Encouraging You to Find Peace in Togetherness and Prayer

Give us five minutes, we'll  give you encouragement!

Transcript

00:07 - Heather (Host)
Thank you so much for listening to your encouraging five-minute podcast. We're Eric and Heather and we are honored to share the next five minutes with you. 

00:14 - Eric (Host)
Yeah, just give you some encouragement to lift your day, to get you to the next step. That's what it's all about. By the way, at the end of the podcast, if you need more encouragement, oh, easy peasy. 

00:23 - Heather (Host)
You can download the WPER app or you can enable the WPER skill on your smart speaker. 

00:28 - Eric (Host)
Looking for every way to encourage you, because we know what life throws at us. If you're feeling drained right now, or weary there have been days where I just feel weary, that's the word for me yeah or, like you, just don't have enough strength to keep going, then take a deep breath. Let's chat a little bit here. 

00:45 - Heather (Host)
Yep, because life has a way of making us feel like we're running on empty right, Like we are being over-scheduled as a badge of honor. 

00:53 - Eric (Host)
And maybe you're carrying the weight of responsibilities and when you think about responsibilities and weight, like a lot of responsibilities are just small things, yeah, but if each one weighs five pounds and you've got you put them all in that backpack. 

01:07 - Heather (Host)
Is that what you're saying you? 

01:08 - Eric (Host)
do the math. Now you're carrying 50 pounds of responsibility or more Right. 

01:12 - Heather (Host)
Triple that amount. 

01:14 - Eric (Host)
But, yeah, maybe you're carrying that weight of unanswered prayer, silent battles. No one else sees. You feel distant from God, like your faith is running low, which can happen when you get weary. We've been there and if that's where you are today, I want you to know this God is still with you. Even in your weakest moments. He has not left your side. 

01:33 - Heather (Host)
No, no, no, no, never. Psalm 34, 18 even tells us that the Lord is close to people like us who are brokenhearted, and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. So, eric and I are going to tell you something very real and very hopeful. God isn't watching from a distance. He's near to you. He is near to you right now, in your exhaustion, in your crushed spirit, in your tears, in your doubts. He sees you struggling and he is not disappointed in you and he has not abandoned you. He wants to lift you up. 

02:04 - Eric (Host)
It's good to be seen, isn't it, by the creator of the universe. So what do you do when you feel like you have nothing left? Well, first, lean into God, get closer to him, even if all you can say is Lord, help me, one of the most powerful prayers. You can pray. That is a powerful prayer. Lord, help me, he hears you. You can pray, that is a powerful prayer. Lord, help me, he hears you, he sees you. Second, don't isolate yourself. 

02:28 - Heather (Host)
Oh gosh, and that's easy to want to do, isn't? 

02:30 - Eric (Host)
it. Yeah, the enemy wants you to feel alone, like this is all you. You're in it alone. Nobody's coming to save you. Right, listen? You are not meant to carry life's burdens all by yourself. That's not how we're designed. 

02:42 - Heather (Host)
No, no, no. We're designed to be in community, so talk to somebody, either a friend or a mentor, somebody that can remind you of the truth of your value, that God loves you and he's with you when you forget those things. 

02:57 - Eric (Host)
A third thing you can do is take small steps, rest, and we talk about rest so often, but do we do it? 

03:04 - Heather (Host)
Right, that's the biggest problem. Oh, I know I should rest, and then tonight it's like I'm Googling at midnight how tall was Jesus? 

03:12 - Eric (Host)
Do something that fills your soul. Yeah, when you get those moments, read scripture, take a walk, listen to worship music or just simply be in God's presence. Yes, you know, be still Right For a minute. A great place to get great worship music. Of course we know through WPER, virginia's home for encouragement, and if you're not in the listening area, you can actually enable the WPER skill on your smart speaker or head over to WPERorg. 

03:39 - Heather (Host)
You could download the app there to get that encouragement that you might need, and you can even listen at WPERorg. And before we go, I'd love to just pray for you, especially if you've come here looking for encouragement and feeling like you're running on empty. Lord, for every person listening who feels weak and weary, I pray that you would fill them with your strength. I pray that you would fill them with your strength, even when they feel they have absolutely nothing left. Show them that you are more than enough, that you are with them, wrap them in your love and remind them that they're not alone, that you see them, that they are treasured and valued and loved, and it's only in your holy name we pray. Amen. 

04:25 - Eric (Host)
Keep holding on. You are seen by a holy God and he's still working on your behalf, even when you don't see it. 

04:34 - Heather (Host)
Yep. So now, if this episode has encouraged you, can we encourage you to share it with someone who might need to hear this encouragement? 

04:43 - Eric (Host)
And remember anytime you need encouragement. Our five minutes is about up here, but you can always listen to WPER for more encouragement, more hope. Who doesn't have room for that in their life? You can tune into Virginia's Home for Encouragement and if you're outside the listening area, you can download the WPER app or even listen online. Yep at wperorg.