Faith, Burnout and the Future of the DGLP Podcast | S2E10

In this bonus episode of the Dear God Lettuce Pray podcast, Santana sits down for a real conversation about the heart behind the podcast, and why this show ultimately belongs to Christ.

She shares honestly about burnout, spiritual resistance, and the responsibility of stewarding a faith-based podcast with care. This episode is a transparent check-in about calling, obedience, consistency, and trusting God to provide the means, support and provision needed to keep building. 

This episode also gives listeners a look at what is coming next. Starting in May 2026, the DGLP podcast begins a new monthly series format, starting with a powerful series on the false gods mentioned in the Bible. Each month will include a three-part series and one storytelling episode designed to bring Scripture, history, and real-life reflection together.

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Social Media (Instagram) : @deargodlettucepray 

Transcript

Santana 0:01

Hey y'all. Welcome back to another episode of the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. I wanted to come on here today and just talk for a minute. Um, this is not one of my usual deep dive episodes where we unpack a passage from the beginning to end or walk through a full biblical story together. I really just wanted to check in because I know that I did not put out an episode recently or the week before that, and I did not want to just let that pass without saying anything. I've been thinking a lot about this podcast lately, like where it is and where I believe it is going, what God has placed on my heart concerning it, and how I need to handle it moving forward. The first thing I want to say is this God gets all the glory for the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast. Like every single episode, every idea, every person who listens, and every time someone tells me that this show made them go back and read the Bible for themselves, I give all that glory to God. I know this podcast is not powerful because of me. I know that it is powerful because God's word is alive, and I am trying to be faithful enough to point people back to it. That has always been the heart of the show. My mission has never been to push people back into church or argue anybody into believing. I cannot force belief. I cannot heal church hurt through a microphone. I cannot make someone trust God. That is not my role, and I do not want to pretend that it is. What I can do is open up the conversation. I can ask the questions a lot of people are already thinking. I can slow down with scripture and give historical and cultural context where it helps. I can talk through the passages that people have misunderstood, avoided, or only heard preached one way. Then I can trust God to do what only He can do because I really believe that when people read the Word for themselves, God will meet them where they are and handle the rest. That belief is part of why this podcast means so much to me. Like I am a serving vessel here, and I want to handle that very well. I also want to be honest with y'all today because I have been tired. Like I am extremely tired. Like between work, being a mom, a caregiver, and carrying the regular responsibilities that do not pause just because you have something meaningful on your heart, I've been a little worn down. And I know some of y'all understand that in a in a very real way. You can love what you're called to do and still be exhausted. Like you can have the vision and know that something matters and still have the days where your body, your schedule, and your mental capacity are all saying, I do not have it today. And that's been real for me. I have also had to be spiritually honest about what happens when exhaustion keeps building. Sometimes tired is just tired and you need rest. But sometimes exhaustion becomes the place where distraction gets comfortable. It becomes easier to delay the thing God gave you. It becomes easier to keep saying you'll do it when life settles down. And if you're not careful, the thing God placed in your hands slowly gets pushed behind everything else that feels louder. That is where 1 Peter 5.8 has been sitting with me. It says, Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. That scripture has been reminding me to pay attention, like pay attention to my spirit, and just really pay attention to what is draining me. It's important to pay attention to what keeps pulling me away from the work I know I'm supposed to be doing. Because the enemy does not always have to make you quit. Sometimes he just has to keep you tired enough to keep postponing obedience. And I do not want to keep doing that. I know I'm supposed to be building this. I know this podcast is part of what God has placed in my hands in this season, and I I want to go all in with that. Like, because I know it, it is imperative that I go all the way in with that. Like I desire to give the Dear God Let Us Pray podcast a full-time effort. Like I want the room to batch create, I want the room to study more deeply and prepare with more care. I want to build series that give these conversations time to unfold, topics that need more than one episode. Like some passages need context, and there are stories that need a little bit more room. But most importantly, some of these conversations deserve to be handled slowly enough for people to actually sit with them. And that is what I want for this show. Like I want to give it my best. I do not want this podcast to keep living off whatever energy is left after work, motherhood, caregiving, stress, and the rest of life. I have, you know, already taken their portions. I want to build this with the kind of attention and the calling that it deserves. And I am trusting God to provide the means, the provision, the support, the partnerships, the bookings, the listeners, and in the room needed to do just that. That prayer in Psalm 90 verse 17. Yeah, 90 17 has been on my heart. