Do you ever wonder if your life still has purpose when your season changes, your kids leave home, or your story doesn’t look the way you imagined? In this rich conversation, we explore how God’s “boundary lines” are actually His kindness—both in the joys and in the painful places. Come be reminded that in Christ, your inheritance is secure, your story is not over, and you can finish well.

Description
In this episode of Life as Worship, Angela talks with author, podcaster, and encourager of women, Kate Battistelli, about Psalm 16:5–8 and what it means to live within God’s good boundaries in every season of life. Together they unpack David’s declaration that the Lord is his “chosen portion” and the One who holds his lot, and they explore how that truth anchors us through anxiety, infertility, empty nests, grief, and unexpected life changes. Kate shares parts of her own story—from Broadway stages to homeschooling and from longing for more children to watching her daughter Francesca impact millions—and how God has met her in both bitter and sweet cups. If you’re wrestling with your purpose, your limits, or your future, this episode will help you see your life through the lens of God’s faithful presence and beautiful inheritance.

Episode Highlights

• How Psalm 16 shows us that God Himself is our portion, our cup, and the One who holds our lot—even when life feels anything but “pleasant.”
• Kate’s journey from Broadway actress to homeschooling mom and encourager of women, and how laying down one dream opened the door for a different, God-shaped calling.
• A tender conversation about inheritance: what we pass to our children in Christ now, and the secure, joyful inheritance waiting for us in eternity.
• Honest stories of infertility, anxiety, medical crises, and grief—and how God uses those boundary lines to deepen intimacy with Him and increase compassion for others.
• Practical encouragement to keep walking with God in this season: listening for His counsel, embracing your current assignment, and trusting that it’s never too late to obey and finish well.

Great Quotes

• “If I’m not conveying who He is and His love to others, what’s the point?”
• “We all have a cup to drink—some seasons are very sweet, and others you just say, ‘Really, Lord?’—but He’s the One who hands us the cup and holds our lot.”
• “God allows in His wisdom what He could prevent with His power.” – Graham Cooke
• “You can’t sit on the couch eating chips and watching Netflix—if you still have breath, God still has an assignment for you.”
• “If You never give me one more thing, You are enough.”

 
Resources Mentioned

• Psalm 16 
• 1 Peter 1:3–4 
• 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 
• 1 John 4:18 
• Kate Battistelli’s books (Amazon Affiliate Links, I will earn money for qualifying purchases):
  • The God Dare
  • Growing Great Kids
  • The After Party of the Empty Nest: Mom Is Not Your Only Name
• Mom to Mom Podcast (Kate as one of the co-hosts).
• Kate’s website: https://katebattistelli.com

Related Episodes

• Ep 31 – “Seeking First the Kingdom (with Natalie Harris)” 
• Ep 2 – “Living by the Spirit (with Cally Logan)” 
• Ep 50 – “Prayer: An Invitation to Release Worry (with Rachel Wojo)” 

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Feeling stuck in cycles of sugar, exhaustion, and “playing church”—and wondering if real joy and freedom are actually possible? In this episode, Christine Trimpe shares how God met her in the middle of morbid obesity, chronic health issues, and spiritual apathy and filled her heart with a deeper joy than food ever could through Psalm 4:7 and a surrendered life in His Word.

Description
Angela talks with Christine Trimpe, founder of the SugarFreed® Method and author of SugarFreed, about what it means to experience that “greater joy” in real life. Christine tells how a failed hike at Rocky Mountain National Park and a simple prayer (“God, I just want to feel better”) became the turning point God used to address not just her health, but her heart. As she began daily time in Scripture, passages like Psalm 4 and Ephesians 2 exposed her food idolatry and “cravings of the flesh” and invited her into repentance, surrender, and a new identity in Christ.

