning the slow down, instead of jumping to conclusion, long suffering, patience and kindness. My husband has been out of work for 2 1/2 yrs. it’s been though, today praise th Lord he had a good interview for a job. Please pray God’s will and praise Him for the outcome. Anxiously waiting for the blessing of employment and being in God’s will. “Search me oh Lord”
Praise Him and Thank you for this Bible Study and others you all offer, oh what a blessing!! Great Team!
My favorite part of today’s message was the visual of writing your worries on an index card and laying it at the foot of the cross. Love this and plan to start using it immediately. I am enjoying this book and this study so much. I love how Renee just keeps encouraging me to not listen to the lies and believe God’s promises. I think after nine chapters, it might even start to be sticking!! 🙂
Ever since I started reading this bible study I feel like the devil feels threatened. I had a colonoscopy and they found a growth on my appendix and cecum. I have to have it removed. I’m terrified of surgery and what this growth is. I’m 29 and feel like I’m falling apart. My son has had the gi bug for 2 weeks, I had it for 5 days. I haven’t been able to read the book in 3 weeks. This prayer is exactly what I need! Please pray!
Amber, I am praying for you. God bless you, comfort you, heal you and make your son well. You are not alone. God is with you. He will give you His strength. Philppians 4:6,7. God will give you His peace. His arms are wrapped around you. Lift your burdens up to Him.
thank you susan so much!
I’ve been meaning to share this for a week or so and am finally getting around to it. There’s a song that makes me think of this study every time I here it — Strangely Dim, by Francesca Battistelli.
Here is link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5qD9HOoGpQ
And the lyrics, copied and pasted from azlyrics.com, since they aren’t on the video:
FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI LYRICS
“Strangely Dim”
I’ve had all these plans piled up sky high
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don’t know why,
I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can’t see
Past the things I pray
Today
But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don’t look around
Any place I’m in
Grows strangely dim
Sometimes where I stand
On this narrow road
Is in a raging storm
Or a valley low
But oh
When I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don’t look around
Any place I’m in
Grows strangely dim
I don’t know, I don’t know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You’re holding it all
So no matter what may come
I’m gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
‘Til every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade
And fall to the ground
I’m gonna seek Your face
And not look around
Til the place I’m in
Grows strangely, strangely, strangely dim.
I feel like chapter 9 was an answer to so many prayers. I worry about many things and constantly tried to fix my problems. I love the idea of asking God what his heart is about the situation and surrendering it to Him. I am experiencing so much growth thru this book. I am so excited to have a confident heart!
I have been feeling extremely overwhelmed over the last week and a half. I got behind because of this. I sat down this morning recommitted to getting on track. I realized I am over a week behind. I finished up Chapter 8 and I think I will skip over Chapter 9 for now and read that later. I want to stay with everyone else and understand what is going on in this study. Please keep me in your prayers that I can make time each and every day to be with God!
Glad to hear about your mom:) I love that prayer, it is perfect for my life right now. I love to read all of the emd chapter prayers over and over when I feel too lost to find my own words. thank you:)
Thank you for the word of encouragement. As I listened, I feel like Mary’s sister, asking why am I left to do all the work alone. I do expect alot of myself and alot of the things I was doing I thought were for God but they actually were for self gratification and now I see why my worries overpowered me. I hope and pray that anyone whom is reading this pray for my strength, so I can be able to stand alone and not worry about having to depend on another to help me through, to remain focused on Gods help alone. It’s funny how in church yesterday the pastor spoke on dreams and how three things can prevent them from coming forth; people, life and time. Wow all of those are my worries, what a confirmation this was for me. Have a blessed week to all 🙂
Thank you for sharing this, Renee. I didn’t realize how overwhelmed I was feeling until I read your prayer and God started ministering to me. God bless you!
Renee,
I’m praying for your mom. I too suffer from kidney stones and know how painful this can be, May the Lord sustain your mother at this time, keeping her free from pain and provide total healing. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Renee,
Thank you for all that you share with us through your book, your blog posts and the video messages you share. God’s timing, as always, is so perfect. Last night I was having one of those times when all life’s responsibilities and concerns were piling up causing me to worry. Today’s message was exactly what I needed to hear. The idea of actually physically giving our cares to God is something I am going to start using right away.
Thank you! Funny thing how God puts in front of you the words you need to hear just when you need to hear them
To God be the glory for His timing. As I left church yesterday, I was so convicted of what God has asked me to do that I wasn’t doing… Casting all my cares upon Him was the last thing I thought He’d show me. I always gave Him my husband and eveything else. But not once had I broken it down like this from head to toe! Wow! My God, my God… Thank You for working through Renee to remind me of what You’ve laid on my heart some 3 years ago. I did it today, I asked 6 close friends to join me in a 7 days prayer session to pray this very prayer to God for the gift He’s given us in the form of a husband.
Our pastor yesterday wasn’t able to finish His sermons as prepared because the Holy Spirit took control and he paused and said come to the alter for prayer all who have not been doing what the Lord has asked of you. I could not understand why I was so stricken by those words and was one of the first person to stand at the alter in tears. I didn’t know that it was for this small group of 7 women to pray for our husbands with a purpose structured from “head to toe.” I am so moved by God’s timing Renee. Thank you for being I obedient.
