By Words: Honest Faith Talks to Encourage Everyday Christian Women

What do you do when hope starts to feel heavy and God feels quiet?

Today we’re sitting down with Sarah Freymuth to talk honestly about prolonged pain, unanswered prayers, and trusting God in the silence. This conversation is for the woman who’s still showing up in faith, but feels weary from waiting. Together, they explore what it means to stay anchored when life doesn’t improve quickly, how to lament honestly without losing faith, and why God’s silence doesn’t mean He’s absent.

This episode is a reminder that God meets us in the raw, unfiltered middle moments of our lives, not just the highlight reels.

If you’ve been asking, How much longer, God? — you’re not alone. And today, you don’t have to carry hope by yourself.

“If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.” (Psalm 94:17)

To connect with Sarah, head over to sarahfreymuth.com or @sfreymuthawake on IG!

Get Sarah’s book, All the Hard Things: https://amzn.to/4cd1xyi 

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Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that faith meant holding it together, saying the right things, praying the right way, and never asking questions. But Scripture tells a different story.

Today we’re talking about why honest faith is better than perfect faith — and why God consistently meets us in truth, not performance. From David’s raw prayers to the desperate honesty of “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), we see that God is not afraid of our questions, doubts, or weariness.

If your faith feels quieter than it used to, if you’re tired of pretending, or if you’ve wondered whether honesty might push God away, this episode is for you.

We’ll explore what Scripture says about lament, weakness, and grace, and why slow, imperfect faith often grows the deepest roots. You don’t have to clean yourself up to come close. You don’t have to perform to be faithful.

God meets us right here.

Submit a question for “Ask Han” here: https://forms.gle/qWGxyy9M5Q5N2tMz9 

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If you’ve ever sat in a quiet room and wondered, “God… do You still love me? Have You forgotten me?” — this episode is for you.

Today we joined by my friend Whitney Lowe to talk about those real, holy, confusing seasons when God feels distant, silent, or impossible to feel. We unpack how God pursues us even when we feel unworthy, overwhelmed, or spiritually numb, and why His silence doesn’t mean His absence.

Whitney shares pieces of her story and Scripture to remind us of this truth: God’s steadfast love gets the final word. Every time.

Inside this conversation:
• What we often believe about God when we feel overlooked
• Why slow, hidden seasons are not signs of failure
• The lies that make us doubt God’s goodness
• How to recognize God’s pursuit in ordinary, quiet moments
• Encouragement for the woman who feels nothing but fatigue

Pour a cup of coffee and take a breath, friend — today is the day to remember you are not forgotten. God is nearer than you think.

To connect with Whitney, head over to @whitneypiersonlowe on IG!

Get Whitney’s book, Called Back to Who You Are: https://amzn.to/3YhvbKE 

Submit a question for “Ask Han” here: https://forms.gle/qWGxyy9M5Q5N2tMz9 

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If you’ve ever felt tired from trying to hold it all together — your faith, your calling, your business, your life — this episode is for you.

Today, I’m sitting down with Stefanie Gass to talk about the shift from striving to surrender. The kind of surrender that isn’t polished or pretty. The kind that invites God into the parts we’d rather keep hidden — the fear, the control, the pressure to perform.

Stef shares what it really looked like to fully surrender her life and business to God, how obedience sometimes led her into quiet, unseen seasons, and why she believes your story matters more than you think. Even the messy parts. Especially the messy parts.

We talk about how striving often sneaks in disguised as faithfulness, why surrender doesn’t mean giving up but handing over, and how God uses our stories (when shared honestly) to bring hope and healing to others.

If you’re weary, questioning, or wondering if God can really use your story, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

To connect with Stef, head over to https://stefaniegass.com or @stefaniegass on IG!

Get Stefanie's Profitable Podcast Bootcamp for FREE with code HANNAH: https://stefaniegass.thrivecart.com/eg-profitable-podcast-bootcamp/?coupon=HANNAH

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What happens when you follow God… and still feel stuck?

In today’s episode, we’re talking about the quiet tension many Christian women carry: the ache of being faithful, obedient, and consistent, yet feeling stalled, tired, or unsure why nothing seems to be moving.

If you’ve shown up.
If you’ve stayed faithful.
If you’ve done what you know to do, and still feel stuck… This episode is for you.

Rooted in Psalm 73, we explore the honesty Scripture gives us when obedience doesn’t bring immediate clarity or relief. The psalmist reminds us that questioning isn’t a failure of faith, it’s often where deeper trust begins.

We talk about:

* Why faith can feel empty or stuck even when you’re doing the “right” things

* The tension between obedience and unmet expectations

* How fatigue can be feedback, not failure

* Why slow, hidden growth still matters to God

This is a space where honesty is welcome and pretending isn’t required.

If your faith feels stalled today, you’re not alone and you’re not doing it wrong.

