1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Wojo, 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: and each week we unravel life's notts through prayer. Here 3 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: you'll find practical wisdom and prayer encouragement to guide you 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: through life's hardest seasons. Join me as we untangle life's 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: messes together, one prayer at a time. Well, hey there, 6 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: I'm Rachel, and I'm so glad you are here. It's summer, 7 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: and depending on your life, that means something different for 8 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: each of us. Maybe the kids are home and the 9 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: routine that held your days together has simply disappeared out 10 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: the window. Maybe you're still heading into work every morning, 11 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: and while it feels like everyone around you is at 12 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: the lake, the beach, or whatever, you're covering a gap 13 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: that nobody even sees, or whatever your version is. There's 14 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: a good chance that you're tired, the kind of tired 15 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: that a full night's sleep doesn't relieve. And somewhere in 16 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: the middle of all of that, prayer slips. Not on purpose, 17 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: not because you stopped caring. You just got to the 18 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: end of another long day with nothing left, and prayer 19 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: started to feel like one more person asking something of 20 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: you that you didn't have to give. I know that feeling, 21 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to tell you to try harder. 22 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: I think you've probably been trying plenty. But this episode 23 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: is for the one who is simply worn out and 24 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: who has started to wonder somewhere underneath all of it. 25 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: If God has become one more thing on a list 26 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: that you cannot check off, you can't finish. So here's 27 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: where we're going together today. God is not standing at 28 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: the edge of the summer waiting for you to pull 29 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: yourself together before you come to him. He is already 30 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: in this right there with you. And the rest that 31 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: he offers isn't a clear calendar or a quiet house. 32 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: Better than that, it doesn't have to wait until the 33 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: season changes. So before we go any further, I want 34 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: to mention something quickly. My new book, Praying through Life 35 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: Spattles releases August twenty fifth, and the cool thing is 36 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: you don't have to wait until August to start reading. 37 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: If pre order now, go to Battleprayers dot com. You 38 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: can submit your receipt and we'll send you a digital 39 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: watermarked copy to begin reading right now. That's pretty amazing 40 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: that the publisher is allowing me to do that, and 41 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: so at the end of this episode, I'll give you 42 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: more information. It's at battleprayers dot Com. Now let's dive 43 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: into this week's question, the one that we tackle here 44 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: in the segment I call questions in Hard Spaces, and 45 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: this is the question, how am I supposed to pray 46 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: when I'm this tired and I feel guilty that I'm 47 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: not praying more and the guilt just wears me down 48 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: even further. And if that question is yours, I want 49 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: you to know, first of all, how common it is. 50 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: It's practically universal. There's this guilt loop that happens that 51 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: is very real. We're too drained to pray, and then 52 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: we feel bad about not praying, and then that bad 53 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: feeling just takes all the energy that we have. And 54 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: I want you to hear that you can step out 55 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: of that cycle. The first thing to let go of 56 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: is the idea that prayer requires a certain energy level 57 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: or just the right words in order for it to count. 58 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: I am continually comforted by Romans eight twenty six. The 59 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: Spirit helps us in our weakness, interceding for us through 60 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: wordless groans. I talked about it in depth on the 61 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: podcast before. So when you don't know what to pray 62 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: when you cannot find the words at all, Remember that 63 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit is speaking on your behalf. Your exhaustion 64 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 1: doesn't disqualify you from praying. Prayer in a depleted season 65 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: can be short, it can be help me, I've got 66 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: nothing today, Help me Jesus. Those are very real prayers, 67 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: and God is not grating our prayers. But here's kind 68 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 1: of the reframe, the resetting of your mind that I 69 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: want you to know. We have often filed prayer as 70 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: a task, like God has it, as a to do 71 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: on everything else that you're already caring. And prayer has 72 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: never been meant to be an item on the to 73 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: do list. It's actually a place where you're supposed to 74 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: stop doing and start being. So when you think about 75 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: this week, I don't have a formula for you or 76 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: a set of steps. I'm recommending that you bring that 77 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: tiredness with you to Jesus and you leave it at 78 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: the door. Thank you so much for being here. We'll 79 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: be right back after a quick word from our sponsors, 80 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: and now we're back. Thank you for staying with me. 81 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: Let's move into this week's segment, Pray more, worry less, 82 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: encouragement and for this week. Here's the principle that I 83 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 1: want you to leave with. The rest that God gives 84 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: isn't a clear calendar or an easier season. It's His 85 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,839 Speaker 1: presence sitting with us in the middle of it all. 86 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,039 Speaker 1: I want to take you to Exodus chapter thirty three. 87 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: Moses is carrying the enormous weight of leading God's people, 88 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: and he's worn down. He comes to God in this 89 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: passage and just says, Holy smokes. I. Well, maybe he 90 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: didn't say that, but that's my version. He says, I 91 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: cannot do God what you've asked me to do unless 92 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: you are with me. So he's not asking for God 93 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: to make it easier. He's asking for God's presence. And 94 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: I love how the Lord answers him in Exodus thirty 95 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: three fourteen, my presence will go with you, and I 96 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: will give you rest. In the original Hebrew, that word 97 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: you is singular. God isn't addressing the whole nation of 98 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 1: Israel at this moment. He's speaking to one tired person 99 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: standing right in front of him. The rest that he's 100 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: offering is very personal. He says it to Moses directly, 101 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: as if he were saying to a friend. And I 102 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: think we have to look at what God doesn't say 103 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: in this passage. He's not promising to make it all easier. 