I pray for the strength and peace of your mom and family as God restores her health in entirety.
Thank You Lord for all the nudges in the right direction that leads us right back to You and what you required of us… Casting all our cares upon You, because You care and promised to take care of them. Hallelujah! Hallelujah to the Only Wise & True God who never makes a mistake.
Praying for you and your Mom, Renee. I hope the doctor’s appointment goes well tomorrow.
Also, thanks everyone for your comments, reflections and reminders. They are very helpful for me to read and meditate on. The idea of letting go of our worries and giving them to God sounds so simple and yet can be so challenging to put into practice. Praying for all of us in this regard.
I enjoyed revisiting this video. I remember it from the last time I did this study — specifically the exercise of giving your worries to Jesus via a table top cross at night. The physical act of writing down my concerns and putting them on the cross had a supernatural effect on my ability to trust and let go. Looking back, I am in awe of how God lovingly took care of each concern, one by one. I am full of awe and thanks as I write this.
Since then, God has been working more on my heart and my understanding of how to let go of control and TRUST Him. For me, part of Trusting Him has been learning how to open my heart to receive His ever-present Love and Grace vs. shutting my heart and trust down as I once did in the home in which I grew up. This has been both a terrifying and exhilarating process at times. I am grateful for God’s steadfastness and for the ways in which he is growing me.
I let all of my life’s pressures get to me last Sunday. Yes Mother’s Day. The worst I’ve done like that in along time. So much so in an angry burst I managed to break the glass on my cooktop stove. It made me stop and cry out to God for help. It was like he took my hand sat me down and said read this. I found myself reading Chapter 9 of this book. A feeling of calmness came over me. It was like a friend was right there beside me saying I understand how you feel. We can get through this together.
I thank God for blessing you with the gift to write this book and sharing it and your life with us. Thank You.
With mine and God’s love
Katherine
Praying for your mom Renee! And for you… and your family!
Much love and prayers,
Susan G.
I want to apply the – Stop worrying – Start praying – Keep thanking God every single time I start to worry! 🙂 Thanks Renee! Each chapter just gets better than the last one! 🙂
Praying for your mother Renee. Hope Monday brings good news. I love the idea that you can choose either to worry or pray, that you can’t do both. Just saying that makes things better : )
So well spoken, Renee. And a very timely message for me right now. I’ve made too many commitments, and have some unspoken prayer requests that I need to give to God and fully put my trust in Him to see me through each situation. I praise God for your obedience to minister for the Lord in the way He works through you!
Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons we were placed on this earth was to discover Him….He places a gift before us, beautifully wrapped, but we are too afraid to open it because we are too distracted with the things we can try to WRAP OUR MIND around rather than UNWRAPPING HIS GIFT which is directly before us: His PEACE, His LOVE, His GRACE, His JOY, His SINGING, His PEACE.
Right there, His Hands are holding the present and we run away and say we have to fret over this, or go do that, or see what knowledge we can collect to feed our mind with more worries. It is an ADDICTION, perpetual worry seeking.
He still woos us. It is a progressive thing…never overnight, never to a point of accomplishment, but hoping that we’d come back for more of Him. It is the garden of Eden all over again – what would you rather hold in your hand – HIS GIFT or the ONE WE PLUCK with our own hand.
He doesn’t mean for us to be discouraged when we fall – He is just helping us learn more about Him, and more about ourselves and how much we want to grow. But it still feels sad, knowing that we could have been enjoying His gift for sooooo much longer, and been soooooo much happier, if only we chose it sooner.
Philippians 4:6-8
DIRECT COMMAND:
DO NOT be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
THE GIFT:
And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is beautiful Pillar! Thank you for sharing. Holly
I remember there was a time in my life where I would allow the cares, concerns and worries of this world to choke the Word of God. With me meditating on them instead of the Word of God I began to doubt. Then one day the Holy spirit reminded me that we serve an Ever-Loving, Speaking, Hearing, Living, Awesome God, and there is nothing that He can’t do or fix. Then He said I had a choice. I could choose to continue to worry and be disobedient and draw farther away from God because God’s word specifically tells us not to worry, or I could trust the only Ever-Loving, Speaking, Hearing, Living and Awesome God who not only would bring me through, but also draw closer to me and reward me because I am diligently seeking Him and not the cares, concerns, and worries of this world.
Thank you Renee for you wonderful videos, they really brighten my day. Sometimes it is really hard for me to surrender my life to GOD. I,m grateful for everything he did for me. Sometimes I don’t really know, how to pray to him. But deep in my heart I know, he loves me anyway. I just have to try. God bless you, Renee
Thank you for such a great devotion on prayer and using scripture. I am going thru a difficult time where it seems everything is challenging. I think just give one or two of the situations instead of all of them right now. I am looking forward to trying to find scripture to pray through these situations if it just means getting thru them and not out of them right now. I am also want to pray for my husband head to toe so excited about that. Thank you for your commitment to the Lord and willing to share
As I am listening to the radio, thinking about this chapter and feeling discouraged that I can ever let go of my worries the song “Cast My Cares” by Tim Timmons started playing. I felt God speaking directly to my heart and echoing all the truths of this chapter. How awesome! God is so good!
