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!
TODAY’s GIVEAWAY:
Share one thought or something you want to apply after reading today’s devotion, blog post or hearing my video message. Click “share your thoughts” right below this post and do just that. 🙂
Enter to Win one of 4 copies of A Confident Heart, OR the grand prize which includes A Confident Heart book PLUS a coffee shop gift card and a Godiva chocolate bar.
$40 in Confident Heart Resources {FREE}!! When You Purchase A Confident Heart this month, you can receive over $40 in FREE RESOURCES and EXCLUSIVE downloads.
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. 🙂
We have 2 little ones and there is so much to worry about. Plus a recent dream about my husband dying. Thank you for the reminder of what Satan wants for us and how much more God has for us.
I want to say thank you to Renee for this book. I have been totally inspired by your writing and in reading chapter 9 so far I have like I fit right into this chapter. I also have so many similar feelings as Renee had while reading thru this chapter. Sometimes I feel inadequate in the things that I do at church. But, I am praying to God to give me the strength to help and guide me through each day. To give me the wisdom and strength to one day be able to say prayers and not feel uncomfortable or like I will mess up while saying it during Sunday School or whatever event it may be at the church. I can say prayers at home but not at church what is stopping me is one question I keep asking myself maybe I am just afraid that i will make a fool of myself in front of alot of people.. I enjoyed the video for this weeks lesson and rereading the book has helped me to see more of myself that I had ignored the first time around reading it. Thank you Renee
Thanks for the beautifully said reminder about praying God’s Word! I’m looking forward to reading your book!
thanks so much for the video. My 7year old seems to have many worries these days. I shared with her the scripture about casting your cares upon HIM. But she said…”But HOW? I don’t know how to do that.” So, listening today gave me scripture to respond to that and practical way to symbolize it!! God is truly awesome. Thank you for sharing.
Just wanted to give you an update. After posting my comment yesterday, I told my daughter about what I had learned and she wanted to see the video clip herself. So I showed her the part about casting your cares on Jesus and how to do that…and with the cards under the cross. when it was finished she lit up, and said she wanted to show me something. She remembered she had a small glass cross in her room from her Granny, and she wanted to do the same thing. and last night we write out a card with concerns/worries/bad dreams on one side and her prayer on the other side…and put it under the cross! 🙂
I pray that your mom is doing better! May God bless you and give you strength!
Good Morning Renee. Thank you so much for the encouraging words in the video. This week I seem to be struggling daily with just getting up and moving. I feel like so much is going on around me and I don’t know where to start or stop. My prayer on today is Lord I Need You!!!! As I purpose in my heart to cast my cares on Him, I ask that you keep me in prayer. As the storms rage, I don’t want to go back to that place of feeling insecure, unworthy but I want to keep moving toward that Confidence and boldness He has already given me. Thank you in advance for your prayers. Holding on in Jesus Name!
Wow! This is just what I needed right now. I have been overwhelmed lately and your video spoke right to my heart. Thank you Renee. Thank You Jesus.
Sarah Young’s words at the beginning of the chapter served as the perfect introduction to something I’ve always had trouble with–worry. I come from a line of worriers, and although I have the Lord while my mother and grandmother did not, I’m wired just like they were. My natural tendency is to worry. But rather than wishing for a different brain, I need to accept that I’m prone to worry and take care to guard my heart and mind. Thanks, Renee, for another helpful chapter. I’d love to win a copy of your book to share with someone else. I’ll close with that quote from Sara Young as a reminder to me as I start my day: “Rehearsing your troubles results in experiencing them many times over, whereas you were meant to go through them only when they actually occur.”
Thanks Renee for the Video . The part I loved the most was when God tells us to give it to Him and satan tells us to give it to God but if God doesn’t do anything you do it yourself. That is so true and it really hit home with me in many ways. It gives me the power to see it through in Gods word now , thank you for opening my eyes to that at this time in my life. Gods word is yes and amen.
I’m learning too how to pray, and learning that prayer doesn’t need to be and shouldn’t be showy. That God just wants us to talk to him, the way we want our kids to talk to us about their day. God is our father, and as such he must so enjoy the times when we stop, put away our distractions and pour out our hearts! And then LISTEN to his all-knowing wisdom, and PUT it into action.
Amen
Renee thank you so much. I hope your Mom feels better soon. I will keep her I my prayers its so hard when things like this happens to our loved ones especially our moms but they are strong and will get through this. Another situation to hold on to Gods promises. I m glad you are able to be with your mom. Thinking of you. Moms are Beautiful.
Thank you so much for the encouragement, and for pointing us to His Word and His promises!!
Thank you for the encouragement. I need to stop worrying and remind myself that God is interested in every thing I’m going through. He has a plan for me, and I will trust him.