They discuss Psalm 4 as a psalm of confidence in the midst of trouble, the difference between happiness and biblical joy, and why joy and sorrow can coexist in a believer’s life. Christine shares her HEART acrostic (Handle emotions, Examine thoughts, Ask for motivation, Run with courage, Take action) as a simple way to think about heart transformation, and she explains how health stewardship can become an act of worship rather than shame. You’ll be encouraged to ask God to reveal your own strongholds, lay them down, and take one practical step toward a life where your heart is truly satisfied in Him.
 
Episode Highlights

• Psalm 4 as David’s example of holding hardship and confidence in God together—and choosing trust and rest.
• How Psalm 4:7 reframed “grain and new wine” as symbols of Christine’s old comfort in food versus new joy in God.
• The Rocky Mountain turning point: unable to finish a short climb, praying for help, then beginning with a sleep study and consistent Bible reading.
• Ephesians 2 exposing “cravings of the flesh” and food idolatry, and the shift from “casual Christian” to surrendered disciple.
• The HEART framework: Handle emotions, Examine thoughts, Ask for motivation, Run with courage, Take action.
• Strongholds beyond food: anything that entangles and keeps us from running the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1–3).

Great Quotes

• “The Book of Psalms is the human experience—promises, praise, and lament—that keeps reminding us who God is.”
• “For years I played casual Christian. I did all the right church things, but my heart was really quite dark.”
• “On that mountain I prayed, ‘God, I just want to feel better.’ I was worried about my health; He was more concerned about my heart.”
• “You can carry joy and sorrow in the same hand.”
• “Weight‑loss programs weren’t my solution. My heart had to change first.”

Resources Mentioned

• Scripture: Psalm 4 (especially verses 7–8); Ephesians 2:1–10; Hebrews 12:1–3; Genesis 12.
• Book: SugarFreed: Stop Losing the Weight Loss Battle, Start Gaining the Victory by Christine Trimpe. – Amazon Affiliate Link
• Free sample chapter: “Craving All the Wrong Things” at christinetrimpe.com (click “Start with a Sample”).

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Feeling like God might be calling you forward, but fear, pain, or “staying small” keeps you from stepping through the open gate? This episode with leadership coach Perdeta L. Bush dives into Isaiah 62:10 and invites you to walk through that gate with Jesus—for your restoration and for the sake of others.

Description
In the final episode of her Black History Month series, Angela welcomes Perdeta Bush, founder of PLB Consulting and doctoral student in Organizational Change and Leadership at USC. Together they unpack Isaiah 62:10 as a summons to step out of hiding, embrace your God‑given identity, and become someone who makes it easier for others to find their way back to God.

They talk about the difference between God’s correction and punishment, how we often filter God through our experiences with people, and why we crave opportunity but resist responsibility. Drawing from her own story of loss, transition, and turning 50, Perdeta shares how God told her to “stop hiding,” start making public declarations of His truth, and see fear as a stone to move—not a stop sign. This conversation will encourage you to take one honest, obedient step through the “gate of truth and surrender,” trusting that the Holy Spirit goes with you and will use your story to help someone else get to the other side.

Episode Highlights

• Angela and Perdeta frame Isaiah 62 as a restoration passage—God renaming, realigning, and publicly restoring His people after loss and delay.
• They unpack “pass through the gates” as urgent movement language: God calling us out of confinement, through thresholds of access and responsibility.
• “Build up the highway” and “clear away the stones” become images of discipleship and testimony—clearing obstacles like fear, lies, and old mindsets so others can move toward God.
• “Raise a banner for the peoples” points to visible, public witness that gathers, signals, and directs people back to Christ.
• Perdeta shares how God told her to stop hiding, move from private cheerleader to visible obedience, and see fear as a stumbling block to hand to Him, not a reason to quit.
• They describe the first gate as the “gate of truth and surrender”: telling God the real story, admitting dependence, and taking one concrete step of obedience with the Holy Spirit’s help.