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us and establish the work of our hands upon us. Establish the work of our hands. That is what I want God to do with this podcast. Establish the work and give it direction. Give it the roots and provide what is needed. And to use it all, like use it all for his glory. And I want to say something clearly to everyone who listens and supports the show. Your contributions matter. And I promise you they matter more than you think. So, like when you listen, when you share an episode, when you send an episode to somebody, when you pray for the show, when you encourage me, when you support financially, or when you contribute in any practical way, it helps create room for this work to keep going. That support matters because this takes time. It takes study and preparation. It takes the space to think, to pray, research, record, edit, plan, build. So like every share helps the message travel further. Every prayer matters, and every bit of support keeps me going forward. Like truly going towards the goal of giving this podcast the full-time effort I believe it deserves. And I will boldly say, like, I mean that sincerely, and I thank you all for that. Because I am going full time at the podcast. I am going full time at the podcast. Like, I know I'm one, just one person recording the episodes, but I do not see this as something as I am carrying completely alone. Like God has used people to encourage it, to support and share, and remind me that the work is reaching beyond what I can always see. And that's what matters to me. I also want to let y'all know what is coming next because I'm still here and I am still building. So for the rest of this month, there will be two more episodes after this one. I wanted to say that plainly because I know this week was quiet, but the show is still moving. Then in May, we are starting our first full series, and I am really excited about it. We are um each month I want to feature a series, like a three-part series, and always, you know, have an episode in there for just Bible storytelling. But starting in May, we are going to have um a series about the false gods mentioned in the Bible. And with that series, we are going to take our time. Like we're going to talk about the names that show up in scripture, the regions connected to them, uh, the worship practices around them, and the history behind them, and why God warned his people so strongly about idolatry. Because when the Bible talks about false gods, it is dealing with worship, loyalty, fear, compromise, power, and most importantly, trust. Those names may look ancient on the page, but the patterns are still very much alive. Like people still give themselves over to things that promise security, identity, comfort, control, and relief apart from God. That is why the series matters. So, starting in May, the show will follow a clearer monthly rhythm. Each month we'll have three episodes focused on unpacking the series theme, and then one episode centered on storytelling. I like that structure because it gives us room for study and room for story. It gives us a space to walk through the text carefully and then sit with the human side of what we've been talking about, and that is the direction we are moving in. So each month, new series, really excited for that. And honestly, I am also trusting God in real time. I am trusting him while I am still tired. I am trusting him while I am still figuring out what the next steps look like. And I am trusting God while I am saying out loud that I want to go full time with this, even before I can see every provision lined up in front of me. But I believe he will provide and what is needed for what he has called me to do. And until then, I'm going to keep showing up. I'm going to keep studying and building and keep pointing people back to the word and trusting God with the outcome. Because that really is my prayer for this podcast. Like, I want people to open the Bible for themselves. I want people to read it with fresh eyes. I want people who have been spiritually burned, skeptical, curious, confused, or tired of shallow teaching to know that there is still depth in scripture. There is still truth there in life, and God knows how to meet people through his word in ways I never could. Isaiah 55, 11 reads, So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose. That is where my confidence is. My confidence is in God and in the power of his word. So yes, I've I've been a little inconsistent, I've missed a week or two, but I promise you guys I am still here and I am still building and still saying yes. And I am going all the way in. So if you haven't already, please be sure to connect on social media, on Instagram at Dear GodLet Us Pray. We're in the process of getting on YouTube for those that like to listen to podcasts there. The name will be the same. And really, just thank you. Just thank you. I appreciate you and your support. I really appreciate every time you share an episode with someone. And let's let's let's keep moving forward, you guys. Remember to spread kindness. And I love you, but there's someone that loves you even more than that. This is Santana signing off.