1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Woto, and 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: each week we unravel life'esnots through prayer. Here you'll find 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 2: practical wisdom and prayer encouragement to guide you through life's 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 2: hardest seasons. Join me as we untangle life's messes together, 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: one prayer at a time. 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 3: Well, hey there, I'm Rachel, and I am so glad 8 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 3: that you are here. Have you ever been so worn 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 3: down that you couldn't carry the thing that you were 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 3: supposed to be carrying? I don't mean just physically tired, 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 3: but very depleted emotionally, spiritually. Maybe just the kind of 12 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 3: week where you've got nothing left, and on top of 13 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 3: all of that, you feel like you're carrying the burden alone. 14 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 3: Whatever you're fighting, you're fighting by yourself and no one 15 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,559 Speaker 3: even knows. And so maybe if that's you right now, 16 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 3: I want you to tune in, because today we're talking 17 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 3: about what to do when you feel like you're the 18 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 3: only one fighting a battle and you just don't have 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 3: anything left, no strength. Before we go further, I want 20 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 3: to tell you about something I created exactly for this 21 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 3: kind of season. It's a guide called the Prey Through 22 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 3: it battle plan, and you can get it at battleprayers 23 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 3: dot com. It's a simple sixth step way to pray 24 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 3: when you're up against something and you don't even know 25 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 3: where to start. 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: It walks you. 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 3: Through naming the battle, finding scripture, and praying it back 28 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 3: to God. And it's free, it's yours, and the link 29 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 3: is in the show notes. So that's battle prayers dot com. 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,919 Speaker 3: And that guide comes straight out of my new book. 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 3: In relation to my new book, Praying Through Live's Battles, 32 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 3: which releases August twenty fifth, I'll say more about that 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 3: at the end of this episode, but for now, let's 34 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 3: move on into this week's question, the segment where I 35 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 3: answer hard questions about prayer that people email me or 36 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 3: message to me. And here is today's question. How do 37 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 3: I keep praying when I feel completely alone in my battle? 38 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 3: I'm the only one carrying this weight, and I'm too 39 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 3: tired to keep fighting. This is what someone said to 40 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,840 Speaker 3: me in an email just recently, And I want to 41 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: sit with you for a minute in that space, because 42 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 3: I don't think the answer is to fight harder or 43 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 3: try harder. 44 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: Let me take you to. 45 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 3: One of the most dramatic moments in the whole Bible. 46 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 3: The Israelites have just left Egypt, and they're free for 47 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 3: about five minutes because now Pharaoh's changed his mind again 48 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 3: and his army is coming after them. 49 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: The people are trapped. 50 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 3: The Red Sea is in front of them, the most 51 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:05,519 Speaker 3: powerful army in the world at that time is right 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 3: behind them, and there is nowhere for them to go. 53 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 3: So they are scared, truly scared, terrified, and Moses says 54 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 3: to them in Exodus fourteen fourteen, the Lord will fight 55 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 3: for you. 56 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: You need only be still. 57 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 3: And I used to think this was a let go 58 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 3: and let God kind of line, But he's not saying 59 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 3: this to people in that sort of circumstance. He's not 60 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 3: saying this to just anyone. He's saying this to people 61 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 3: who are exhausted and who had just come out of slavery. 62 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 3: They were so tired they couldn't have won this if 63 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 3: they tried. 64 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: And that's the point. 65 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 3: God wasn't asking them for more strategy. He was telling 66 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 3: them the fight was never theirs to win in the 67 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 3: first place. 68 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: And there's a. 69 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: Phrase in that statement in that verse, the Lord will 70 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 3: fight for you, You need only to be still. It 71 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 3: means stop striving stop striving. And I just think that 72 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 3: when God steps into the fight, your effort is never 73 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 3: the thing that's going to decide whether or not you 74 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 3: win the battle, your own effort. The very next line, 75 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 3: verse fifteen, the Lord said to Moses, why are you 76 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 3: crying out to me? 77 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: Tell the Israelites to move on? 78 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: And in my Bible I have this highlighted because and 79 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 3: then I have the words underlined be still and then 80 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 3: move on. 81 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: I just really. 82 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 3: Believe that the Lord is impressing on my heart in 83 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 3: this season that there's this difference between striving and obeying. 84 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 3: And so here's what I think be still actually means 85 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 3: for someone who feels like they're fighting alone. It doesn't 86 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 3: mean you stop functioning. It means you can stop carrying 87 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: the weight of the outcome. You feel like this whole 88 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: thing depends on you, and instead you need to keep 89 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: doing the next thing God puts in front of you. 90 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 3: Be still, then move on the fight. You can hand 91 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 3: back to the Lord because he is carrying the burden. 92 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: Right. 93 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 3: You're not as alone in whatever it is as it feels. 94 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 3: There's someone fighting for you that you might not be 95 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 3: able to see fully. Yet, I want to make sure 96 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 3: that you know about the Hope Circle, and so if 97 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 3: you are looking for encouragement and strengthen the Lord, and 98 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 3: you want to be joined by other people in community, then. 99 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: You'll want to check. 100 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 3: Out the Hope Circle offered at rachelwojo dot com. Thanks 101 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 3: for tuning in here. We'll be right back with a 102 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: word from our sponsors, but you'll be able to check 103 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 3: out all the links in the show notes. Thanks for 104 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 3: sticking with me through that little ad from our sponsors, 105 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 3: And now for this week's Pray More, worry Less encouragement. 