Do you ever find yourself short of words when your friend is navigating a difficult season? You want to be there for her, be a good listener, encourage and pray for her, but how can you know with confidence what she actually needs right now?

During this conversation, Lysa TerKeurst and two of her friends Candace Salamone and Melanie Chitwood discuss the dynamics of walking with a friend through hard times. They also cover helpful and unhelpful things to say and questions to ask.

We will all be more equipped to be a better friend after listening to this episode!

Related Resources:

• The pain you're experiencing deserves a safe place to be processed. That's why Lysa TerKeurst created this FREE resource: "The 5 Healing Perspectives You Need for Your Hurt or Heartbreak." When you download today, Lysa will help you unpack the five crucial perspective shifts that will empower you to start changing the way you see the most difficult parts of your situation.
• We'd like to thank Compassion International for sponsoring this episode. Compassion brings real solutions to the poverty that so many children in today’s world are facing … all in Jesus' name and through the generosity of sponsors. Take your next step, and sponsor a child today here!
• Find real-life encouragement by connecting with Lysa TerKeurst here on Instagram.
• Connect with Melanie Chitwood on Instagram, @melanieschitwood, and her website, melanieschitwood.com.
• Connect with Candace Salamone on Instagram, @candacesalamone, and her website, https://candacesalamone.com/.
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a nonprofit organization, and this podcast is funded thanks to the generous support of our one-time and monthly donors. To learn more about how to partner with us, click here!

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

Grief can spark the question: God, when will You see me?

Our new friend and author Carole Holiday understands the heartbreaking loss that can make you think, I don't know who I am anymore. Through her divorce, job loss and heart surgery, she has learned that deep grief carves space for a deeper ability to love. Sometimes it's not always the big griefs that threaten to take us out; it's the little ones that we push aside and can go unnoticed that make us not OK. But she shows us how God can bring good back to life through faith, food and fellowship. We think you're going to love this episode!

Related Resources:

• Order your copy of Carole’s book, I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore: Restoring Your Identity Shattered by Grief and Loss.
• If you need a little self-assessment, download our free resource: “'Am I Okay?' A 10-Question Self-Guided Check-In.”
• Connect with Carole on her website: https://www.caroleholiday.com/.
• Follow Carole on Instagram: @caroleholiday.
• Pursue your writing dreams, like Carole did, by joining COMPEL Writers Training!
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode. 

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a nonprofit organization, and this podcast is funded thanks to the generous support of our one-time and monthly donors. To learn more about how to partner with us, click here!

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

Sometimes it feels safer to follow Jesus on our own.

But some of Jesus' last words, recorded in John 17, encourage us to be one as the body of Christ. So what does it look like to make the intentional choice to belong to a community when it feels risky? Our friend and author Katy McCown sits down on this episode to encourage us to with Truth from God's Word on what it means to invest in one another. Katy shows us the power of pressing into the body of Christ instead of pulling away from it — especially when life falls apart. This is a great episode to share with a friend and discuss!

Related Resources:

• Order a copy of Katy’s Bible study, She Belongs: Finding Your Place in the Body of Christ, today!
• Download this free resource, "Does God Care?: 10 Promises From God To Remember When You Feel Forgotten," and know that you are completely seen and loved even when you feel most overlooked, and cling to specific truths you can memorize and write out today.
• Download our free First 5 mobile app and spend the first moments of your day with God before the hustle of your to-do list begins. We also have study guides to help you dig a little deeper into God's Word.
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a nonprofit organization, and this podcast is funded thanks to the generous support of our one-time and monthly donors. To learn more about how to partner with us, click here!

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

Sometimes courage can feel unattainable. 

But God's Word shows us that it's actually possible to find hope and encouragement in the midst of fear. On this episode, author, speaker, TV and ministry leader Ann White teaches us the seven steps to COURAGE. Grab a pen because you're not going to miss these steps — you'll learn the impact of God's Word and how to apply it so you can live more courageously when facing fear.

Related Resources:

• Order a copy of the Courage for Life Study Bible today!
• Connect with Ann on Instagram @godgivescourage.
• We created a free resource for you to download, “3 Bible Study Basics You Must Know.” 
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a nonprofit organization, and this podcast is funded thanks to the generous support of our one-time and monthly donors. To learn more about how to partner with us, click here!

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

If life has suddenly stopped going the way you planned, this episode is for you.

Author Sarah Frazer knows all to well what it's like to look around at your circumstances and wonder how you got there. When her story unexpectedly shifted, she wondered what it looked like to move forward and found herself asking God to show her His goodness. From there, she began to study Moses in the Bible and discovered how God uses the darkest circumstances to proclaim His sovereign goodness. It's possible to grow through whatever detour, setback, heartache or disappointment life has thrown at you. Listen to this episode to learn more!

Related Resources:

• Order a copy of Sarah's book I Didn't Sign Up for This: How to Rest in God's Goodness When Your Story Shifts.
• Download our new, free resource: "God Will Get You Through This: 5 Devotions for When You Feel Overwhelmed."
• Connect with Sarah on Instagram @SarahEFrazer or on her website at SarahEFrazer.com. 
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

One of the biggest misconceptions we can have about faith is believing that if we do this, God will do that.

