We are diving into people-pleasing not as a personality quirk or a love language, but as a spiritual trap. Because when your identity is built on what everyone else thinks of you, you have quietly placed human approval above God’s truth. And friend, that is idolatry.

This one is for the woman who is tired of saying yes when every part of her is screaming no and is finally ready to let God tell her who she actually is.

**You may hear me refer to this as Episode 3 in the recording… real-life moment over here. This is Episode 4. Thank you for giving me grace as I show up imperfect but obedient.

In This Episode

• Why always saying yes is not just exhausting, it is a spiritual issue

• The lie underneath every people-pleasing pattern: my value depends on what others think of me

• How people-pleasing quietly replaces your identity in Christ with an identity built on performance

• Sarah’s story: what it looked like to be the good girl in every room, at work, at home, and in her faith

• The difference between serving from love and serving from fear

• How to begin living from the inside out instead of the outside in

• A prayer for the woman who has been performing for everyone except herself

Scriptures Referenced

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”- Romans 12:2

Key Takeaway

People-pleasing is not a personality trait. It is a spiritual trap.

When your eyes are constantly fixed on what everyone around you thinks, you are not looking at what God says. You are too busy managing everyone else’s perception to hear the One who actually knows you.

Your value was decided before you were born, by a God who looked at you and said she is mine, and she is enough. You do not need their approval, friend. You have God’s. And that was always the only one that mattered.

This Week’s Challenge

Truth without action stays in your head, and I want this to get all the way into your heart. Here are three things to carry into your week:

Notice the yes. Pay attention to every time you say yes to something. Not to judge yourself, but to get curious. Ask honestly: Did I say that from love and genuine desire or from fear of what would happen if I said no?

Practice the pause. The next time someone asks something of you, and you feel that familiar pull of obligation, stop before you answer. Give yourself permission to say: Let me get back to you on that. That pause is sacred. It is the space where you check in with God instead of reacting out of fear.

Speak one truth over yourself every morning. Before your feet hit the floor, say out loud: I am God’s daughter. My worth is not in what I do for others. I am enough right now, exactly as I am. Say it even if it does not feel true yet. Especially then.

This Week’s Journal Prompts

Grab your journal or even just your notes app and sit with these questions at your own pace. There is something powerful that happens when you get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page. God meets us in that quiet space.

1. Where in my life am I saying yes out of fear rather than love? Think about work, marriage, parenting, friendships, and even church commitments. What would change if I let myself be honest about this?

2. When I imagine saying no to someone, what is the feeling that rises up? What am I afraid will happen? Now ask yourself, is that fear rooted in truth, or in a lie I have believed for a long time?

3. Write down three things God says about me that have nothing to do with what I do for others. If you are not sure where to start, look up Psalm 139:14, Ephesians 1:4, and Zephaniah 3:17. Let those truths sit with you.

4. What would my life look like if I truly believed my worth came from God alone, not from being needed, not from being approved of, not from holding everything together? What would I do differently? What would I finally let go of?

There are no right or wrong answers here. This is just you and God, getting honest. And that is always the beginning of something beautiful.

Let’s Stay Connected

Did this episode speak to something you have been carrying? I would love to hear from you.

Find me on Instagram: @leapsoffaithwithsarah

My inbox is always open, and I mean that. I would be honored to pray over whatever you are holding today.

If this episode blessed you, will you share it with a friend who needs to hear it? The woman in your life who is always saying yes. The one who is holding everything together for everyone else. She needs to know she is not alone.

We’re diving into what it actually means to find your identity in Christ when your past keeps getting loud, your own mind is holding your mistakes over you, and you’ve started to wonder if you’ve really changed at all.

This one is for the woman who is tired of nodding like she understands and is finally ready to ask God what He actually says about her.

In This Episode

• Why “identity in Christ” can feel like Christianese and what it actually means

• How the enemy uses your past to define your present

• The story of Joseph and the meaning of Manasseh…God’s grace that causes us to forget our troubles

• Why your old patterns showing up doesn’t mean you haven’t changed

• How to close the gap between what you know in your head and what you believe in your heart

• A prayer for the woman whose past is loud today

Scriptures Referenced

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11

Key Takeaway

Identity in Christ is not a feeling you arrive at. It is a truth you choose again and again until it becomes the loudest voice in the room.

God does not use your past to define your present. He made His plans for you, knowing everything you would go through, everything you would get wrong, and He still said: I have a hope and a future for her.

This Week’s Reflection Question

What has your past been telling you about yourself lately? What lie has it been whispering that you have started to believe?

Bring it to God and ask Him one question: Who do you say that I am?

