#137 Still Functioning Doesn’t Mean You’re Okay with Stephen M. Bell Artwork

Persistence in Prayer with Kylie Hein

Welcome to the Persistence in Prayer podcast — where Catholic women who feel scattered, stretched thin, and pulled in a million directions can stop overthinking, quiet the noise, and find peace in God’s presence.

Do you push through each day chasing productivity, yet feel like your soul is running on empty?

Do you long to pray with focus, but your mind spins with stress, decisions, and distractions?

Do you want clarity in your faith, but feel weighed down by pressure to be “the good one” or “get it right”?

You’re not alone.

Hosted by Catholic mindset coach, spiritual director, wife, mom, and speaker Kylie Hein, this podcast helps overwhelmed Catholic women clear the mental clutter and reclaim space for prayer, trust, and peace.

Each episode offers:

Simple Catholic prayer practices you can actually use in busy life
Real-life stories of women overcoming stress, perfectionism, and anxiety
Honest conversations about faith, surrender, and discernment
Tools rooted in Scripture, the saints, and Church teaching for peace of mind and soul

You’ll discover how to:

Pray when you feel distracted, stressed, or spiritually dry
Hear God’s voice in the middle of your busy schedule
Discern decisions with peace and confidence
Break free from perfectionism and self-reliance
Live with greater trust, surrender, and clarity of purpose

Whether you’re feeling spiritually stuck or longing to go deeper, there’s a place for you here.

It’s time to step out of the spiral, begin again, and experience the freedom that comes from persistence in prayer.

Because when your soul is ordered in God, your life becomes rooted in His peace.

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Persistence in Prayer with Kylie Hein

#137 Still Functioning Doesn’t Mean You’re Okay with Stephen M. Bell

January 13, 2026

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Have you ever been in a season where everything looks fine on the outside—but inside you’re exhausted, unraveling, and quietly wondering how much longer you can hold it together?

In this episode of Persistence in Prayer, I’m joined by Steven M. Bell, a Catholic convert, husband, and father, who shares his story of hidden addiction, control, and the slow unraveling that happens when we rely on performance instead of honesty. What makes this conversation so powerful isn’t shock value—it’s how familiar it feels.

Steven’s story opens a larger conversation about what happens when we cope instead of heal, when we function instead of surrender, and when we assume God must be tired of hearing the same struggle again.

This episode is for anyone who has ever:

kept going because you can, even though something inside you knows it isn’t sustainable
tried to manage pain quietly so no one else has to deal with it
believed that if you were stronger, holier, or more disciplined, things wouldn’t be this hard
wondered if God’s mercy really applies here—again

You’ll walk away with:

language for struggles that stay hidden because you’re still functioning
clarity on why trying harder doesn’t bring the freedom we’re actually longing for
insight into how control and coping can slowly replace trust
reassurance that God’s mercy does not shame you or grow impatient
encouragement to pray honestly—even when your words are messy or unfinished

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’ve gone too far, prayed about the same thing too many times, or should be “past this by now,” this conversation is for you.

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