When Prayer Feels Hard

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

Silence from Heaven: When God Feels Quiet

What do you do when you are praying, waiting, believing, and heaven feels quiet? In this episode of The Encouragement Well, Rachel Haywood leans into the tender and honest place many believers experience but do not always know how to talk about: the silence of God. When you have prayed for the answer, the healing, the breakthrough, the clarity, the door to open, or the burden to lift, it can be painful when nothing seems to change. But silence does not mean absence, and waiting does not mean God has forgotten you. Rooted in Psalm 13, Habakkuk 2:3, and Isaiah 30:18, this episode reminds you that God hears you even when heaven feels silent. Through the stories of Sarah, the woman with the issue of blood, and the widow of Zarephath, you will be encouraged to trust that God is still working in hidden places, still faithful in the waiting, and still able to bring life to what looks lost, delayed, or beyond repair. If you are in a quiet season, this episode is a reminder to keep praying honestly, keep holding onto God’s Word, keep worshiping before the answer, and keep trusting His heart even when you cannot hear Him clearly. Scriptures referenced: Psalm 13, Psalm 62:8, Habakkuk 2:3, Isaiah 30:18, Genesis 18:14, Mark 5:25–34, 1 Kings 17:17–24, Romans 8:26, Romans 8:28 Connect with The Encouragement Well on Instagram and Facebook for continued reflection, Scripture, and honest conversations rooted in faith. 00:00 Intro 01:57 When Heaven Feels Silent 04:41 Silence Doesn't Mean Absence 07:19 Biblical Examples of Waiting and Trusting 16:32 What to Do While You Wait 20:37 God is Still Working, Even When You Can't Hear Him Clearly 23:39 Closing Encouragement  25:45 Prayer 29:12 Outro

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