When Prayer Feels Hard

Becoming a Prayer Warrior

In this episode of The Encouragement Well, we are talking about what it really means to become a prayer warrior without becoming weary. Prayer is not passive. It is not performance. It is not just something we do when we have run out of options. Prayer is spiritual warfare, and as women of God, we are called to recognize the battle, pray the Word, shift from worry to war, and stand in spiritual authority without trying to stand in God’s place. Together, we’ll talk about how to pray with confidence, build consistency, create a designated prayer space, persist when answers do not come quickly, and surrender enough to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. We’ll also look at women in Scripture like Esther, the persistent widow, and the Canaanite woman, who remind us what it looks like to pray with courage, boldness, humility, and faith. This episode is for the woman who has been carrying what God only asked her to cover. You are not called to be an emotional pack mule. You are called to be a woman who knows how to go to God and stay there. Referenced Scriptures: Ephesians 6:10-18, Ephesians 6:12, 1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10, Esther 4:16, Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:16, Luke 10:19, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, James 5:16, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 15:21-28 Book Referenced: Fervent by Priscilla Shirer 0:00 Intro 02:22 Recognizing the Spiritual Battle 06:31 Basing Prayers on the Word 10:56 Shifting from Worry to War 15:19  Praying with Authority and Confidence 20:27  Building Consistency, Persistence, Surrender, and Listening 25:53 Closing Encouragement  28:30 Prayer 32:22 Outro

Bold Prayers, Open Hands: Expecting God and Trusting His Answer

Episode 27: Bold Prayers, Open Hands: Expecting God and Trusting His Answer: In this episode of The Encouragement Well, we are leaning into the holy tension between praying boldly and surrendering fully. What does it look like to believe God for the miracle, the healing, the provision, the restoration, the open door, and still trust Him if His answer looks different than what we imagined? Together, we explore how bold faith and open-handed surrender can live in the same heart. Through the examples of women in Scripture like Ruth, Esther, Rahab, Mary, Martha, Deborah, Bathsheba, and other faithful women whose prayers may have been hidden but were never unseen by God, we are reminded that surrender is not weakness. It is worship. This episode also offers practical, Scripture-rooted prayers for real-life situations, including praying over children, family, marriage, finances, career and purpose, health, heartbreak, waiting, and courage. If you have been carrying a prayer that feels heavy, tender, or long-awaited, this conversation is an invitation to bring it boldly before the Father while opening your hands to His will, His timing, and His wisdom. You can pray with expectation because God is able. You can surrender the outcome because God is good. Scriptures referenced in this episode include: Mark 11:24, Luke 22:42, Proverbs 3:5-6, Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 4:16, James 1:6, Proverbs 19:21, Ruth 1:16, Esther 4:14-16, Joshua 2:11, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25, John 11:21-27, John 11:40, Luke 1:38, Luke 2:35, 2 Samuel 12:24, 1 Kings 1, Judges 4:9, Judges 5, Psalm 62:8, Philippians 4:6-7, Lamentations 3:22-23, James 2:17, Psalm 86:16, Psalm 116:16, Isaiah 54:13, Proverbs 22:6, Joshua 24:15, Colossians 3:13, Ecclesiastes 4:12, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:31-33, Proverbs 16:3, Colossians 3:23, Jeremiah 17:14, Psalm 46:1, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 61:3, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, 2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9, and Romans 8:26. Until next time, drink deeply from His grace and stay rooted in Him. I’ll meet you back here soon—right at The Encouragement Well. 🤍 00:00 Intro 04:17 The Tension Between Expectation and Surrender 09:49 When We Confuse Faith With Control 15:00 Jesus Models Surrender in Prayer 20:18 How to Pray Boldly Without Gripping the Outcome 23:16 Ask, Trust, Release, Obey, Worship 26:16 Bold Prayers for Our Right Now Lives 26:46 A Bold Prayer for Your Children 27:53 A Bold Prayer for Your Family 28:46 A Bold Prayer for Your Marriage 29:46 A Bold Prayer for Your Finances 30:52 A Bold Prayer for Your Career and Purpose 31:52 A Bold Prayer for Your Health 33:14 A Bold Prayer for Your Broken Heart 34:11 A Bold Prayer While You Are Waiting on God 35:05 A Bold Prayer When You Need Courage 35:49 A Bold Prayer for When You Don't Know What to Pray 36:54 Closing Encouragement  39:36 Prayer 43:10 Outro