😀 I love that!!! He is so amazing. So tender and caring. He loves you Kelsey!!
This is very thoughtful and practical. It reminds me that unless we fill ourselves we really have nothing to give. Thank you.
This is so true. I believe God has me in a period of “filling up” and “learning how to receive.” But sometimes I question whether I am hearing Him correctly and/or whether I am being selfish. Thank you for this reminder, Katherine.
Thank you for your videos. I have loved each one. I do worry but through this study I am learning to focus more on God and His word and trying to train my thoughts to HIS words and not satans. I love how you incorporate God’s words into your prayers and every day thoughts. This is something that I am working on. Also, to apply my name into His verses. Thank you Renee for such a wonderful study.
I have fallen back some on it and hope you will keep it on your blog so I can go back and see if I have missed anything.. Thank you and God bless your ministry.
It will be here in the archives 🙂 Its a book many people have told me they read again and again. Just keep reading and letting Him love you through His truths each day.
Thank you for the video message in his weeks blog!!! The thought that I have been SERVING God more than SEEKING him was such a revelation! As Pastors we put so much focus on the serving that we forget to SEEK! Lord, help me to change my focus to be more of a Mary and not a Martha… Blessings to you as you continue to seek The Lord for direction to serve sisters like me!!!
Amen, amen, amen. I am constantly asking Him to help me balance. This week has been especially hard so Im praying for some extra sweet and long sabbath time with Him over the weekend.
Hi Renee its been a while from my last post been real sick. I need prayers to help me stop smoking and fast. I have copd and other lung problems now. I also have a 41/2 year old starting school this year that we ahve atopted from a family member with drug problems need prayers for her to ( Alicia) I m the only one in the family that has not turned their back on her. I still love her and try to help her when I can. I send her pictures of Mary but by law she can not see her.I have been scared I don’t know how to pray JUST right but thanks to you I m going to start reading Gods words as prayers untill i feel more at easy aboutpraying on my own. I found your site in a rough time in my life and it has done wonders for me that I can’t not find the words to thank you, I do how ever thank God for you everynight. You are an Angel walking amoung us. Thank you for all you words of love and support. In Christ Love
Angela
I want to take God’s word and make the verses more directly personal by inserting a specific name or person into the words of a verse as I pray them back to Him. The idea of writing a persistent worry on a card and physically laying it at the base of the cross is such a moving idea and relinquishing thought process. I appreciate these suggestions in your video today. Thank you, Renee.
Oh Angela you are such a sweet encouragement to my weary self today as I am carrying the weight of my mom’s health problems and a teenager who is struggling through some things with his faith and a toddler with special needs and the desire to write another book. Your note really blessed me tonight. thank you!!
Im praying for you to find the help you need to stop smoking. You are so worth whatever it’s going to take to break the addiction. I know you can do it! My mom smoked for 30 years and she quit and has been cigarette-free for over 25 years now 🙂 It’s made such a huge difference in the quality of her life and it will in yours too. Are you taking any medication to help or a patch or something in addition to prayer and claiming scriptures and asking others for prayer and accountability??
I wish I knew more to suggest but just know Im praying that Jesus would break the chains of your cravings. Maybe reading ‘Made to Crave” would help. although it’s focus is food – it’s core message is about overcoming dependence on anything we crave more than God. I have heard it’s helped so many with various struggles. Have you read it??
Love to you!
Renee
Hi Renee, no I have not read it ,but I will. I just went to the doctor yesterday and have not had a smoke in 24 hours. That’s a long time for me. Thanks for the prayers and I will read the book. In Christ Love. Hope your mom is better and you guys are in my prayers.
Congratulations on 24 hours Angela!! Praying for you continually!!
As I read Chapter 9 the first thing that stood out to me is that troubles are meant to go through only when they actually occur, that by rehearsing them over and over again results in experiencing them many times. WOW! This is so true! And I am so guilty in doing it. So many times I find myself going over and over my problems and reliving them and all the paid and emotions that come with them again and again. No wonder I am so exhausted physically and emotionally. I know, I need to trust God completely even when I don’t understand, even when I don’t know the answers to the “why and “when” questions. I just need to let it go, and let God take care of them. A lot of times I find myself worrying about similar situations, fear fills my heart and I end up not going through with the plans. Worry and anxiety have been a part of my life for a long time. I am not there yet, but thank God I am not where I used to be! God continues to teach me that worry is not going to change anything, it’s just going to rob me off peace and joy. I try to live each day in the present, not past or future, because if I focus on the past or future it steals today. Thank you, Renee, for sharing your story and your struggles.
The thing that struck me today while I was praying was “God is stronger that this.” It seems simple, but when I remember that He is all powerful, all knowing, and full of unfailing love; I have peace and patience. Listening to “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” while I write and know, I know in deep in my heart this too shall pass.