Sit quietly and let Him answer. Write it down if you can. Because what He says is the only thing that is actually true.

For Your Playlist This Week

Manasseh by Anna Golden. Listen on YouTube or Spotify.

Let’s Stay Connected

Did this episode speak to something you’ve been carrying? I would love to hear from you.

Find me on Instagram: @LeapsofFaithwithSarah

My inbox is always open. I would be honored to pray over whatever you are holding today.

If this episode blessed you, will you share it with a friend who needs to hear it? You never know whose life could be changed by one moment of truth.

Friend, have you ever sat down to pray and found yourself saying all the “right” things while your heart is carrying something completely different?

Maybe your mind is already somewhere else. And suddenly, instead of bringing what’s really on your heart, you clean it up. You say the polished prayer. The one that sounds like you’ve got it all together.

But inside? You’re overwhelmed. You’re exhausted. And you don’t even know what to say to God anymore.

In this episode, we’re talking about the prayers we’re afraid to pray and the thoughts we’ve been too scared to say out loud, and why God already knows every single one of them.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why we perform for God instead of being honest with Him

• The pressure we carry as wives, mothers, friends, and daughters, and how it follows us into our prayer life

• How the enemy uses silence and hiding to keep us disconnected from God

• What it means to unlearn the pressure of “getting prayer right.”

• What real intimacy with God actually looks like-raw, real, and unfiltered

• How to begin again when you don’t have the words

Scripture Referenced:

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You perceive my thoughts from afar… before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” — Psalm 139:1–4

He already knows every thought, every feeling, every word you’re afraid to say out loud. You don’t have to hide it. You don’t have to fix it. You just have to bring it to Him.

This Week’s Practice:

The next time you feel overwhelmed, guilty, or lost, pause. Instead of pushing through, take 5–10 minutes to get quiet and surrender it to God.

If you don’t know what to say, start here:

“God, I feel overwhelmed right now. I feel like I’m not doing enough. I don’t even know what I need, but I need You.”

That’s it. That’s the whole prayer. You don’t need anything more than that. Because the moment you stop holding on to it is the moment you invite Him in.

Reflect & Journal:

→ What are you afraid to say to God right now?

→ Where are you performing instead of being present with Him?

→ What would it look like to drop the pressure and just show up?

→ What is one honest prayer you can pray today? NO EDITS!

Let’s Connect:

#LeapsOfFaithPodcast #FaithOverFear #PrayerLife #HonestyWithGod #IdentityInChrist #EmboldenedWomen #ChristianWomen #SpiritualGrowth

I want to ask you something, and I want you to sit with it for a moment before you answer.

Is there something you’ve been holding back from God?

Not something you forgot to mention. Something you chose not to say. A feeling you’ve been carrying around for weeks, maybe months. A fear you’ve rehearsed so many times it feels like a fact. A prayer you started and then stopped because you didn’t know how to say it without sounding like you had already fallen apart.

You know the one I’m talking about.

We talked about this on the podcast this week, how so many of us have gotten so good at editing our prayers before we even say them. We clean them up. We make them sound holier than we feel. We show God the version of ourselves that has it a little more together.

Listen to S2 Ep 2 Here

But here is what I want you to hear today, and I want you to really let it land:

“Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” — Psalm 139:4

He already knows. He has always known. Every thought you’ve been afraid to say out loud, every feeling you’ve tucked away, every prayer you rewrote before it ever left your lips. He has seen all of it. And He has been waiting. Not to judge it. Not to correct it. Just to be invited in.

That is what this challenge is about.

What I’m Asking You to Do

Starting tomorrow morning, for the next five days, I want you to do one thing before your day begins.

Bring God the prayer you’ve been keeping from Him.

Not the cleaned-up version. Not the one that sounds like you’ve got it together. The real one. The one sitting underneath everything else. The one you’ve been carrying alone.

Each morning for five days, before you check your phone, before you start the coffee, before the noise of the day rushes in…give God 10 minutes. Just 10.

This is not complicated. This is not a program. This is just you and God, and the thing you’ve been holding.

Why Five Days?

Because one morning can feel like a moment. Five mornings start to feel like a rhythm.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” That nearness is built. It deepens. And it only takes a few intentional mornings to begin to feel something shift inside of you, not because you said the right words, but because you finally stopped hiding.

I have seen this in my own life. When I stopped performing in prayer and started being honest. When I got on my knees in 2021 and finally said God, I don’t know what I’m doing, and I need you. That was the moment everything began to change. Not because I had it together. Because I stopped pretending that I did.

That kind of honesty is what opens the door.

