When anxiety hits me, few things can reach my heart like prayer. That seems to be the case for two reasons:

It’s a moment when I get to remind myself of what is eternal because part of anxiety, for me at least, is struggling to grasp a sound mind and being rational.

The other part is not being able to grasp what is rational even though I may know it in my head because anxiety can be very physical. Breaking through this is only possible when I invite the Lord in. Today, I thought I’d share some of the verses like to turn to.

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• 15 verses to pray through anxiety blog post

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Heidi Lee Anderson is a writer, speaker, and stay-at-home mom. After being diagnosed with cancer, Heidi’s fuel is now to make sure that Christ-followers realize, know, and claim the sure promises God offers—in the mundane, amid the heartache, and on top of the highest mountains. She is the author of P.S. It’s Gonna Be Good releasing April 4, 2023, and currently available for pre-order.

Heidi’s Website | Heidi’s Instagram

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

If prayer is talking to God and listening to God, then what happens during that time could change the trajectory of every decision we make throughout the day, every conversation we have, whether we stop and serve a friend or stranger in need, what thoughts take root in our mind, the attitudes we carry and so much more. 

We make roughly 35,000 decisions a day. 

Can you imagine if even a fraction of those were decided out of prayer? 

In today’s episode, I’ll give you some practical examples of how I pray, talk about how we can make prayer a reality in our day-to-day and share some resources that can help you make it happen.

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• A Month in the Life of a Prayer from the blog
• Prayer Group Leader’s Guide 
• 30-Minute prayer method
• Pray Confidently and Consistently by Valerie Woerner 
• Developing a Fluency in Prayer Course

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Kara Bryant has worked with Val Marie Paper for the past 5.5 years, primarily as an Integrator. She lives in West Texas with her husband and two little ones.

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 8:12 Kara’s current prayer routine
• 15:15 What is a lifestyle of prayer?
• 24:05 How do we cultivate a lifestyle of prayer?
• 30:00 What does a lifestyle of prayer look like?
• 35:02 The biggest challenges in Kara’s prayer life
• 46:00 Kara’s recent answered prayers
• 49:41 How prayer was modeled for Kara

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Springboard Prayers by Valerie Woerner
• Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt
• A Heart Exposed by Steven James
• Prayer Journal by Val Marie Paper
• Led, Not Driven by Valerie Woerner
• Developing a Fluency in Prayer Course
• Adagio Evening Prayer Journal
• Pray Confidently and Consistently by Valerie Woerner

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more! 

Is screen time a problem? Join our Retro Prayer Life Challenge!

The concept is simple, trade one hour a day on your phone for one hour in prayer. We're joining together to unbury our best prayer life from all the distractions (especially screens!) in our way. Sign up HERE + get a free sample of the challenge that starts January 23rd!

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker, host of the Happy Home podcast, and author of several books including Parents Rising, 31 Days to a Happy Husband and Screen Kids. Arlene has been featured on the Today Show, Fox & Friends, the Wall Street Journal and Focus on the Family. Arlene lives in San Diego with her husband James and their three children.  To learn more, visit her website at ArlenePellicane.com and check out her masterclasses at HappyHomeUniversity.com 

Arlene's Instagram | Arlene's Website

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Arlene’s books
• Screen Kids film

Is screen time a problem? Join our Retro Prayer Life Challenge!

The concept is simple, trade one hour a day on your phone for one hour in prayer. We're joining together to unbury our best prayer life from all the distractions (especially screens!) in our way. Sign up HERE + get a free sample of the challenge that starts January 23rd!

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Today, we’re taking a new approach to the solo episodes for the podcast. We’ve done tons of how to’s to practically help prayer happen in your life but now we want to start tackling some questions you might wrestle with about prayer. 

So today we’re going to start with asking if we can pray wrong prayers. And if so, does God ever give us what we want even if it’s wrong? And if so, how do we have any confidence coming to God if we fear messing up? 

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Amy Gannett is a writer and Bible teacher passionate about equipping Christians to study the Bible through The Bible Study Schoolhouse. She is also the founder of Tiny Theologians, a line of discipleship tools for children. Amy and her husband, Austin, are church planters in Eastern North Carolina. You can read more from her on her blog and follow her on Instagram.

Amy's Instagram | Tiny Theologians Website

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 3:20 Amy’s prayer routine
• 10:30 How she physically prays
• 15:30 What is theology?
• 22:40 How does theology affect how we pray
• 26:30 Truths we should know about God for prayer
• 35:00 What room is there for mystery as we pray?
• 40:00 The biggest “no” Amy’s received
• 44:45 How prayer was modeled growing up
• 47:30 How Amy wants to grow in prayer

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Fix Your Eyes by Amy Gannett
• Prayer Journals by Val Marie Paper

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Today, we’re covering 6 specific things we can add to our prayer journals when it comes to work. Plus, I’m adding in a 7th for business owners. No matter what kind of work you do, whether it’s in the home or out of the home, this is for you!