But our friend, author and pastor Max Lucado is here to help us see the ways we may have adopted a transactional theology with God. He will show us how to live when we are in the gap between what we want out of life and what we get in life. God has not left us here. Understanding how big God is helps us better know and trust His character. When we view Him rightly, we can truly experience the beauty and riches of being in a relationship with our Father.

Related Resources:

• Make sure to order a copy of Max's book, God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob's Story Teaches Us About Grace, Mercy, and God's Relentless Love.
• Download our free resource with devotions from Lysa TerKeurst, “Chosen, Called & Confident: 5 Days of Believing God Can Use You.”
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

It can feel frustrating when you've tried really hard to follow God and it's not working anymore. In fact, it hurts.

But God isn't trying to hurt us; He's trying to help us. Often these frustrations happen because we've unknowingly adopted unhealthy thought patterns and ways of living. Like Jacob wrestled with God in the Bible, we, too, have to wrestle with the lies and false beliefs that have taken root in our lives in order to experience healing and freedom. On this episode, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries staff member Ashley Morgan Jackson shares her story of wrestling with God. She helps us identify the lies we are believing and shows us how to turn to God when nothing else we've tried is working. You won't want to miss this episode!

Related Resources:

• Order a copy of Ashley’s new book, Tired of Trying: How to Hold On to God When You’re Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten.
• Download Ashley’s free resource: “Disappointed with God” reflection guide.
• At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we offer professional and biblical training by industry experts for women who are called to write, speak and lead, through our COMPEL Writers Training membership site. Click the link to learn more!
• Check out the other shows on the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast Network: Therapy & Theology with Lysa TerKeurst and the Encouragement for Today Podcast. 
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

It's hard to pause and pray when we feel unsettled or anxious.

The Bible is clear that prayer is the remedy for a lot of the anxiousness we feel. (Just look at Philippians 4.) But what does that look like daily, especially when we are so overwhelmed that we don't know what to do? On today's episode, our friend and author Wendy Blight shares her story of struggling with anxiety and the unlikely tools she found in Scripture that helped her overcome it. She gets practical on what happens when we remain still and shows us what to do when we pause and slow down. It's in those moments, we will find God's nearness that leads to the peace we are really longing for.

This episode is Part 4 of a four-part series; make sure you go back and listen to the other episodes!

Related Resources:

• Download our free First 5 mobile app and spend the first moments of your day with God before the hustle of your to-do list begins. We also have study guides to help you dig a little deeper into God's Word.
• Escape the feeling of "never knowing what to say" with our free e-book, For the Girl Who Needs Hope: 50 Biblical Prayers for the Hard Moments.
• Your life is crazy, but your Bible study doesn't have to be. Online Bible Studies is a place where you can dive deep into books by your favorite Christian authors alongside a community of women from right where you are. Check out our latest Online Bible Study now!
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

When God doesn’t answer our prayers, it's easy to feel grief.

If you have been walking with Him for a long time, it's tempting to want to numb out or give up. But what happens when neither of those options works?

If you are exhausted repeating the same prayers and getting less hopeful, or wrestling knowing God can change your circumstances and being heartbroken that He isn't, this episode is for you. Our friend Shae Hill talks about how we can find a gift in prayer, even while we are feeling frustrated and forgotten. Be encouraged that it is possible to hold disappointment and a desire to pray at the same time.

This episode is Part 3 of a four-part series; make sure you subscribe so you don't miss what's next!

Related Resources:

• Download our free First 5 mobile app and spend the first moments of your day with God before the hustle of your to-do list begins. We also have study guides to help you dig a little deeper into God's Word.
• Escape the feeling of "never knowing what to say" with our free e-book, For the Girl Who Needs Hope: 50 Biblical Prayers for the Hard Moments.
• Your life is crazy, but your Bible study doesn't have to be. Online Bible Studies is a place where you can dive deep into books by your favorite Christian authors alongside a community of women from right where you are. Check out our latest Online Bible Study now!
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.

We can pray about anything and everything as often as possible.

If God's Word tells us we can ask Him for anything, how do we cultivate lives where we pray bold prayers? What does that look like? And how do we do this? On this episode, Ashley Morgan Jackson sits down with Meghan Ryan and Shae Hill for a conversation on why we can approach God with our needs and how to keep our faith when we get weary waiting for His reply. Make sure you find something to take notes with because this one has lots of practical ideas you won't want to forget!

This episode is Part 2 of a four-part series; make sure you subscribe so you don't miss what's next!

Related Resources:

• Download our free First 5 mobile app and spend the first moments of your day with God before the hustle of your to-do list begins. We also have study guides to help you dig a little deeper into God's Word.
• Escape the feeling of "never knowing what to say" with our free e-book, For the Girl Who Needs Hope: 50 Biblical Prayers for the Hard Moments.
• Your life is crazy, but your Bible study doesn't have to be. Online Bible Studies is a place where you can dive deep into books by your favorite Christian authors alongside a community of women from right where you are. Check out our latest Online Bible Study now!
• To the woman constantly pouring out, we planned a day where all you have to do is show up and be filled. Join us for Reset: A Saturday To Tend to Your Soul at First Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, on October 7, 2023.
• Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

We want to hear how this podcast has impacted you! Share your story with us here.