How to Start Each Morning

Here is all I want you to do:

Step 1 — Find a quiet place. Even five minutes of quiet counts.

Step 2 — Before you say anything, just breathe. Ask the Holy Spirit to meet you right where you are.

Step 3 — Say the thing you’ve been holding. Out loud if you can. God doesn’t need perfect words. He needs your honest ones.

Step 4 — Sit in it. Don’t rush to fix it or solve it. Just let Him in.

Step 5 — Close with gratitude. Even one sentence. “Thank you for knowing me completely and loving me anyway.”

That’s it. That is the whole practice.

If You Don’t Know What to Say

If you sit down tomorrow morning and the words don’t come, that’s okay. That is actually the most honest place you can start from.

Here is a prayer you can use:

God, I don’t know how to say this. I’m not even sure I have the words. But there is something I’ve been carrying, something I’ve been afraid to bring to you, maybe because I was ashamed of it, or afraid of what it meant, or just too tired to figure out how to say it right.

I’m done carrying it alone.

I don’t need to have it figured out. I just need you. So here I am. This is me. All of it, the mess, the doubt, the fear, the thing I haven’t said yet. I’m bringing it to you now.

Meet me here, Lord. I’m done hiding.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You don’t need anything more than that. He meets you right there.

What These Five Days Can Do

I’m not going to promise you that everything will be resolved by Friday morning.

But here is what I believe can happen when you commit five mornings to showing up honest before God:

You will begin to feel the weight lift. Not because your circumstances changed, but because you stopped carrying something alone that was never meant to be yours to carry alone.

You will start to hear Him more clearly. Because intimacy with God is built in the honest moments, not the polished ones.

You will remember who you are. Not the version of you that is overwhelmed and behind and figuring it out. The version of you that is fully known and fully loved exactly as you are right now.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

He cares for you. Not the edited version of you. Not the version that has it together. You.

A Word About Staying Committed

There will be a morning this week when you don’t feel like showing up. When the alarm goes off and the day is already pulling at you, and those 10 minutes feel like 10 minutes you don’t have.

Show up anyway.

Not because you have to. Because you made a promise to yourself and to God that this week is going to be different. Because you know what it feels like to carry this thing another day, and you are ready to know what it feels like to start releasing it.

Self-discipline in your spiritual life is not about being rigid. It is about deciding that your relationship with God is worth protecting even when it’s inconvenient, even when you’re tired, even when the words don’t come easily.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

These five mornings are about guarding your heart. Choosing it. Showing up for it.

You are worth that. And so is what God is building inside of you.

I’m Here With You

Friend, you don’t have to walk through this alone.

If something comes up this week, if you sit down to pray and something heavy surfaces, or you want someone to pray with you, or you just need to say it out loud to someone before you can say it to God, my inbox is always open.

Send me an email. I mean that. I will read it, I will pray over it, and I will write you back. You are not a number to me. You are a woman on a journey, and I am honored to walk any part of it with you.

And if this challenge stirs something in you that you want to talk through further, tune in to this week’s episode of Leaps of Faith, “God Already Knows What You’re Afraid to Say… So Why Are You Hiding?” where we go even deeper into what it means to stop performing in prayer and start actually connecting with God.

Listen to S2 Ep 2 Here

Your Five-Day Commitment

Write this down somewhere you will see it tomorrow morning:

Day 1 — Bring it. Just say the thing. No edits.

Day 2 — Sit longer. Let the silence be part of the prayer.

Day 3 — Ask God what He wants to say back.

Day 4 — Thank Him for something specific He has done, even in the middle of the hard.

Day 5 — Reflect. What has shifted? What do you feel? Write it down.

Five mornings. Ten minutes each. One honest prayer at a time.

God has been waiting for this conversation. He already knows what you’re going to say. And He cannot wait to hear you say it anyway.

I’ll be right here with you.

With love and faith,

Sarah

If this encouraged you, I’d love to hear from you. You can always reach me by email or find me on Instagram at @LeapsOfFaithWithSarah. And if you haven’t already, subscribe to the Leaps of Faith Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music for new episodes every week.

There’s a moment that happens so quietly, you almost don’t notice it.

You’re at the sink… folding laundry… sitting in the car after a long day. And your mind drifts to a conversation you know you need to have. Something unresolved. Something sitting just beneath the surface.

And before you even realize it… you’re in it.

You start playing it out. What you’ll say. How they’ll respond. The tone. The misunderstanding. The moment you don’t feel heard.

And suddenly your chest tightens. Your thoughts get louder. Your emotions rise.

It feels real.

Starting arguments that never even happen… the ones we play out in our head until they feel real. I’ve done this more times than I’d like to admit. Recently, I’ve done this with my husband.