I have always been the one to tell my husband, “don’t worry, everything will be fine” when money is tight. Until it isn’t and I am afraid to tell him and I just end up making things worse. I need to learn not to take it all on myself, and stop telling myself I am not the worrier if I just tell everybody else it will be fine.
well, i admit that i am a chapter behind BUT i am determined to finish… hold me accountable please!! BUT today’s blog was sooooo inspirational with the prayer you used from chapter 9……
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
This is sooo me right now when my thoughts are ruminating and taking over my mind and pain and guilt creep in and all my “crap” is piling up. I really need this prayer.
I really could use the coffee talk with a friend today. maybe what i should have done is taken Jesus to the coffee shop ( which i do sometimes and not enough of) today and then seen how my day went. Guess what…. Tomorrow in a NEW day FRESH with NO mistakes!!!!!
Thank you for today’s devotion. Something I want is better understanding of scripture. Sometimes, praying aloud with a group feels like a challenge for me. I want to be able to talk to God as comfortably in a group setting as it is when it’s just God and me.
A cultural lens sees the problem. A spiritual lens sees the solution..seeing the problem as potential. Surrender and risk to seize God’s Word.
Wow. This book is kinda of riding the wave of my life. I am at the point of everything blowing up and becoming overwhelming. Although this week God helped me realize I could rely on Him for anything and that when I pray He does listen. I have not read chapter 9 all the way through but I am sure by the time I am done its going to be another eye opener for me. Thank you so much Renee for you words in this book and for being so real. Life is piling up. First my arm and headaches, then found out my husband is talking with the same woman he had an affair with, now our van (only family vehicle) is out of service. We really need for it to quit raining. Both my husband and I are ready to explode… life is not easy and I am trying with all that I can to hold on to God. Being the only one who believes in my house is difficult and not fun.
If any of you ladies wants to join the facebook group for this bible study here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/248781615265915/
Hi friends,
I’ve wanted to be here all day but I have actually been at the hospital with my mom. What we thought was going to be a simple procedure this morning to remove a kidney stone turned into a very difficult situation where mom was in extreme unmanageable pain during recovery and for several hours this afternoon.
When the Dr was removing her kidney stone, the wire that he used to scope her kidney tore a place in her ureter and he thinks urine may have leaked into the area outlisde her kidney and caused severe pain and problems.
After several doses of the most powerful pain meds, including oxycotin and three doses of something stronger than morphine, they finally got control of the pain. She’s been admitted to the hospital to keep an eye on her and make sure the pain doesnt get out of control again. And we’re praying the tear heals quickly and no surgery is needed for repair – and no infections are caused.
She’s such a trooper and it was so hard to see her in such agonizing pain. But tonight she is resting and quiet and I am so grateful to be by her side. And to have these few quiet minutes to stop by and connect with you.
I didn’t see this coming at all. Had our afternoon planned out. But God… He knew. And He time it perfectly that it would happen on a day when I had a P31 devotion about praying God’s word and a video message here on my blog about giving our cares to Him.
I needed this too! And was reminded of these truths all day. And as I prayed God promises and kept giving my cares to Him, He did take care of me.
Praying His promises over you as I read your comments and just want you to know I love you all to pieces!! Glad we’re in this crazy thing called life — together!!
This is what being a part of the body of Christ is all about! God knew we needed each other, especially during times like this. Walking through my Mother’s cancer right now could not be done without the prayer and support of the people God has appointed to be in my life right now. You and your ministry are a part of that group. I pray that you and your mom are blanketed with God’s perfect peace and rest tonight.
Praying for you and your mom tonight.
Praying for your mom Renee and for you. ♥
Just what I needed today!!
Thank you for your teaching on the power of praying scriptures. It’s so powerful & keeps me on track – there’s so much praying that needs to be done!= & so much more for me to learn.
What a great encouragement and reminder to pray through Scripture. This inspires me to do so! 🙂
Praise God I have arrived safely. Thank you so much. I DEPENDED ON GOD and like Renee said we worry about things that may never happen. Times like this and Gods Sovereignty really makes my grow in my Faith. I am so excited I made it with The Lord. Oh how He must have seen my nervousness and said for me Not to worry but to trust Him . I am so grateful for all the prayers I know my sisters and a few friends were praying for me. God bless you all.
Yay Angie!! I prayed for you earlier today!! SO glad you got there safe and discovered that you can do it!!
I love the prayers. love how you remind me the promises in His word and how we can give ours cares to God. I just love this series. it’s been awesome.
I laughed when you said you took your dog’s medicine. I accidentally took my daughter’s AdHD medicine one morning. What might have a calming effect on her had quite the opposite effect on me! I was a mama on speed that morning. Oh my!