Great Quotes

• “We lose our playfulness, right? ’Cause we think we’re being childish, but we know we’re supposed to be childlike.”
• “Anytime we engage with God’s Word, it’s gonna require a response. And even if we don’t respond, that’s still a response.”
• “God is exactly who He says He is, not who we think He is.”
• “You can’t have one without the other. We love the opportunity, but not the responsibility.”
• “People have to know not only that you care about them, but you care about their journey.”
• “God just doesn’t restore you for you. He restores you so you can help prepare the way.”
• “Gates aren’t crossed with feelings. They’re crossed with steps.”

Resources Mentioned

• Isaiah 62:10.
• Revelation 12:11.
• 1 John 4:18.
• 1 Peter 5:7 (alluded).

Related Episodes

• Walking by the Spirit (with Cally Logan) 
• Chosen to Produce Fruit (with Na’Kedra Rodgers) 
• God Delights in You (with Karen Dorsey)

Free Devotional & Newsletter
For ongoing encouragement to rethink your thinking and live all of life as worship, you can get a free devotional and regular updates from Angela by subscribing to the Life as Worship newsletter here.
 

Feeling the tension between Jesus’ call to love others and the painful realities of division, injustice, and misuse of power? This episode with Pastor Jackie Flake invites you into Philippians 2:1–8 to see how Christlike humility can reshape how we relate to one another—especially across racial, social, and political lines.

Description
Angela continues her Black History Month series with longtime friend and pastor Jackie Flake to walk through Philippians 2:1–8 and the call to an “other‑centered” life. They connect Paul’s words about the privilege of both believing in Christ and suffering with Him to Black history, systemic injustice, and everyday discipleship. Jackie draws on the example of Jesus, who laid aside status to serve and suffer, and on voices like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, who chose to enter into the suffering of others.
Together, Angela and Jackie talk about our temptation to avoid hard stories, the danger of dehumanizing language, and the importance of remembering that every person—friend or enemy, powerful or oppressed—is made in the image of God. Jackie shares how leading a diverse church and cultivating deep, diverse friendships has shown him that real love requires humility, proximity, and a willingness to listen. If you’ve struggled to love people who are different from you or who use their power poorly, this conversation will point you back to Jesus and invite you to a life of courageous, other‑centered humility.

Episode Highlights

• Angela and Jackie unpack Jesus “emptying Himself” by laying aside status to become a servant and obey to the point of death on a cross.
• Jackie connects Christ’s humility to historical figures who chose to suffer with others, including Dr. King, Bonhoeffer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman.
• They clarify that Christian unity is not sameness but having the same mindset and love in Christ across real differences.
• Jackie describes how pastoring a truly diverse church exposed how much humility is required when people’s backgrounds and stories differ.
• They talk about our default self‑centeredness—not plotting harm, but simply not considering others—and how that shapes our responses to injustice.
• Jackie references Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and “The Drum Major Instinct” to show how the desire to be first and central resists humility.
• They explore curiosity that is rooted in humility (wanting to understand a person’s story) versus curiosity that is just about consumption.
• Angela and Jackie emphasize the foundational truth that every human being bears God’s image and deserves dignity, even when their actions are sinful or harmful.
• They discuss how dehumanizing language paves the way to treat people as problems to be removed rather than image‑bearers to be honored.
• Jackie names the place for righteous anger and active resistance to injustice while still seeing oppressors as accountable image‑bearers, not monsters.
• They highlight that love requires proximity—getting close enough to see, listen, and be moved, not just holding opinions from a distance.
• Jackie shares how diverse, Jesus‑centered friendships have deepened his empathy and respect as he hears stories he never would have assumed.
• He sums up the call of Philippians 2 as a life of Christlike other‑centeredness that looks like loss now but leads to resurrection and glory.
• Jackie closes by praying for listeners to be empowered by the Spirit to live this other‑centered, humble way of Jesus.

Great Quotes

• “We don’t like suffering, and we sure don’t like suffering with others if we can avoid it.”
• “Unity is not uniformity.”
• “The more different people are, the more humility is required.”
• “Most of us aren’t out to get the other person. We just don’t consider them at all.”
• “Love has to be demonstrated in proximity.”
• “Arrogant people are the most ignorant people because arrogant people refuse to listen to anybody else.”