A conversation I know we need to have, something I’ve been putting off, something that’s been sitting quietly between us. And instead of going to him, instead of just saying, “ Hey, can we talk? I go inward. And the moment I do, something shifts.

I start running the conversation. I think about what I want to say. And then almost automatically, I start thinking about what he’s going to say back. I fill in his responses. I assign his tone. I predict his reaction. And before he’s said a single word, I’ve already decided how it’s going to go.

I script the whole thing. Every line. Every pause. Every moment where I imagine him not understanding me, or getting defensive, or missing the point entirely.

And by the time I’m done?

I’m upset. I’m frustrated. I’ve worked myself into something that feels completely real, and he is sitting in the next room, completely unaware that we just had a fight.

The Conversation That Lives in My Head

Because I’ve already had the conversation in my mind, I don’t want to have it in real life. I’ve already processed it. I’ve already said what I needed to say, at least, I think I have. Why would I bring it up now and risk it going exactly the way I imagined?

So I don’t.

I brush it under the rug. I go quiet. I tell myself it’s fine. And meanwhile, the resentment I built in that imaginary conversation? It doesn’t go away just because I decided not to talk. It stays. It sits. It colors the way I look at him, the way I respond to him, the way I move through the rest of my day.

And he has no idea why I seem a little off. Why I’m a little shorter than usual. Why there’s something in the air he can’t quite name.

He didn’t do anything wrong. He didn’t even get a chance to respond. But I had already sentenced him in my head.

I’ve done this more times than I’d like to admit. And I’ve strained something real in my marriage because of something that only ever existed in my mind. That’s hard to write. But I think it needs to be said out loud.

So I Had to Ask: Is This the Enemy?

Because here’s what I’ve come to understand about spiritual warfare: it doesn’t always look dramatic. It doesn’t always look like obvious temptation or a crisis you can point to.

Sometimes it looks like a quiet voice in your head saying you already know how this is going to go.

Sometimes it looks like a crack, a moment of stress, a tired season, a conversation you’ve been putting off, and the enemy slipping right in, planting a seed. A seed of assumption. Of suspicion. Of I already know what he’s going to say, and it’s not going to be what I need.

And then we water it. With replays. With imagined reactions. With worst-case versions of people we love.

Until a story we made up starts to feel more real than the actual person standing in front of us.

“Take every thought captive to obey Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5

I’ve read that verse so many times. But I’ve been sitting with it differently lately. Because it says every thought. Not just the big ones. Not just the ones that are obviously harmful.

The ones in the shower. The ones at two in the morning. The ones where I’m mentally rehearsing a conversation with my husband while he’s asleep next to me, completely unaware.

Those thoughts belong in the hands of Jesus, too.

The Hard Truth I Had to Face

I started asking myself: why don’t I invite God into this?

And the answer, when I finally got quiet enough to hear it, was this: because in my head, I feel like I’m in control.

When the conversation exists only in my mind, I’m the one running it. I decide what gets said. I decide how it ends. I can make myself look right. I can make sure I’m understood. I can build a version of events that confirms what I already believe.

But if I invite God in?

He might show me something I don’t want to see. He might say, Sarah, the story you’re telling yourself is not accurate. He might say, “ The way you’re interpreting this situation is not fair to your husband. He might say, “ You need to go have the real conversation not the one in your head, but the real one, with humility and an open heart.

And what if that’s outside of my comfort zone?

So I hide. I stay in the narrative where I’m the one in charge. And I keep God at arm’s length from that particular corner of my heart.

Then I came across Nehemiah 9:16…how the Israelites “acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey God’s commands.”

I had to sit with that. Because that’s exactly what I’m doing. I know in my spirit that I need to surrender the thought. I know I need to put it down. But I grip it tighter because letting go means admitting I might have gotten the story wrong.

The Question That Changed Everything

How Can I Ask God to Bless What I Won’t Let Him Into?

How can I pray for peace in my marriage, for restored connection, for more patience and more grace, while at the same time refusing to let God into the place where I’m doing the most damage?

It’s like asking someone to come fix your house, but locking the door to the broken room.

And here’s the thing: He already sees what’s behind that door. Every thought I think I’m having privately He knows. Hiding from God doesn’t protect me from His knowledge. It just keeps me from receiving His help.

That realization changed something for me.

Because I don’t want to be someone who keeps God in the polished parts of my life and hides the messy corners from Him. That’s not surrender. That’s management. And I’ve been trying to manage this on my own for a long time.

What I’m Praying Now

I want to be honest about where I am in this, because I don’t have it all figured out. I’m right here in the middle of it.

