The Strong Friend Needs God Too

The Strong Friend Needs God Too

Episode 34 | The Strong Friend Needs God Too Have you become the woman everyone depends on? The one who always answers the phone. The one who prays for everyone else. The one who carries the burdens, remembers the details, fixes the problems, and somehow keeps showing up with a smile. But who carries you? In the first episode of our new series, Strength, Identity & Boundaries, we're talking about the hidden weight of always being "the strong one." Together, we'll discover that while strength is a beautiful gift from God, it was never meant to replace dependence on Him. We'll explore how we become the strong friend, the subtle danger of self-reliance, what it truly means to abide in Christ instead of striving for Him, and why God designed us to walk in authentic spiritual community rather than isolation. If you've been exhausted from carrying responsibilities, quietly convincing yourself that you're "fine," or wondering when it's finally your turn to be poured into, this conversation is for you. Friend, Jesus isn't asking you to prove how strong you are. He's inviting you to come and rest. In this episode, we'll explore: * Why so many women become "the strong friend" * When strength quietly turns into self-reliance * Martha's story and the difference between serving Jesus and sitting with Jesus * What it practically means to abide in Christ every day * Why God never intended for His daughters to carry life alone * How biblical community helps us remain rooted in Christ Scriptures Referenced: * Isaiah 40:29-31 * Matthew 11:28-30 * Psalm 46:1 * Galatians 6:2 * John 15:4-5 * 2 Corinthians 12:9 * Luke 10:38-42 * John 11 * Hebrews 10:24-25 * Ephesians 6:10-18 If this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to follow the podcast, leave a rating and review, and share it with a friend who has been carrying more than she lets on? Every follow, review, and share helps us bring the hope of God's Word to women who need encouragement. 💛 Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook: The Encouragement Well "The strongest woman isn't the one who never needs help. She's the one who knows exactly where to run when she does." 00:00 TEW Episode 34- The Strong Friend Needs God Too 02:36 How We Become "The Strong Friend" 07:26 When Strength Quietly Becomes Self-Reliance 12:38 Martha—Busy Hands, Tired Heart 19:09 Sis, It’s Okay to Let Some Help You 23:57 Closing Encouragement 25:28 Prayer 26:58 Outro

A Lifestyle of Prayer: Becoming the Woman Who Keeps Coming Back to God

In this episode of The Encouragement Well, Rachel closes out the prayer series with a reminder that prayer is not just something we run to in emergencies. Prayer is the rhythm that keeps our hearts connected to God in everyday life. A Lifestyle of Prayer: Becoming the Woman Who Keeps Coming Back to God invites listeners to see prayer as more than a crisis response. It is relationship. It is abiding. It is returning to the Father again and again in the middle of motherhood, marriage, work, ministry, waiting, weariness, joy, and ordinary daily moments. Through the example of Anna the prophetess, who served God with fasting and prayers night and day, this episode reminds us that a prayerful life is built through steady returning, not perfect routines. Anna’s life shows us what it looks like to remain near to God through loss, waiting, worship, and expectation. Rachel encourages women to build simple, honest prayer rhythms that help them seek God beyond crisis moments and stay rooted in Him through every season. Whether your prayers are long or short, tearful or whispered, polished or messy, the Father is still inviting you to come close. Scriptures referenced in this episode include 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, John 15:4-5, Jeremiah 29:13, Luke 2:36-38, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 34:17, Psalm 50:15, Matthew 6:9-13, Proverbs 24:16, Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:19, Psalm 23, Psalm 51, Philippians 4:6-7, Ephesians 3:16-19, Psalm 139:23-24, Hebrews 4:16, Galatians 5:22-23, and Psalm 121:1-2. 00:00 Intro 04:36 Prayer Beyond Emergencies 08:59 Why Consistency Matters More Than Perfection 13:32 Abiding as a Way of Life 17:48 Building Everyday Prayer Rhythms 18:20 Prayer in the Morning 18:58 Prayer Before Reaction 19:51 Prayers of Gratitude 20:29 Praying Scripture 21:14 Prayer in the Evening 21:52 Prayer for the Busy Women of God 23:05 Keep Coming Back to God 27:04 Closing Encouragement 29:48 Prayer 32:53 Outro