Resources Mentioned

• Scripture
  • Philippians 1:29–30
  • Philippians 2:1–8
  • Genesis 1:26–27
  • Deuteronomy 6:5 (alluded)
  • 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8
  • Mark 10:45
• Historical figures/works
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – “Letter from Birmingham Jail”; “The Drum Major Instinct.”
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
  • Sojourner Truth.
  • Harriet Tubman.
  • Mahatma Gandhi (influence on non‑violence).

Related Episodes

• Even When It Looks Like It’s Over (with Laura Acuna) 
• Grace That Overcomes Our Brokenness (with Julie Sanders on Romans 5:20–21) 
• Running with Endurance (with Dr. Whit Jordan on Hebrews 12:1–2) 
• The Lord My Rock and Deliverer (with Shelley Picard on Psalm 18:2)

 
Free Devotional & Newsletter
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Feeling worn down by division, disappointment, or your own failures—and wondering if God’s love might finally give out on you? This episode takes you deep into Romans 8:31–39 to remind you that if God is for you, no one and nothing gets the last word over your life.

Description

Angela sits down with author, speaker, and dear friend Christina Custodio to unpack Romans 8:31–39 and what it really means that “nothing… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” They talk about what it looks like to cling to that truth in a hard personal season, how God’s love steadies us in a divided and often harsh culture, and why understanding “God is for us” changes the way we see ourselves, our neighbors, and people who are different from us. As a woman of color, Christina shares honestly about feeling “against,” confronting her own biases, and learning to love others from the security of being unconditionally loved by God.

Episode Highlights

• Context for Romans 8: Paul’s sweeping reminder to believers (Jew and Gentile) that there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, and that God Himself has justified and adopted them.

• “If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” – why God’s verdict over us cancels every accusation, shame, and self-condemnation, even when circumstances scream the opposite.

• What suffering doesn’t mean: trouble, persecution, hunger, danger, and even death are not signs that God has stopped loving us; they are places where His love holds us fast.

• Christina’s perspective as a woman of color in a “predominantly white world”: feeling unseen or “against,” even by people who genuinely love her, and how this passage anchors her identity beyond any group, platform, or party.

• Hard but necessary heart work:
  • Confronting prejudice and bias—even against people who look like her.

  • Naming the ways we dehumanize others with “those people” language.

  • Learning to condemn sin and injustice without condemning entire groups made in God’s image.

• Loving like the God who loves us: why “Jesus did all the work,” how that frees us from trying to earn His love by being “against” the right things, and how His unconditional love empowers us to speak truth wrapped in kindness instead of pride.

Great Quotes

• “Our security is not in a group of people or a country or a platform; it is in God. If He is for us, then no one who is against us gets the final word.”

• “There is no such thing as ‘I’ll get my life together first, then I’ll come to God.’ He loves the real, tired, messy us—and He’s the One who does the restoring.”

• “Love changes people. Condemnation doesn’t.”

• “If Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world, why do we think it’s our job?”

Scripture

• Romans 8:31–39 

• John 3:17 

Connect with Christina

• Website: christinacustodio.com

• Book: When God Changed His Mind – Christina’s story of her son’s near-death experience and how God used it to launch a ministry of joy, faith, and hope. *Amazon Affiliate link

Related Episodes

• “Gentleness and Respect: A Guide for Conversations” – practical wisdom for speaking truth with a spirit of gentleness and honor, even in hard or divisive topics.​

• “God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding” – how God brings order and restoration out of chaos, especially after loss or disruption.​

• “Prayer: An Invitation to Release Worry” – an episode about bringing anxiety and fear to God in honest prayer and learning to rest in His care.​

Free Devotional & Newsletter

If you’re craving ongoing encouragement to rethink your thinking and live all of life as worship, you can get a free devotional and regular updates from Angela by subscribing to the Life as Worship newsletter here:
https://eepurl.com/h3Nafz

Feeling like your story has wandered far from where you thought God would take you—and wondering if it’s even worth trying to come back? This episode walks with you into that question through the story of Naomi and Ruth.

