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You’re checking the boxes—career, church, kids—but something still feels off. Why doesn’t success feel significant? And why does marriage take the hit when life gets busy? Stephanie Carter and her husband Bryan, author of Made to Last: 8 Principles to Build Long-Lasting Relationships, share how burnout, counseling, and hard recalibration reshaped their marriage and family rhythms. If you crave balancing work and family in practical ways that put God first without quitting your calling, this conversation meets you where you live.

Show Notes and Resources

• Learn more about Bryan Carter's and his book Made to Last: Eight Principles to Build Long-Lasting Relationships at bryancarter.org.
• Attend a Weekend to Remember marriage getaway, our faith-based retreat with biblical teaching, practical tools, and focused time for couples: Register now at WeekendToRemember.com
• Sign up for the free Blended and Blessed livestream: a one-day event focused on building unity in blended families: Happening April 18, 2026 — register at blendedandblessed.com
• Set sail on the Love Like You Mean It Marriage Cruise! Now through 3/31/26, use promo code CruiseMadness27 and enjoy exclusive savings on your stateroom. 

• Thanks to the Christian Standard Bible for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at CSBible.com.
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We were traveling a good distance and it took a couple of days. We needed to get there at a certain time, so we had a lot of drive-through meals, and therefore a lot of fast food. That means our eating decisions were pretty simple. We didn't make them on the basis of flavor, or nutrition, or elegant surroundings. No, they were based on whoever was the fastest, the closest to the road and whatever we could eat the most quickly while traveling. Now, our sons have a really high tolerance for fast food. But even they have their limits. After a couple of days of fast food, when it was time to get dinner, even they said, "Please, let's stop at a restaurant and eat. We know we'll have to slow down a bit. We know we'll lose time. But we'd had enough fast food. It's time for real food."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Prayer That Waits."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 18. "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the pleas, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'"

Now, even though the judge didn't care, she just kept coming and she just kept asking. This was Jesus' parable, and let's make it very clear that the judge is in no way a picture of our God. That's not the God we know, the one who cares deeply enough to have His Son die for us. He actually welcomes us coming to Him. See, this widow is sort of a picture of what we ought to be. Jesus wants us to keep coming, "Always pray and don't give up" He says.

Maybe you feel like giving up because it looks like nothing is happening. He says, "Don't give up." He doesn't want us to give up. That might be the word He knew you needed to hear this very day. See, it could be why you're listening right now. He's telling us to keep coming to Him, not based on how we feel, or what's happening with our circumstances, but on the strength of His unchanging Son.

Listen to 1 John 5:14-15. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we have asked of Him." He hears, He responds as long as it's in the boundaries of His will. He's promised that. He wants us to ask Him; to keep coming to Him with our need. In fact we should ask more what He wants actually than what we want. And He wants us to keep at it.

God's not keeping an account on how many times you come. But He knows that our relationship is more important than we thought if we continue to develop that relationship by continually seeking His presence. He wants to give a closeness to us, and He often uses a waiting time to develop Christ like faith that we would never have if we had the answer right away.

Now, you and I don't want to take time for God to cook up a real answer. We'd rather pick it up at drive-through. But the quick answer is seldom the one that's the best answer. Keep bringing your requests to your Father, asking Him to change you while you're waiting for Him to change your circumstances. He's preparing you for His answer.

As my tired of fast food sons will tell you, the good stuff takes a little longer, but it's worth the wait.

Read: Psalm 139:3-12

“I’m scared, Mom,” River said. “What if Dad never comes back?”

“I don’t know if he’s going to, River. I don’t know how things will work out.”

River’s stomach hurt. It had been hurting a lot since his dad stormed out of their house weeks earlier. “It’s just you and me?”

“You, me, and God.” Mom tapped her computer screen. “And I need to find a job.”

Things went from bad to worse that evening when the power went out. River stumbled his way through the house, calling for his mom.

“I’m in here.” Suddenly Mom appeared in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t know why they would cut it off like that…I told them I would pay soon…”

“You didn’t pay the bill?” River asked.

“I don’t have the money right now,” said Mom. “I’m sorry.”