Having grown up in church it’s so easy to go through the motions in my walk with The Lord, including my prayer life. I think it’s also easy to give in to the “pharisitical” mind set that our prayers should be worded perfectly. Thank you for the reminder that my prayer life is about a relationship with The Lord, that he wants me to be real with him, & that using Scripture when I pray is going to help me align myself with His will!
This is what I have been needing to hear from God these past several days. I just came back to FL from AL where I was caring for mother with cancer. She is not doing well, so the worry set in hard as I was leaving to drive the two hundred miles back home. I also have all the other responsibilities you mentioned between work and kids. It is hard, especially in the midst of such turmoil. I found as I was wondering if God cared (just this Sunday), I realized that is just the kind of mindset the evil one wants us in. I chose at that moment to say, “God, I choose to praise you in this anyway. Thank you Lord!” That was when I could hear the Holy Spirits reveals in my heart. I’m so sorry you are going through this with your mother. May His peace and comfort rest upon you all.
Dear Ladies,
I am struggling with how God looks at me as opposed as to how I FEEL about myself. So thankful for this book, but circumstances continue to “pile up’ and the error of my ways are all I see. Please help me pray. To God be the glory for all HE is able to do because, I can’t but He can!
Thank You Renee so often we forget to pray about the most important people in our life. We get so caught up with everyday happenings that we don’t remember. Thank you so much for these prayers to remind us to pray for them.
I loved the reminder to have a listening heart from page 170. Ask the Lord, what is on His heart, what His thoughts are toward me, and what His thoughts are toward the situation causing me worry or wonder. I want to position myself to hear from Him. Blessings to you all as we grow in our walk with our wonderful Lord and Savior.
It would be lovely to arrange to meet for a cuppa and cake( I love cake) and converse with you Renee, and many of you lovely ladies. Ifind it is great I can sit here and connect with you all and feel so confident to share what ever is on my heart at the time.
I’m having to daily give it to God at the moment,so much that i also have to keep focusing on him and trying to find ways to worship him as that seems to bring releasing. I’ve done alot of different prayer related things/ stuff in my past and one of the biggest things for me is remembering to start by focusing on him and giving him worship. If i can choose to worship him no matter where I am at it is so powerful. I am focusing on him, his word,his truth and i am opening the door for the holy spirit to speak to me, to comfort me, to encourage me, to guide me.
I find praying in tongues when I don’t know what to say releases my spirit and as I do I ask God to speak to me, so sometimes the words will flow out of that place. I am glad I can just be me in God’s pressence and blurb anything and everything thats going on and he still loves me just the way i am.
I have also been learning how to pray so much more specific and hopefully more effectively. That after so many years of praying I really believe it has taken a whole new level or way… that i tink i have grown in this area and hope God will use me more as i tune in to what he has to say.
It is hard to keep “casting all my cares upon him because he cares for me” and then be able to smile knowing I can rest in him, that i feel loved by him and i am safe with him, that now I can go to bed with that understanding and not worry about the troubles of tomorrow. I can trust him that he will be with me at my meeting tommorow and now i can give it to him.
Thank you for your encouragement, and sharing.
Babs
This Devotion for today, ” Praying with Confidence”, really blessed me, thank you! I am going through some obstacles in my life, and handing over all the issues to God. I would love to read your book. I am very curious to read it now. Especially Chapter 9. Thank you for sharing this Devo today!
Hello to all,
I started receiving daily devotionals from Proverbs 31 ministries (and I love them) and this is how I came across Renee’s wonderful website, just today. And, after reading a lot of thoughts shared today, I said some prayers for everybody. I wanted to leave a couple of Bible verses (there are so many verses that are my favorites) that have helped me get through some trying times when life and everything around me was just so heavy, and I hope these two are a help for anyone else that may read them.
Fear though not for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10
But those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
Take care to all.
Thank you Renee for all the wonderful things in your website. 🙂
Thanks for that verse from Isaiah 40 Karen, I really needed tohear that right now.
Dearest Babs,
You are very welcome. 🙂
Praying God’s promises back to him is an awesome idea!
I have had problems with my mind wandering to my to do list or other things and not remaining focused on what I want to pray about. For several years now I have kept a journal. I feel like I am talking to God when I write in it, and for me writing allows me to remain focused. I love your prayer from the end of chapter 9 in your post!! I am copying it into my journal.
I really like the idea of writing down my burdens on an index card and laying them before a literal cross. I am going to begin doing this. I am also very excited about the husband prayer! Thank you so much.
This post is so timely, especially with the onset of graduation. Looking at how you used scripture in your prayer really helped me as I found myself doing the same thing this morning. I know God has the rest of my day planned out how He wants it which is infinitely more important and gives me much more peace than my tendency to micromanage every hour, which leads to overwhelming stress when I can’t/don’t get it all done. I think I’m learning to pray for Jesus to make my schedule every day instead. I’m excited to read this book, and I’m pretty sure I already know that God’s going to use it in amazing ways!