Description
Angela kicks off a special Black History Month series with her friend, author and Bible teacher Tika McCoy, to explore Ruth 1:7 and what it means to “leave the place where you’ve been living” and return to God when life has fallen apart. Through Naomi’s journey from fullness to emptiness and back to joy, and through Tika’s own story of loss, divorce, and renewed faith, they talk about leaving bitterness, wrong beliefs, and misplaced hopes—and turning back to the God who restores.

Episode Highlights

• The setting of Ruth: chaos in the days of the judges, famine in Judah, and Naomi’s family moving to Moab, a land of false gods, in search of provision.
  Why Naomi’s losses (husband, both sons, security, and future) would have left her socially and economically vulnerable as a widowed woman with widowed daughters-in-law.
• The turning point of Ruth 1:6–7: Naomi hears that God has visited His people with food and chooses to return to Judah, even while bitter enough to say, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Mara.”
  How Naomi remains faithful in her bitterness—teaching Ruth about gleaning, about God’s law, and about the kinsman-redeemer—and how that faithfulness opens the door for Boaz and, ultimately, the lineage of Jesus.
• Tika’s personal “Naomi moment”: sitting angry in a church pew after loss, grief, and divorce; realizing she couldn’t fix her life first and then come to God; and choosing instead to “leave Moab” spiritually and return to Him as she was.
• The slow, surprising ways God restored: learning to live alone, travel alone, and experience Jesus as constant love and companion—even without the marriage, motherhood, or grandchildren she once imagined.
• A key takeaway: you don’t have to wait until you feel less angry, less broken, or more “put together” to come back to God. Return now. He can handle your honesty, and He delights to restore what you thought was beyond repair.

Key Scripture

• Ruth 1:7 
• Ruth 1:20–21

Great Quotes

• “Naomi returned to God bitter and empty—but she returned. That’s what changed everything.”
• “There is no such thing as ‘I’ll get my life together first, then I’ll come to God.’ He is the One who does the restoring.”
• “I wasn’t leaving a physical land, but I was leaving anger, shame, and the belief that I would never be loved again.”

 
Connect with Tika McCoy

• Website & Newsletter: tikamccoy.com – monthly newsletter, encouragement, and updates.
• Books – affiliate links:
  • Broken Clay: Finding Renewal in the Potter’s Hand
  • Trust God: Five Characteristics for Christian Living
  • Contributions: Devotional anthologies including El Roi: The God Who Sees and Glimpses of God’s Banquet Table.

Free Devotional & Newsletter
For ongoing encouragement to rethink your thinking and live all of life as worship, you can get a free devotional and regular updates from Angela by subscribing to the Life as Worship newsletter here.
 

Feeling caught between longing for deep joy and living in circumstances that don’t feel joyful at all? This episode walks right into that tension with Psalm 16:11 and the lived wisdom of bestselling author and speaker Carol Kent.
 
Description
 
Angela and Carol unpack Psalm 16:11 and explore how to experience God’s joy when life is painful, uncertain, or very ordinary. Through stories of calling, long obedience, and walking with her sister through stage‑four cancer, Carol shares how God reveals His path, how His presence brings real (not pretend) joy, and how eternity reshapes the way we see today.
 
Episode Highlights

• Why Psalm 16:11 became a life verse for Carol when she was desperate to know God’s will and not “waste her life.”
• How God makes His “path of life” known in everyday faithfulness instead of a tiny moving “dot” you’re afraid to miss.
• Practicing God’s presence: unhurried morning coffee with Jesus, praying with “eyes wide open,” and turning ordinary encounters (even in prison visitation rooms) into moments of worship.
• Joy in sorrow: walking with her sister through terminal cancer while anticipating the “welcome committee” in heaven and clinging to the promise of “pleasures forevermore.”
• The “already and not yet” of joy—tasting God’s pleasure now as you use your gifts for Him, and knowing that joy will “explode” in eternity when you see Jesus face to face.