But I’ve started praying differently. More specifically. With more vulnerability.

I’ve been praying for an open heart. For a mind that’s willing to be wrong. For more compassion toward my husband — not the imaginary version of him I’ve been arguing with in my head, but the real one. The one who deserves a real conversation, not a verdict he never knew was being delivered.

I’ve been praying that when I feel that familiar pull to go inward and start scripting, I would stop. And turn it over. And say, Lord, this one is yours.

And I’ve been praying for repair. For forgiveness in the places I’ve done quiet damage without even realizing it.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” — Isaiah 26:3

Perfect peace. Not the absence of hard conversations. Not the absence of disagreements or moments where I don’t understand and my husband doesn’t understand me. But perfect peace — for the mind that stays fixed on God instead of fixed on a narrative.

That’s what I want. That’s what I’m after.

If This Is You Too

You’re not broken.

Your mind doing this doesn’t make you a bad wife, friend, or person. It makes you human.

But you don’t have to stay stuck there.

The next time you feel that pull, the moment you catch yourself beginning to script a conversation, beginning to fill in someone else’s words, beginning to build the case, pause.

Take a breath. And say: Lord, this one’s yours.

You don’t need a perfect prayer. You don’t need to have it all figured out first. Just hand it over before the story gets too loud.

And then when you’re ready, when you’ve prayed it through, have the real conversation. With the real person. Not the version you wrote in your head, but the one you enter with grace and an open heart, willing to be surprised.

That person deserves a fair hearing. And so do you.

Friend, God Wants Into That Room

He wants access to every corner of your heart. Including the complicated ones. Including the ones you’re a little ashamed of. Especially those.

You don’t have to clean it up before you let Him in. You just have to open the door.

That is the leap of faith.

This post is an extension of Season 2, Episode 1 of the Leaps of Faith Podcast, “The Conversation That Never Happened…But Is Destroying Your Relationships.” Listen to it here, and if it speaks to you, share it with a woman who needs to hear it.

And if you’re walking through something heavy in your marriage, in a friendship, in your own mind, my inbox is always open. It would be an honor to pray with you.

With love, Sarah 🤍

Find me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah

This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about the mental spiral the enemy loves to keep us in, and how God wants to interrupt it. I share the shame I felt hiding this from God, the moment Nehemiah 9:16 stopped me in my tracks, and how I’ve been learning to take these thoughts captive and trust God with the story I’ve been trying to write myself.

If your mind ever runs on a loop, rehearsing conflict, assuming the worst, and creating tension in relationships that are being strained by something invisible, this episode was made for you.

💭 In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

How the enemy uses the privacy of our minds to plant seeds of offense and resentment.

Why we sometimes resist inviting God into our thought life, and what that resistance is costing us.

How to begin interrupting the mental spiral and turning it over to God, one thought at a time.

The courage it takes to have the real conversation and why it’s worth it.

📖 Scriptures Mentioned:

2 Corinthians 10:5: “Take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right... think about such things.”

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

Nehemiah 9:16: “But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments.”

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that she’s not alone in her mental battles.

Follow me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah for daily faith encouragement and behind-the-scenes of Leaps of Faith.

✨ Subscribe, and leave a review to help more women find this message of faith, freedom, and peace through Jesus.

And if you’re carrying a prayer request, my inbox is always open. It is an honor to walk alongside you in faith and pray with you.

I may not have a podcast episode this week, but I wanted to leave you with something even deeper:
a moment with God.
A breath.
A place to settle your heart.
A soft landing in a busy season.

This is your invitation to pause, breathe, and let Scripture speak life over you before the rush of Thursday arrives.

This week, the Lord kept drawing me back to Psalm 103:1–5, a passage soaked in gratitude, renewal, and the steady faithfulness of God. So I built this devotional around it… for me, for you, and for every woman who needs to be reminded that God is close, present, and tender toward her.

🌿 Daily Soul Reminders for Thanksgiving Week

Psalm 103:1
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.”
Before anything else, I’m slowing down. I’m choosing praise. I’m choosing presence.

Psalm 103:2
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
This season, I’m practicing remembering:
the little blessings,
the unseen provision,
the quiet ways God has carried me.

Psalm 103:3
“He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
I’m letting this truth settle deep: God is the healer of what I can’t fix and the restorer of what feels heavy.

Psalm 103:4
“He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”
When I think of where He found me… and how He lifted me… all I can do is whisper thank You.

Psalm 103:5
“He satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Before I step into this week, I’m declaring:
God is enough.
His goodness is enough.
And He will meet every need.