Submit a question for “Ask Han” here: https://forms.gle/qWGxyy9M5Q5N2tMz9 

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Some years don’t end the way we hoped. Maybe you’re closing out this one feeling tired, tender, or still waiting on something God hasn’t yet revealed. But today’s episode is a reminder that Emmanuel — God with us — isn’t just present on the mountaintops. He’s with us in the middle moments too.

As we look back on the quiet, unseen parts of this year, we can trace His faithfulness, even in the hard parts. Because His promise was never “I’ll fix everything by December.” It was “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

So take a deep breath, friend. The in-between is holy ground.
Let’s end the year resting in His presence, not striving for perfection.

I’m cheering you on as you close this chapter — not with pressure, but with peace.

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So many of us are carrying quiet, heavy lies about motherhood — lies about being “enough,” doing “enough,” or somehow always falling short. And those lies don’t just drain us… they disconnect us from the gentleness of God’s heart.

Today, I’m joined by my friend and author Hallie Dye to unpack some of the biggest lies Christian women believe about motherhood and the truth Scripture offers in their place. We talk about the pressure to be limitless, why God designed us with needs on purpose, and how to “fail well” without letting hard moments define our identity.

If you’ve been moving through your days with that low hum of shame or pressure, this conversation is a deep breath of grace.

To connect with Hallie, head over to @halliedye and @the.saltworks on IG!

Get Hallie’s book: https://amzn.to/3XwI43o 

Listen to The Saltworks podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-saltworks/id1646681744

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If you’ve been trying to figure out God’s calling for your life — especially in work, motherhood, business, or ministry — this episode is for you. Today we’re chatting with Dani Crews about how to know God’s will in seasons that feel foggy, slow, or completely unclear.

So many Christian women wrestle with that quiet question: “What does God want me to do next?” If that’s you, take a deep breath. You’re not behind. You’re not missing it. You’re in the exact place where purpose is formed: the hidden, middle, ordinary moments.

This episode will help you understand God’s calling in a way that removes pressure and brings peace. You’ll hear simple truths about finding your calling, practical steps for following Jesus without striving, and honest encouragement for the days when direction feels silent.

If you’ve ever asked, “How do I actually know God’s will?” or “Am I missing my purpose?” this episode will feel like a warm cup of coffee and a deep exhale.

Today is the day to trust that God is leading you, even here in the middle.

To connect with Dani, head over to https://www.danicrews.com or @_danicrews on IG!

For By Words listers, get 20% off the basic package of the online True Story Course for yourself or a small group with the discount code WORDS20 at https://www.danicrews.com/course

The True Story Course is a four-session study that walks your group through the key movements of the Gospel—Innocence, Tragedy, Hero, and Restoration. Your group will explore these themes in their own lives, connect them to God’s greater story, and walk away with a relational framework to share the Gospel.

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CONNECT:

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Some days hold both joy and heartbreak in the very same breath. In this short, tender episode, I’m inviting you into a story that forever changed how I understood gratitude, grief, and the goodness of God.

As I share the moment our long-awaited celebration turned into another devastating loss, we’ll explore the surprising way Jesus meets us in the middle — not after the suffering is over, not once the joy has returned, but right there in the ache.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to choose between grief or gratitude, this episode is for you.

May you be reminded today that God doesn’t wait for the “good part” of your story to show up. He is the Good Part, the God who is unchanging in every season, on the mountaintop and in the valley.

I’m in your corner, cheering you on as you hold both.

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What do you do when forgiveness feels impossible?

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Bible teacher and author Yana Conner to talk about her brand-new book, Living Beyond Offense: Doing the Hard Work of Forgiveness God’s Way. This conversation is honest, deep, and so needed.

Yana shares her personal journey of walking through offense, what it really means to forgive “God’s way,” and how we can find freedom on the other side of hurt. We talk about the middle moments—the space between choosing to forgive and actually feeling healed—and how God meets us right there with grace.

If you’ve been carrying the weight of offense, this one’s for you. Take a deep breath, grab your coffee, and lean in.

Because today might just be the day freedom begins.

To connect with Yana, head over to www.yanajenay.com or @yanajenay on IG!

Get Yana’s book here: https://amzn.to/3WPiq9E 

SUPPORT BY WORDS: https://buymeacoffee.com/bywords

SHOP MY BOOKS:

Waking Up: Living Open — https://amzn.to/3Lusgrz

Love Is Devotional — https://amzn.to/3S6OZhs 

FREE Path to Purpose Guide: https://hannahhughes.myflodesk.com/pathwaytopurpose 

My favorite Bible studies + devotionals - HANNAHHUGHES10  for 10% off: https://thedailygraceco.com?dt_id=300773 

Connect: ⁠www.thehannahhughes.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thehannahhughes/⁠ 

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