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. 🙂
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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.
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.