🕊️ A Prayer for Your Thanksgiving Week

Lord, slow my heart this week.
Help me see You in the simple moments, the quiet, the laughter, the gathered tables, the stillness, the gratitude.
Fill my soul with Your peace.
Draw me close.
Renew what feels tired.
And let Your goodness be the lens through which I see this entire week.
Amen.

✨ Download: Thanksgiving Week Prayer Cards

I created four printable prayer cards for you to use in your quiet time this week, each one rooted in Scripture, gratitude, and God’s steadiness in every season.

Use them as:
• bookmarks
• journal prompts
• prayer starters
• reminders on your mirror or fridge
• gifts to tuck into someone’s card

Click below to download your set:

Prayer Cards

💛 I’m Grateful for You

Thank you for being here for reading, for growing, for walking with me in this space God has entrusted us with.
I pray this week fills your heart, nourishes your soul, and reminds you of how deeply loved you are.

With gratitude,
Sarah

This playlist was inspired by Episode 14 of the Leaps of Faith Podcast, where we talked about how easily our thoughts can be shaped by the wrong things and how quickly Jesus can shift our inner world when we slow down long enough to hear Him.

My worship walks are one of the ways I reset that inner “algorithm.”
In the quiet of the morning, before my mind fills with tasks, business, and responsibilities, I invite God into my day. I ask Him to lead my thoughts, guide my steps, and make His whisper the loudest voice in my life.

Get The Playlist Here

These songs have walked with me through so many mornings where I needed clarity, focus, and peace. They’ve helped me breathe again when I felt overwhelmed. They’ve reminded me who God is and who I am in Him. And I wanted to share them with you not just as music, but as a tool to help you reconnect with God’s presence in your own rhythm.

Your worship walk might not be at sunrise.
Maybe yours will be a midday reset, when the weight of the day hits you.
Maybe an evening unwind, when you need to clear your mind before bed.
Maybe while driving, folding laundry, or taking a break from work.

What matters isn’t when you walk.
What matters is that you create the space.
A moment for your heart to breathe.
A moment for truth to rise above the noise.
A moment for Jesus to tune your spirit back to Him.

I pray this playlist helps you feel His nearness.
I pray it helps you slow down, reset, and sense the covering of His glory over you.
And I pray it becomes a part of your walk with Him — a walk that changes everything.

Let me know how today’s playlist blesses you, friend.
I love hearing how God meets you in the quiet. 💛

Leave a comment

As I sat with the Lord, He revealed something I didn’t expect:
My heart had been letting the wrong thoughts rise to the top.

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That’s not random.
And it’s not harmless.

This week, God opened my eyes to something I didn’t expect:
Your heart has an algorithm.
And it’s being shaped every single day by what you dwell on, what you feed yourself, and what you engage with internally.

Just like your phone learns what to show you…
Your spirit does too.

And the enemy?
He loves to hijack the feed.
He slips in, comparison, fear, pressure, and lies that feel almost “normal,” until you realize your peace has been slowly leaking out.

But Jesus doesn’t compete with the noise;
He replaces it.
Gently. Faithfully. Consistently.

This week’s episode, Jesus: The Algorithm In Your Life, dives deep into how our inner world gets shaped and reshaped, and how easily the enemy floods our spiritual feed. But we also talk about how Jesus rises above all that noise with truth that steadies you, centers you, and brings you home.

If you haven’t listened yet, the episode will meet you right where you are.

Episode 14- Listen Here

💛 A Moment From My Walk With God This Week

There was a moment…quiet, ordinary, nothing special on the outside, when I suddenly realized how many of my thoughts that day were not coming from God. I wasn’t in a storm. I wasn’t walking through a crisis. I was just… distracted.

And that’s when it hit me:
Distraction is one of the enemy’s most effective weapons.

He doesn’t always need to destroy you.
Sometimes all he needs to do is divide your focus.

But the moment I slowed down, breathed, and turned my attention toward Jesus, I could feel the shift. His peace rose to the top like it had been waiting for me the whole time.

Maybe you needed that reminder today, too.

📖 Scripture of the Week

Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

✨ Let this verse guide you back to truth when the noise gets loud. The more you set your mind on Him, the clearer your path becomes.

✨ This Week’s Takeaways

Here’s what I hope you hold close from this episode:

• Your heart has an algorithm; whatever you focus on rises to the top.

• The enemy works through subtle noise, not just obvious attacks.

• Jesus brings clarity, calm, and truth when you lean into His voice.

• Stillness, honesty, and Scripture reset the spiritual feed of your life.

• You get to choose who shapes your days: the enemy’s lies or God’s truth.