“It won’t come back on tomorrow?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Mom sighed. “We’ll be okay.”

River tried to look around, but he couldn’t see anything. Darkness from outside filled the house. He heard a sound in the corner of the room. “I’m really scared, Mom. I don’t like the dark.”

“That was just the house settling,” Mom said. “It does it all the time, but we don’t think anything of it when it’s light in here. Do you know who can see in the dark?”

“Not me,” River said.

“Me neither,” Mom said. “But God can. The Bible says that both dark and light are the same to Him. He can see now like if the lights were all on.”

“Really?” River asked. “He can see if there are any bad guys in here?”

Mom chuckled. “Yes. And there aren’t.” She rubbed his back. “God is light. Our light. When we were lost in the darkness of sin, Jesus came and died for us so we could have the light of His love in our lives. He sees us now, and He can see the future too. He knows what’s going to happen with your dad, and He promises never to leave us. We can trust Him.”

“Everything is so scary right now,” River said.

“I know, but God will take care of us.” Mom pulled him close. “Always.”

–Emily Acker

How about you? Are you scared of the dark? Not being able to see what’s around you can be scary—and that’s true in life too. Perhaps you’re going through a difficult situation and don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Remember that even though you can’t see the future, God can, and He cares about you. Trust Him to be your light in the darkness and take care of you in every situation.

Today's Key Verse: The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God sees in the dark

Obeying God isn't always easy, but it is always the wisest thing to do.

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With branches of scraggly leaves growing upward like hands raised to the heavens, the unique trees we saw while hiking Joshua Tree National Park in California intrigued us. Many believe the trees were dubbed “Joshua Trees” by pioneers, who were reminded by the trees of an Old Testament story where Joshua lifted high a javelin as a sign of God’s presence and help.

After entering Canaan, the Israelites needed God’s help in battle. After being defeated at the city of Ai due to their sin (Joshua 7:11–12), the Israelites were likely afraid to fight the city again. But God encouraged Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (8:1). Then God told Joshua to “hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city” (v. 18). Joshua obeyed God and “did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin” until the battle was won (v. 26). It wasn’t the javelin in Joshua’s outstretched hand that secured the victory. Instead, it was a symbol of God’s promise to help them and be with them.

Reminders of God’s presence with us can be helpful when we face difficult challenges. A Bible verse displayed in our homes, a stunning picture of God’s creation, a cross necklace: these things don’t provide assistance, but God can use them to remind us of His promised presence and power.

What if the most important question about your savings isn’t how much you have, but how you ultimately intend to use the funds? Saving is often talked about as a financial skill, which it is. In Scripture, however, readers are invited to see saving as a purposeful act of stewardship. On the next Faith & Finance Live, Rob West explores why saving matters and how it fits into a life of faith. Then, it’s on to your calls. That’s Faith and Finance Live . . . biblical wisdom for your financial decisions. That’s weekdays at 4pm Eastern/3pm Central on Moody Radio.

Faith & Finance Live is a listener supported program on Moody Radio.  To join our team of supporters, click here.

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To learn more about Rob West, click here.

To learn more about Faith & Finance Live, click here.

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Segment 1

• A viral near-death story claims 18 days in heaven…

• If someone “comes back” with a message, is it new revelation—or a subtle attack on biblical authority?

• The real question is why so many are drawn to these stories of heavenly tourism.

Segment 2

• The key difference between biblical visions (Isaiah, Paul, John) and modern “heaven tourism” claims

• If it’s already in the Bible, why do we need the story? If it’s new… what does that imply?

• A closer look at emotional, poetic testimonies that sound spiritual—but raise serious theological red flags

Segment 3

• The shocking true story of a bestselling “trip to heaven” that was later admitted to be fabricated

• Why these books keep selling—even after being exposed—and what that says about the audience

• The deeper issue: is this curiosity… or dissatisfaction with what God has already revealed?

Segment 4

• How the same appetite for “more than Scripture” leads to serious spiritual foolishness

• A pastor uses Scripture to justify buying a private jet—does that argument actually hold up?

• Why people keep buying in—and the sobering claim: this may not just be error… but a serious lack of spiritual fruit

___

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