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more! 

Michelle loves reminding women of the gospel-centered purpose for their work - both at home and in their careers. She serves alongside her husband, James, at Biltmore Church in Asheville, NC and loves making family memories with their three kids - Noah, Cole and Shea. She co-leads a ministry for working women called She Works His Way with her best friend, Somer Phoebus. Their book, She Works His Way: A Practical Guide to Do What Matters Most in a Get Things Done World is a great first step to connect with the SWHW mission. You can also join their network at sheworksHisway.com. 

Michelle's Instagram | She Works His Way Website

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 3:30 Michelle’s prayer routine
• 9:30 What to pray for our work
• 20:30 How we can rethink our usual prayers
• 22:00 A practical prayer tip
• 28:00 How not to get ahead of God

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• She Works His Way by Michelle Myers and Somer Phoebus
• Famous in Heaven and at Home by Michelle Myers
• Prayer Journal by Val Marie Paper
• Conversational Commentary on Ecclesiastes by Michelle Myers

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Last week, I had Jordan Raynor on the podcast talking about how to redeem our time in prayer. I started thinking about some practical tools to help redeem your time in prayer but many, we’ve shared throughout previous how to’s and ultimately there was one idea that stood out about the rest. 

The best way to redeem our time in prayer is to understand what we’re doing when we pray. 

Allow me to unpack that super vague and maybe obvious statement.

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. He does this through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), podcast (Mere Christians), and weekly devotional (The Word Before Work)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth.

In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush.

A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.

Jordan’s Instagram | Jordan’s Website

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 4:00 Jordan’s prayer routine
• 6:40 How to combat feelings of failure in prayer
• 8:30 How Jordan prays in his life
• 11:50 What it means to be intentional in life
• 16:00 How we redeem our time in prayer
• 21:05 Jordan’s biggest answered prayer
• 25:30 Jordan’s biggest “no” in prayer
• 29:30 Where Jordan learned to pray
• 32:15 How Jordan wants to grow in prayer

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Redeeming Your Time by Jordan Raynor
• Val Marie Paper prayer journals
• Prayer by Timothy Keller

Health anxiety can feel as common as breathing. Underneath every new sensation in the body is the question, “Could that be serious?” There’s no twitch, sharp pain or symptom that doesn’t cause a bit of uneasiness if only under the surface. It’s hard to be naturally joyful when that headache feels “different” today like it could be a brain aneurysm or something else serious. It’s hard to be optimistic when you feel like a magnetic charge is pulling you to every disease or disorder. 

The Lord has taken me on an incredible journey through health anxiety. I’ve conquered many of the things that used to stress me out, like that side pain that lasts a few days, or the blurry vision that’s just a result of a dry contact. I’ve graduated to a new level of learning to trust God through longer term health issues that seem to have no concrete explanation.

Today, I wanted to share how I pray for health anxiety in hopes it will help you too, but I also hope what I share will help those who know someone with it so I can maybe put into words this struggle.

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more! 

Jaime lives in Southcentral Alaska with her husband, three children, one black lab and two lizards.

She is an award-winning Christian author as well as the content producer and co-host of the Praying Christian Women podcast. You’ll often find her camping with family and friends during the fleeting Alaskan summer, while winters are spent as a full-time hockey mom of three.

Jaime enjoys roasting and drinking coffee, and is attempting to become an expert at latte art (it’s not as easy as it looks!). She enjoys listening to audio books or podcasts while doing housework, but otherwise cannot multi-task to save her life.

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 2:30 Jaime’s current prayer routine
• 5:15 How Jaime prays
• 8:30 What is health anxiety?
• 16:15 How prayer impacted her health anxiety
• 23:20 Where Jaime is at now with her journey
• 29:00 A starting place when anxious about health
• 38:00 The biggest obstacles in Jaime’s prayer life
• 44:00 How Jaime longs to grow in her prayer life

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Jaime’s article on health anxiety
• Praying Christian Women podcast

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

If I’m honest, I want to believe that God will heal every person who has enough faith. In my book, “I’ve got the faith, so bring on the healing.” But as I’ve read Scripture, I’ve come to the conclusion that healing these earthly bodies is not something God has promised us. And the more I’ve studied, the less that scares me and the more I see the purpose in it. 