💬 I’d Love to Hear From You

What stood out to you this week?
Did something in this message or episode speak into your season?

Share your thoughts—I truly love hearing what God is doing in your heart.

Leave a comment

And if you need prayer, my inbox is always open.
It’s an honor to walk alongside you in faith.

🔒 A Note for Those Considering Becoming Paid Subscribers

If you’ve been encouraged by these weekly reflections, I’d love to invite you to go deeper by becoming a paid subscriber. For just $5/month (or $60/year), you’ll receive an entire layer of resources designed to help you walk in truth, strengthen your faith, and grow spiritually throughout the week.

Here’s what you’ll unlock as a paid subscriber:

✨ Weekly Devotionals

A deeper, guided devotional expanding on each week’s episode, complete with Scripture, journal prompts, and practical spiritual steps that help you walk out God’s truth in your everyday life.

✨ Weekly Prayer Card Download

Beautiful, printable prayer cards that connect to each episode’s message. These cards are exclusive to paid subscribers and are perfect for your Bible, journal, or mirror.

✨ 5-Minute Audio Prayer Walks

A calm, Spirit-led audio moment to walk, breathe, pray, and reset. These weekly recordings help you create a sacred pause wherever you are on your worship walks, during your commute, or in a quiet corner of your home.

✨ Exclusive Downloads

Access to my full library of printable faith resources, including Scripture guides, truth-rewriting tools, and guided reflections… coming soon.

✨ Monthly Giveaways

Each month, paid subscribers are automatically entered to win a faith-building gift like devotionals, prayer journals, Christian books, Scripture card sets, and other tools to support your spiritual growth. It’s my way of blessing you back for being such a meaningful part of this community.

✨ Private, Faith-Centered Posts

A deeper level of teaching where I share behind-the-scenes spiritual lessons, stories God is writing in my life, and heartfelt encouragement just for you.

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Your support as a paid subscriber helps me continue creating these devotionals, prayer walks, downloads, and faith-building resources. Thank you for even considering it. 💛

If you’re ready to grow deeper, I’d love to have you inside.
You belong here.

I’m grateful for you. 💛

Sarah 🤍

✝️ “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:19

Follow me @Leapsoffaithwithsarah

In this episode, we explore how easily the enemy slips noise, fear, comparison, and doubt into our inner world without us even realizing it. But we also talk about the gentle, steady way Jesus cuts through that noise and brings your heart back into truth, clarity, and peace. This conversation will help you recognize what voice you’ve been engaging with and how to reset the spiritual algorithm in your life so you can hear God clearly again.

💭Key Takeaways:

✨ Your heart has an algorithm. Whatever you focus on most will rise to the top of your inner world.
✨ The enemy works through noise, distraction, and subtle lies to influence your thoughts and emotions.
✨ Jesus cuts through the noise with peace, clarity, and steady truth when you choose to lean into His voice.
✨ Resetting your spiritual algorithm begins with stillness, honesty with God, and replacing lies with

📖 Scripture of the Week

Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

✨ Let this verse remind you to lift your focus higher. When the enemy floods your heart with noise, distraction, and lies, God invites you to redirect your attention back to Him—letting His truth rise above anything competing for your peace.

✨ Want to go deeper?
Get this week’s devotional, an expanded heart reflection, and a guided journal prompt to help you lean into God’s timing and His purpose in every season of change.

Get Your Devotional

💬 Let’s Talk
What truth stood out to you today?
Click below, I’d love to walk alongside you as God continues to guide your steps.

Leave a comment

If you’re walking through something and need prayer, please reach out. I’m here, and it’s a blessing to pray over you.

After sharing Episode 13 - “Feeling Unfulfilled and Wanting More”, I’ve been carrying the weight of messages from women who said they’re in that same place…
The place where everything looks fine on the outside, but your spirit is restless on the inside.

If that’s you, I want you to know this:
You are not broken.
You are not behind.
And you’re not losing your way.

More often than not, that ache for “more” is simply God whispering, “Daughter, lift your eyes… I have something ahead of you.”

💛 When I Didn’t Know What Was Next

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In this episode, I’m opening up about my own season of unfulfillment, the one that led me to leave behind what looked like success in order to follow the peace God was calling me toward. It wasn’t easy. It took surrender, trust, and a whole lot of faith in the unknown. But on the other side of obedience, I found freedom, purpose, and joy that only He could give.

If you’ve been feeling that tug — that longing for more, I want you to know you’re not behind. You’re being redirected.

💭 Key Takeaways

• Unfulfillment isn’t failure; it’s often a sign that God is preparing you for more.

• Peace can show up long before the plan makes sense.