104 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 1: He's not promising to lighten the load or make the 105 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: road shorter. Hess is himself. I will do the very 106 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,039 Speaker 1: thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you 107 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: and know you by name. That's verse seventeen. So let 108 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: me bring this home here. There's so many of us 109 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: who are waiting to feel rested until the season slows down. 110 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,679 Speaker 1: We want school to start back up, or the routine 111 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: to be quiet, or the house to be quiet again, 112 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: or the calendar too clear. But the rest that God 113 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: is offering us isn't on the side of a calmer season. 114 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: It's His presence with you right here, right where you are, 115 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 1: whether it's full and loud and depleting. You don't have 116 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: to wait until the end of a season to know 117 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: that God is right here with you right now. And 118 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: for this final segment, I want to share an answered 119 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: prayer story this week. I'm reaching back into history for 120 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: this answered prayer story. Many of us know Corey tim 121 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: Broom I've shared about on the podcast before. Her book 122 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: The Hiding Place tells how her family hid the Jewish 123 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: survivors during the war, and she was taken into a 124 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: concentration camp as a result. But there's this moment from 125 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: her writing that fits exactly where I am at today, 126 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: although none of us are in a concentration camp. Corey 127 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: talks about how she would take her cares and gather 128 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: them up and list them and bring them all to 129 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: the Lord. And she had this huge burden, and somehow 130 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 1: after she brought it all to God, it felt like 131 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: one more big weight to carry. It felt like she 132 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: had accumulated everything and brought it to the Lord. And 133 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: then she was asking for the strength to carry it all. 134 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 1: And she changed her prayer. She changed her prayer to Lord, 135 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: teach me to cast your burdens on you and then 136 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: go on without it. She stopped asking to carry it 137 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: better and she started asking, Lord, help me just hand 138 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: it over to you. And what that means for me 139 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: today and for you today is that you know, her 140 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: wilderness was just about as dark as a human wilderness 141 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: could possibly get. And maybe your chaotic June with no margin, 142 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: or your summer of trying to figure out how to 143 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 1: make things work, is feeling making you feel empty. You've 144 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: just exhausted yourself already, but rather than pray and walk 145 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: away heavier because we're still gripping that very thing that 146 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 1: we're trying to give to the Lord. I want to 147 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: look at Corey's solution. Her rest didn't come from a 148 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: bigger prayer or harder prayer. It came by letting go. 149 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: God gave Moses rest by providing his presence, and that 150 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: same offer is to us. It's open today, to you 151 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: and to me. If today's episode landed with you, if 152 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: you're tired in a way that sleep can't fix, and 153 00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: prayer feels like a wait instead of a relief. I 154 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 1: want you to know that I wrote this new book 155 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: for this season. It's called Praying Through Lives Battles, and 156 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: I wanted you to know that it doesn't release until 157 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: August twenty fifth, And I know that feels kind of 158 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: far away, but I've had so many people say I 159 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: can't wait that long. So if you pre order it 160 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: and you go to Battleprayers dot com, you can submit 161 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: your receipt details and we will send you a digital 162 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: watermarked copy so that you can start reading it right away. 163 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: You don't have to wait until August. When you get 164 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: the physical book, you can start reading it right away. 165 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: And I'm telling you that on purpose because so many 166 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: of you have written and said something like I really 167 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,680 Speaker 1: need this right now. And if that's you, if you're 168 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: in the thick of a hard season and you don't 169 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: have it to wait until two more months, then please 170 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: don't wait. Pre order, send us your receipt and we'll 171 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: get that book to you. Your digital copy. You can 172 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: start reading it right away at battleprayers dot com. It's 173 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: written for this kind of tired that we've been talking 174 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,320 Speaker 1: about in this episode. Not prayers that ask you to 175 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: muster up a strength that you don't even possess, but 176 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: prayers that help you hand the weight over to God, 177 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,319 Speaker 1: to give it to him because He will carry it 178 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: for you. You can go to battle prayers dot com. 179 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: Don't wait for another season to find your rest. Let's 180 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: walk into rest right here, right now, knowing that God's 181 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: presence is with us, It goes with us. Thank you 182 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: so much for joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. 183 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 1: I'm Rachel, and I want you to remember God sees you, 184 00:11:53,880 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 1: he hears you, and he knows your needs. Thanks for 185 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. If this episode 186 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: resonated with you, Share it with someone who could use 187 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: a little hope, and be sure to subscribe for more. 188 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: Until next time, keep seeking, keep trusting, and keep praying.