Teaching Children to Pray

Teaching Your Children to Pray | Episode 32 One of the greatest gifts we can give the children God has entrusted to us is teaching them how to pray. In this episode of The Encouragement Well, we're talking about moving beyond memorized prayers and helping our children build a genuine, personal relationship with their Heavenly Father. Together, we'll explore how to make prayer a natural part of everyday life, why children need to know that God hears them too, and how every simple prayer we pray with them is helping build a spiritual foundation that will carry them through the joys, challenges, temptations, and trials they will one day face. Whether you're a mother, grandmother, auntie, godmother, bonus mom, mentor, teacher, or spiritual mother, this episode is an encouragement to faithfully plant seeds of faith that will outlive you. You don't have to be a perfect example. God simply calls you to be a faithful one. If you've ever wondered whether those bedtime prayers, car rides filled with conversations about Jesus, or small moments of faith really matter, this episode is for you. They do. God is using every seed planted in love to prepare the next generation to know Him, trust Him, and run to Him. Join me as we discover how teaching our children to pray isn't simply about raising good kids. It's about raising men and women whose first response is to seek the Lord. Scriptures Referenced:• Matthew 19:14• 2 Timothy 1:7• Deuteronomy 6:6-7• Proverbs 22:6• Ephesians 6:10-18 00:00 Intro 02:44 Our Children Need to Know That God Hears Them Too 03:47 Simple Prayer Rhythms for Everyday Life 05:12 Building a Foundation That Will Outlive Us 06:27 Closing Encouragement  07:16 Prayer 08:31 Outro

Oil, Covering & Consecration: Inviting God Into Your Home

In this episode of The Encouragement Well, we are talking about Oil, Covering & Consecration: Inviting God Into Your Home. Your home is more than a physical space. It is a place where life happens, prayers are whispered, tears are cried, conversations unfold, and the presence of God can be welcomed with intention. In this episode, Rachel shares how prayer, anointing, and consecration can help you set your home apart for God without fear, superstition, or pressure to perform. Together, we look at what oil represents in Scripture, why the oil itself is not magic, and how it serves as a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s presence, healing, cleansing, covering, and power to set apart what belongs to the Lord. Rachel also shares the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4, whose home became a place where she made room for the work and presence of God, even in the middle of deep pain. This episode will walk you through how to see your home as a spiritual space, what anointing is and is not, how consecration is surrender and not superstition, and practical ways to pray through your home with faith. Whether your home feels peaceful, heavy, messy, stretched, or still in process, this conversation is a reminder that your home does not have to be perfect to be covered. Scriptures referenced in this episode include Joshua 24:15, Psalm 91:1-2, Exodus 40:9, James 5:14, 2 Kings 4, Psalm 23:5, Isaiah 61:3, Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:14, Matthew 6:11, Psalm 4:8, Isaiah 54:13, Psalm 139:14, Philippians 4:8, and Revelation 3:20. May this episode encourage you to invite God into every room, every doorway, every conversation, every burden, and every ordinary place where real life happens. 00:00 Intro 03:01 Seeing Your Home as a Spiritual Space 06:36 The Meaning Behind the Oil- What Anointing Is and Is Not 10:34 Consecration as Surrender, not Superstition 13:41 A Practical Way to Pray Through Your Home 15:49 Praying Over the Front Door 16:26 Praying Over the Living Room 17:05 Praying Over the Kitchen 17:40 Praying Over the Bedrooms 18:44 Praying Over the Bathrooms and Mirrors 19:17 Praying Over What You Consume and What You Create 20:06 Repentance as Consecration 21:05 Your Home Doesn't Have to be Perfect to be Covered 24:30 Closing Encouragement 26:25 Prayer 28:16 Outro

Cover Them in Prayer: Praying for Family, Friends & the People You Love

In this episode of The Encouragement Well, we are talking about what it means to cover the people we love in prayer without trying to carry what only God can carry. When you love people deeply, it can be hard to watch them struggle, hurt, make difficult choices, or walk through seasons you cannot fix. But intercession reminds us that we are not powerless just because we are not in control. We can bring our families, friends, spouses, children, churches, communities, and loved ones before the Father and trust that He sees what we cannot see, knows what we cannot know, and can reach places our hands never could. Together, we will reflect on the weight of love, the relief of surrender, and the power of standing in the gap through prayer. We will look at what intercession is, what it is not, and how Scripture teaches us to pray with compassion, faith, persistence, and surrender. This episode is a reminder that you can cover them without carrying them, pray for them without controlling them, and release them into the hands of the God who loves them even more than you do. Scriptures referenced include Philippians 1:9-11, Numbers 6:24-26, Colossians 1:9-12, Romans 8:26, Hebrews 7:25, Ephesians 6:12, and 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. 0:00 Intro 03:37 The Weight of Love and the Relief of Surrender 10:30 What It Means to Stand in the Gap 25:30 How Scripture Teaches Us to Pray for Others 29:20 Prayer Categories for Family, Friends, Marriage, Children, and Community 29:35 Interceding for Family 30:25 Interceding for Friends 31:21 Interceding for Marriages 32:28 Interceding for Our Children 33:30 Interceding for the Community 34:40 Closing Encouragement 36:23 Prayer 38:33 Outro