106 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 3: The principle this week is simple. When you feel like 107 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: you're fighting alone, the most faithful thing you can do 108 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,440 Speaker 3: is give it to God and let him fight. And 109 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 3: I know how that can sound when you're already depleted, 110 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 3: you're being told to let go of the control, and 111 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: it feels like it's just one more thing that you're 112 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 3: not doing right. But I want to make this concrete 113 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 3: for you. Back at the Red Sea, watch what the 114 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 3: people actually did. They didn't come with a strategy, they 115 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 3: didn't pick up weapons. They literally just walked forward into 116 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 3: a path that God opened where there wasn't one, and 117 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 3: their whole job was to keep walking, to keep putting 118 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 3: one foot in front of the other and to trust 119 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 3: that God was fighting for them. And the scripture says 120 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: they didn't lift a finger against that army. And here's 121 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 3: what that means for your prayer life this week. When 122 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 3: you're up against something and you're out of strength, your 123 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 3: prayer doesn't have to be strong. It doesn't have. 124 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: To be long. It can just be four words. 125 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 3: Lord, you fight this, and then you keep walking. You 126 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 3: be still, Then you make the dinner, then you go 127 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 3: to the appointment, then you answer the email, and you 128 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 3: let God do the part you were never equipped to do. 129 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: Anyway. 130 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 3: I really believe that if there was a time when 131 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 3: you tried to fight something in your own strength before 132 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 3: you finally gave it to the Lord, I can feel you. 133 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 3: I have done that many times. And being still isn't 134 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 3: giving up. It's trusting that God has already stepped in 135 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 3: where you couldn't. Every week I end the episode of 136 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 3: our podcast with a final segment of an answered prayer story. 137 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 3: And this week the story is just mine. It's a 138 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 3: story of last week's episode, you know, the week that 139 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 3: you got to repeat. I was so sick last week 140 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 3: and I really needed a prayer and I didn't want 141 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 3: to ask for it because I thought, oh, I couldn't 142 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 3: record the podcast episode. 143 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: And when you can't do the thing that. 144 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 3: You feel like you're called to do, it's amazing how 145 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 3: fast discouragement moves in. And I started to think that 146 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: I was letting everyone down, and I started to feel like, well, 147 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 3: I'm just trying to carry this by myself. 148 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: And so I did something that I don't always do. 149 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 3: I just told you all that I had this issue. 150 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 3: I'm sick, really sick, and I said I'm not well 151 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 3: this week and I could use prayer, and so many 152 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 3: of you wrote back to me and said, I'm praying 153 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 3: for you. I'm praying for you. Over and over again. 154 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 3: The emails came back, and I'm just thinking about how 155 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 3: those messages were not just you know, a feel better, 156 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 3: but I'm literally praying for you right now. And I'm 157 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 3: so thankful for each and every one of you who prayed. 158 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 3: I am feeling much better. Whatever that sickness is, it's 159 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 3: still kind of hanging on. But I think that the 160 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 3: reason I wanted to share that vulnerable moment with you 161 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 3: is because I was really weak and the strength. 162 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: Came and I knew it wasn't coming for me. 163 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 3: It came from your prayers, the prayers of people I've 164 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 3: never even met. Many of you, but the women I 165 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 3: get to pray for often every week turn around and 166 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 3: prayed me through. And so I'm thinking about Exodus fourteen fourteen. 167 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 3: I couldn't fight last week. God had to do it 168 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 3: for me, and he used all of you. I wasn't alone. 169 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 3: I had all of you. I couldn't see who was 170 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 3: standing in the gap. But you may not know who's 171 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 3: standing in the gap for you, and you may be 172 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:50,719 Speaker 3: too weak to fight, may feel like there's just no 173 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 3: one around. But let me tell you, God may be 174 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 3: fighting for you through people you haven't even met yet. 175 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 3: So be still and know that he is God. I 176 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 3: told you at the beginning that I would come back 177 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 3: to my new book. And here's why it matters. This 178 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 3: book is for this exact kind of conversation, praying through 179 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 3: life's battles. As a ninety day book. It's built in 180 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 3: three movements, for the weary, for the warring, and for 181 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 3: the winning. And it starts where a lot of us 182 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: actually live, too tired to pray, feeling like we're losing. 183 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 3: And then I walk you through day by day, remembering 184 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 3: who God is and what He's done and what He's 185 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 3: going to do. This week, I told you about how 186 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 3: I was weary and the Lord fought for me and 187 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 3: gave me his strength, and that's really the whole heart 188 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 3: of this book. The book releases August twenty fifth, but 189 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 3: you can pre order it right now at Battleprayers dot com. 190 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 3: And when you pre order now and submit your receipt, 191 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 3: you get immediate digital access, so you don't have to 192 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 3: wait until August twenty fifth to start reading it. You 193 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 3: can begin reading it now, and if this season has 194 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 3: felt like a battle, you can start praying through those 195 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 3: battles today, So head over to battleprayers dot com. Thank 196 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 3: you so much for joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. 197 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 3: If you feel like you're in a season where you're 198 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 3: fighting alone, I want you to hold on to this. 199 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 3: You are not, and the one who's fighting for you 200 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 3: doesn't need you to be strong first. He is your strength. 201 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 3: Until next time. Remember God sees you, he hears you, 202 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 3: and he knows your needs. 203 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. If 204 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who 205 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 2: could use a little hope and be sure to subscribe 206 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 2: for more Until next time, keep seeking, keep trusting, and 207 00:11:54,200 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 2: keep praying.