When Prayer Feels Hard

When prayer feels hard, it does not mean your faith has failed. Sometimes it means your soul is tired, your heart is overwhelmed, and life feels like too much to carry. In this episode of The Encouragement Well, Rachel sits with the woman who still believes God, still loves God, and still wants to pray—but feels weary, discouraged, or unsure of what to say. Through Scripture and the story of Hannah, this episode offers encouragement for honest prayer in tired seasons and reminds you that God is not measuring the beauty of your words. He is meeting the honesty of your heart. Together, we reflect on what it means to pray when you feel weak, how the Holy Spirit helps when words will not come, and why even the simplest prayer can still reach heaven. Whether all you can whisper is “Lord, help me,” this episode is a gentle reminder that God is near, He hears you, and you are still welcome in His presence. Scriptures referenced: Romans 8:26 Psalm 61:2 Matthew 11:28 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 19 Psalm 34:18 Psalm 56:8 Psalm 13 Psalm 42 Mark 9:24 Hebrews 4:16 Matthew 14 Isaiah 40:29 Lamentations 3:22–23 Matthew 6 2 Corinthians 12:9 00:00 Intro 02:44 When You Still Believe, But You're Tired 05:35 Why Hard Seasons Can Make Prayer Feel Heavy 08:54 The Spirit Helps Us When We Do Not Have The Words 11:25 Simple Prayers for Weary Days 14:09 God Does Not Need Polished Words; He Wants Your Honest Heart 16:22 Closing Encouragement  18:15 Prayer 21:00 Outro

Prayer as a Weapon, Not a Performance- Learning to pray with power without trying to sound perfect.

In this opening episode of Series 6- The Praying Woman: Covering, Consecration & Surrender, Rachel invites listeners to release the pressure of “performing” in prayer and return to honest communion with God. If you have ever felt intimidated by prayer, compared your words to someone else’s, or wondered if your simple prayers were enough, this episode is a reminder that prayer does not have to sound perfect to be powerful. God is not looking for polished words. He is looking for a surrendered heart. Rachel reflects on how God meets us where we are, how Jesus taught His own disciples to pray, and why the posture of our hearts matters more than the performance of our words. This episode encourages you to come boldly, pray honestly, and trust that God hears the whisper, the cry, the journal entry, the car prayer, the kitchen prayer, and the prayer you barely had strength to say. Scriptures referenced: Hebrews 4:16, Luke 11:1, Matthew 6:5–6, Isaiah 64:6, James 5:16, Ephesians 6:18. 00:00 Intro 03:31 When Prayer Feels Intimidating 08:50 Prayer Was Never Meant to Be a Performance 15:08 Scripture Shows Us Bold, Honest, Imperfect Prayers 18:26 How to Begin Praying With Authority in Your Real Voice 21:58 Your Posture in Prayer is What Matters Most 26:49 Closing Encouragement 28:23 Prayer 30:26 Outro

Purpose in Seasons of Pause and in Seasons of Pain

In this heartfelt episode of The Encouragement Well, Rachel Haywood speaks to the woman who feels paused, hidden, tired, or tender from a painful season and wonders if her purpose is still intact. Through Scripture, honest reflection, and encouragement rooted in faith, this episode reminds listeners that purpose is not lost because life got quiet, and calling is not canceled because life got hard. Rachel reflects on Hagar, Hannah, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:10, John 15:4, and Zechariah 4:10 to remind women that God sees them in the wilderness, meets them in their pain, restores their souls, and helps them take the next faithful step. This conversation is for the woman who is healing, waiting, rebuilding, or learning how to walk with God at a different pace. If you have been wondering whether your pause means you have been put away, or whether your pain has disqualified you, this episode is a gentle reminder: God is still leading, still restoring, and still holding your purpose in His hands. 00:00 EPISODE 24 — Purpose in Seasons of Pause and in Seasons of Pain 05:01 When Purpose Feel Paused 11:47 Pain Doesn't Pause Your Purpose 15:27 The Shepherd Restores You So You Can Keep Walking 22:45 What God Develops in the Pause and in the Pain 31:32 What Purpose Can Look Like in Seasons of Pause and in Seasons of Pain 34:59 Walking Out Purpose Right Here 40:47 Closing Encouragement 42:28 Prayer 44:27 Outro