Quotes

• “True joy is found in God’s presence, not in our circumstances.”
• “God is not trying to hide His will under a rock somewhere—He actively reveals the path of life as we seek Him.”
• “Look in the rearview mirror of your life and notice the marker moments where God led you—you’ll see He’s been faithful all along.”
• “When we find our niche and use it for kingdom glory, everything else just doesn’t compare.”

Scriptures Mentioned

• Psalm 16:11 
• Psalm 16:1

Resources & Ways to Connect

• Carol’s Website & Books: carolkent.org – including When I Lay My Isaac Down, He Holds My Hand, Staying Power, Tame Your Fears.
• Speak Up Conference: Training for Christian speakers, writers, and leaders.
• Speak Up for Hope: Nonprofit serving inmates and their families.

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Philippians 4:4-5 ESV

It is a constant throbbing pain. Some days I “feel” every bone in my ankles, fingers, and wrists. It is exhausting and depressing.

So when I come to Philippians 4:4 and Paul is saying rejoice, I kinda want to kick him in the face. Forgive me, I do have a martial arts background and there was something cathartic about doing a high round kick to a bag.

Seriously rejoicing in the Lord sounds a bit unreasonable. I mean I hurt, everywhere, and I need to rejoice?

At least he didn’t tell me to rejoice in the pain. He said rejoice in the Lord. And that makes a difference because even in the reality of mysterious health issues (my pain) or the stress of finances or relationship tension, God is able to do more than we ask or imagine. He is still good, faithful, loving, powerful, and He has a plan to work all things together for my good.

So no matter my circumstances, I can rejoice in the Lord. Always. I just need to remember a few things.

First when I rejoice in the Lord despite my circumstances, I may still hurt and feel exhausted and hate how I feel. But I can decide to trust God in and through the difficult time.

When I do that I do not react from my pain, but I can respond with patience and be reasonable. I can…I have to decide to partner with the Holy Spirit to do it, but I can. So I need to remember to respond.

Finally tucked away at the end of verse five is a truth that is easy to miss. One that we read over so fast that we miss its importance. “The Lord is near.”

Do you remember a time when just knowing that a particular person, specifically one who had strength or wisdom or power that you did not have, changed how you felt? I was afraid of the dark as a child, but when my mom or dad came into the room, even if they never turned on the light, I knew I was fine.

Similarly knowing the Lord is near is reason for me to rejoice even in the pain. He sees me, He has not forgotten me, He has plans to work all the things that seem nonsensical into good. I cannot fathom the depths of His love and power and goodness. So I must remember He is near.

So it is for us all…The Lord is near, so in His power we can be reasonable and we can rejoice in Him…always.

For more discussion about Philippians 4:4-5 check out this podcast episode.

How can rejoicing in God help overcome anxiety?
 
In this episode of Life as Worship, Angela talks with Dr. Gladys Childs—pastor’s wife, author, former religion professor, “boy mom,” and host of the TV show Bare Faith, where raw faith and deep pain meet a relentless God. Together they unpack Philippians 4:4–5 and explore what it really means to “rejoice in the Lord always,” to let gentleness be evident to all, and to cling to the nearness of God in seasons of anxiety, grief, and uncertainty.
 
Episode Highlights

• In chapter 4, Paul moves into a string of tender commands—“rejoice,” “let your gentleness be evident,” “do not be anxious”—showing that the Christian life is not denial of pain but defiant faith rooted in an unchanging God.
• Rejoicing vs. happiness:
• Happiness depends on what’s happening; it rises and falls with circumstances.
• Joy is anchored in who God is—His unchanging goodness, faithfulness, and presence—so it can exist in the middle of prison, grief, caregiving, and long seasons that “do not let up.”
• Practical rejoicing: Gladys describes being naturally anxious and control‑oriented, and how anxiety pulls her into “I have to fix this.” Learning to pause, tell God the truth about her fear, and remind herself “the Lord is near” begins to loosen anxiety’s grip and re-center her on communion with God rather than control.