I find what I need for the day reading your site. God is good & I feel very blessed. Thank you.
Thank you Renee for this book, and especially this chapter so far. I am going to try with all my being to “push the pause button” and take my worries to Jesus. This is comforting to finally know. I like many women I am sure, have too much on my plate. Loss of my mother, worried about my father, my poor dog is ill, our finances are stretched to the very limit, I am the only believer (so far) in my home, etc. etc.. I am going to take the time to really try to “listen” to Him and hopefully “hear” Him. It is good to know finally, that I do matter and that I am not alone ever for He is with me. Thank you again so much! God bless to you and all these women that are writing on here.
Oh thank you, Renee, for your P31 devotion today. I saw myself as soon as I started reading. I have avoided praying at times because I thought my answer was best. I also tended to try to control and manipulate others and I slip into that thought pattern without realizing it. You reminded me today that prayer is not about getting the results I want; it is sweet time spent in Daddy’s lap, growing closer to Him. I miss that. I will return to reading and praying His word and listening for His tender voice.
My pastor is doing a sermon series on praying the scriptures. I have struggled with prayer and really appreciate your thoughts and encouragement.
I praise God for his word, this is a word that I need to keep in my heart and know that God is in our side with our children while Daddy is the foreign country. Instead of worrying, I need to start praying more and believe that God is working. I needed this revelation in my heart.
Wonderful study…each chapter is so applicable to my life. I’m excited to use some ideas from chap 9 for my daughter as well as myself. Thank you! Have you considered publishing your video clips as part of your book study for those interested in doing this again or with a bible study group?
Confession I’m a big time worrier. I pray for others, and know God will answer, but I sometimes struggle with the lie that my burdens are not important to God. The key to greater freedom for me through this book has been that God cares about me, and I can trust his heart toward me!
I am working on my prayer life right now because honestly it is lacking! I want to learn how to pray God’s word back to Him. Thank you for sharing this today Renee!
After coming across your blog and reading your encouraging words, I can not wait to get my hands on your book!
thank you so much for the encouragement to bring our worries, concerns, and desires to Jesus with the confidence we are promised in His Word. too often I have allowed the enemy to let me feel defeated both in my knowledge of the Word as well as my consistency in prayer. thanks for the encouraging tone of this post, with no condemnation or guilt. blessings!
I absolutely loved the idea of laying our concerns (on a card of which I’ve bought many for my kids in school and don’t know what to do with) on God. I usually lay awake after everyone has gone to sleep and keep a sticky pad by my bed where I’ll write all my worries so I can rest!
My husband was given a cross recently that said “When He was on the cross, you were on His mind”. He put that cross on his dresser where he keeps all of his other “residue of the day” junk, like his watch, business cards, mail, a deck of cards that I converted to a 52 reasons why I love you deck – anyway…as I was dusting a couple of nights ago I thought “Jesus, you look cluttered there with all the other stuff” and I put the cross on my dresser where it’s clean and clear of clutter. It’s funny too because lately, I’ve been feeling that I’ve had stuff keeping me from His Truth with my worry. Now, I can just marry the two actions and put my anxieties and fears that keep me up at night and lay them on the cross. The visual and physical act will be VERY powerful for me so thank you.
Thank you for this!! I am feeling so overwhelmed right now with so many things going on. I keep telling myself this is just a season not a destination for my family and that God has a plan for us. I’m struggling with completely letting go and just trusting and waiting. I know what I need to do but I struggle with it. I love your advice on writting my concerns, fears, whatever it may be down and giving them to Jesus and leaving them there.Thank you for your pearls of wisdome and helping so many of us!!!
Sis Renee I thank God for you. I too can identify with that same situation but I thank God for the Word prayer. I will continue to use it and even make my own word prayer. It is important. Continue to pray for and with us. Victory is already ours!!! It is just for us to receive it. Sisters, we are in this thing together and we win!!!.
I too struggle with prayer and what to say. I have had stuff piling up on me lately. The place I work is closing, my little sister is lost in drug addiction and I’m afraid that she’s dying, my husband isn’t walking with the Lord, ect. so, some days all I can say is “Lord, you know what’s on my heart, please help.” Most of the time I feel a sense of peace and know He’s at work, but there are time I really struggle. I will try hard to put my worries at His feet and leave them there.
Thank you for this devotion and video today Renee, I really needed it!!!
Huge prayers for your sister and for you. My 16 year old sister went through the same thing so i know what you’re feeling. Our God redeems & restores. Jesus we pray for Lauras sisters’ complete recovery and your hedge of protection around her and peace for dear Laura. Thank you Lord for hearing us. Amen.