Today, I want to share with you what I have learned about praying for something as complicated as healing. 

Scripture mentioned in today’s episode: 

• Psalm 139:14 - I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
• James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
• James 1:2-4 - Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
• Romans 8:6 - For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
• Proverbs 4:23 - Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
• 1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
• 2 Corinthians 4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
• 1 Peter 4:1 - Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
• Isaiah 26:3 - You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more! 

Our spiritual and physical lives are deeply connected, but how and why does it matter? Val chats with functional nutritionals Meredyth Fletcher of Karpos Wellness about the science behind this connection, how we can practically pray over our bodies and health. 

Karpos Wellness is a creative and innovative approach towards holistic health with an emphasis on nutrient-dense whole foods as a foundation towards physical and emotional healing

Meredyth’s Website | Meredyth’s Instagram

Highlights from today’s episode:

• 3:25 Meredyth’s current prayer routine
• 7:00 How our spiritual life and physical health relate
• 15:20 Praying for alignment in our bodies
• 23:40 How do we not idolize our health
• 29:00 Involving others in praying for your health
• 33:40 Encouragement when struggling with health
• 39:12 Why we may not experience immediate healing

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val has a book on prayer! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

Want to know a secret? You're not the only one struggling to make prayer a priority. We hear it all the time and we've been there ourselves. Distracted, bored, just another to-do, is how we've heard prayer times described before. You too? I created our 30 minute prayer method when I, too, knew there was more that I wanted to be experiencing in my prayer life. This downloadable PDF details the simple 6-part system that's rejuvenated my commitment to pray daily and made me expectant for what God might do with each prayer time I give him. Imagine that, waking up excited and ready to pray each morning!

30 minute prayer method PDF:

https://valmariepaper.com/method

Prayer in a Noisy World Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

Prayer Journal Shop:

https://shop.valmariepaper.com/

Not sure where to start? This short prayer will guide you into a thoughtful prayer for your children.

• Reflect on this statement: God loves our kids more than we ever could. 
• Confess focusing more on our kids’ comfort than their holiness.
• Praise God for a joy and hope not dependent on circumstances.
• Lift up each child by name and what they are facing right now.

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• The Blog at Val Marie Paper
• Val’s Monthly Peptalk

I hope you have enjoyed these short prayers! If you haven’t listened to them all, scroll back and you’ll find 20 prayers for different topics and needs. 

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val’s new book on prayer is now available! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

This is one of those things that we know we can do more of, but besides just forgetting to do it, it’s also hard to know what things to pray for. We either drill down on that one big thing that seems to overwhelm their lives right now, or we think of a million possible things to pray for and get paralyzed. 

Today, I hope to share a few tips that remove the paralysis and add some vibrancy to our prayers for our kids. 

Things mentioned in today’s episode: 

• How to teach your kids to pray by Valerie Woerner
• A practical method for teaching your kids to pray by Valerie Woerner
• Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodie Berndt
• The Prayer Saturated Family by Cheryl Sacks
• Prayer Saturated Kids by Cheryl Sacks
• Prayer Journal by Val Marie Paper
• Kid’s Legacy Prayer Journal

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val’s new book on prayer is now available! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!

We long to leave a lasting impression on our kids, but when we partner with the Lord in prayer, it’s actually possible! Val visits with Laura Wifler of Risen Motherhood about her own personal prayer life as well as how she’s prayed for and seen God work in the life of her kids. You’ll walk away from this conversation feeling encouraged that prayer makes a difference, even if it’s not exactly visible from the start.

Laura Wifler is the co-founder of Risen Motherhood and serves as the executive director and co-host of the podcast. She is the co-author of the bestselling book, Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope For Everyday Moments and the author of the children's book, Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer. Laura, her husband, and her three children live in central Iowa.

Laura's Website | Laura's Instagram

Highlights from today’s episode:

• [2:20] Laura’s current prayer routine
• [7:20] How Laura prays for her kids
• [12:09] Praying for the spiritual lives of our kids
• [17:30] The difficulty of trusting God with our kids
• [21:30] The biggest prayers Laura prays for her kids
• [26:00] Laura’s biggest answered prayer
• [38:35] How prayer was modeled for Laura as a child
• [41:18] How Laura wants to grow in her prayer life

Things mentioned in today’s episode:

• Risen Motherhood by Laura Wifler and Emily Jensen
• Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer by Laura Wifler
• Prayer Journal by Val Marie Paper

Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? 

Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! 

Val’s new book on prayer is now available! 

Go to valmariepaper.com/pray to order Pray Confidently and Consistently, get our no-fail leader’s guide and more!