Great Quotes from the Episode

• “Happiness reacts to the moment, but joy responds with truth.”
• “Whatever the worst thing is that we can imagine, the last thing is never the worst thing when Christ is part of it.”
• “When I wallow, I go down a deep dark hole and start making decisions I shouldn’t. Rejoicing redirects my attention from ‘I must control this’ to communion with God.”
• “Our witness is so much bigger than we can ever imagine. In the difficult times, when we’re really in tune with God and gentle with others, we make the most powerful witnesses for Christ.”
• “Life is for the living. God doesn’t want you stuck in grief forever; He wants you rejoicing in what He gave and resting in where your loved ones are now.”

Scriptures Mentioned

• Philippians 4:4–5 
• Philippians 4:6–9 
• Lamentations 3 

Connect with Dr. Gladys Childs

• Website & Resources: gladyschilds.com – learn more about Bare Faith, her books, speaking, and free tools to help you confront lies and live in God’s truth.

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In this episode of Life as Worship, Angela is joined by her longtime friend, author and prayer mentor Rachel Wojo to explore Philippians 4:6–7 and what it really looks like to move from worry to prayer. Rachel shares how prayer became her lifeline through miscarriage, raising a medically fragile daughter, and eventually saying goodbye when her daughter graduated to heaven after 22 years. Together they unpack Paul’s command to “not worry about anything,” why “the Lord is near” changes everything, and how gratitude, honest lament, and praying God’s promises help believers experience the peace of God that guards hearts and minds in Christ.

Episode Highlights

• The importance of the phrase “The Lord is near” just before verse 6: if God’s presence surrounds us, we don’t have to manufacture peace or carry life alone.
• How gratitude rewires our thinking: when we actively thank God “in every circumstance and situation,” we can’t focus on worry and thanksgiving at the same time, and our hearts become more aware of God’s daily provision.
• Why God is often more interested in changing hearts than changing circumstances—and how heart transformation can come before anything in life actually looks different.
• Moving from “Why, God?” to “Show me how You’re working”: changing the question so we can see how God shows up and “shows off” in ways we might otherwise miss.
• Practical encouragement on praying both our problems and God’s promises, trusting that He loves to keep His word and that His peace can stand guard over our hearts even when outcomes don’t match our expectations.

Great Quotes from the Episode

• “Small things can bring much joy.”
• “If Paul could write this from a dank, dark prison with his life at stake, surely I can learn to follow the pattern he lays out.”
• “We cannot simultaneously be worried and thankful at the same time—our brains will not allow that focus.”
• “God is always more interested in changing hearts than He is in changing circumstances.”
• “You can look at that sunshine and wish you were outside, or you can be thankful for the sunshine that’s coming through the window.”
• “When we pray the promises of God, we are affirming to ourselves: this is what I believe about the God I serve.”
• “Will I recognize the miracle God is doing if it looks differently than what I have pictured it?”

Scriptures Mentioned

• Philippians 4:4–9 
• Philippians 1:21 
• James 1:17 

Related Episodes

• Episode 30 with Shelley Picard – Trusting God: Our Rock and Refuge
• Episode 23 with Lisa Granger – Our Source of Living Water: God’s Presence
• Episode 13 with Kristi Lowe – How to Reap Joy When We Sow in Tears
• Episode 4 with Sara Cormany – Anticipating God’s Goodness on Earth

Connect with Rachel

• Website: rachelwojo.com
  • Free Prayer Class: desperateprayers.com – “How to Be a Prayer Warrior for Your Family in Dark Times” (helps shift from being a worrier to being a prayer warrior).
• Books:
  • Desperate Prayers
  • Additional forthcoming books on prayer and her “three-word prayers” approach.

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