• When you lift your eyes and surrender control, God clears the path step by step.

📖 Scripture of the Week

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

✨ Let this verse remind you that even when the path ahead feels uncertain, God is already making a way forward one step, one act of obedience, one leap of faith at a time.

✨ Want to go deeper?
Join as a paid subscriber and unlock this episode’s devotional, an expanded heart reflection, and a guided journal prompt to help you lean into God’s timing and His purpose in every season of change.

Subscribe now

💬 Let’s Talk

What stood out to you most from today’s episode?
I’d love to hear how God is speaking to you in this season.

Leave a comment

If you need a prayer, my inbox is always open. It’s an honor to walk alongside you in faith and pray for you.

Have you ever gone days without praying and then felt too guilty to come back to God?
I have been there.

I’d sit down with my Bible, but my heart felt so far away. I didn’t know where to start, so I’d whisper a quick “God, I’m sorry,” and then… silence. I carried this weight, the guilt of missing time with Him, the shame of saying “I’ll pray later” and never following through.

But one morning, as I sat with my coffee and an aching heart, I felt God gently whisper, “I never stopped waiting for you.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

Because I realized I had been treating prayer like a performance. Something I had to do right to be worthy of connection.
But God never asked for perfection.
He asked for presence.

When we go silent, He doesn’t turn away. He leans in.

When we feel ashamed, He doesn’t condemn. He calls us home.

So if prayer feels hard right now, know this: God isn’t keeping score.
He’s just waiting for you to look up.

📖 Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Like David, we don’t have to promise God perfection; we can simply ask Him for a clean heart. The moment you whisper that prayer, He begins to restore what shame tried to steal.

Journal Prompts:

• When was the last time I felt distant from God?

• What emotion, guilt, shame, fear, or distraction kept me from coming to Him?

• How can I invite Him into that space today with honesty instead of hiding?

🎧 Listen to the latest episode of the Leaps of Faith Podcast: “When Prayer Feels Hard”… the full story and heart conversation on overcoming guilt, reclaiming your prayer life, and finding freedom in God’s grace.

Listen Here

With grace and faith,

Sarah 🤍

For 20 years, I chased what the world called success: the titles, the promotions, the next goal. But on the inside, I was running on empty. It wasn’t until I hit rock bottom and fully surrendered to God that everything began to change.

Now, I walk each day with a new rhythm, one that’s slower, intentional, and centered on Him. Through my Leaps of Faith Podcast and this space, my mission is simple:
💛 To help women like you quiet the chaos, rewrite the lies of the enemy, and walk boldly in your God-given purpose.

Because faith isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about trusting God one leap at a time.

✉️ What You’ll Find Here

Each week inside Faith Notes from Sarah, you’ll receive two gentle rhythms of encouragement, a place to exhale, reconnect with Jesus, and strengthen your faith:

1. 5-Minute Prayer Walks — short audio devotionals to accompany your daily worship walks—whenever they happen. Whether it’s a morning stroll, a midday reset, or a quiet evening reflection, these moments are designed to help you pause, clear your mind, and invite Jesus into your every thought and step.

2. Scripture + Prayer Reflections — a weekly scripture designed to build on that week’s podcast episode, paired with prayer prompts and a journal question to help you anchor your heart in God’s Word and apply His truth in your daily life.

You’ll also get updates when new Leaps of Faith Podcast episodes drop, special reflections I only share here, and access to subscriber-only devotionals and giveaways, including prayer journals, books, and resources to grow your faith.

💭 My Prayer for You

My hope is that this space becomes a sacred pause in your week, a place where your soul can breathe, your faith can grow, and you can feel seen, encouraged, and reminded that God is still working all things together for your good.

You’re not here by accident. God led you here for a reason, and I’m so grateful to walk this journey of faith with you.

💌 Let’s Connect

Before you go, I’d love to hear from you!
Hit the comment button and share:
📖 Your favorite Bible verse, the one that’s carried you in this season
or
✨ How you found your way here through the podcast, Instagram, or a friend who shared Leaps of Faith with you.

I read every response and can’t wait to connect with you personally.

Welcome, friend. You belong here. 💛
— Sarah

Subscribe now

You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m opening up about the moments when prayer feels heavy when shame, busyness, or self-doubt whispers that you’ve failed God, and how He meets us right there with grace.

This conversation is raw and honest. Together, we’ll unpack the lies the enemy uses to make us feel unworthy of prayer, and the truth that prayer isn’t about perfect words, it’s about a present heart.

Whether you struggle to pray out loud, find time for quiet with God, or feel guilty for drifting away, this episode will remind you: God’s not keeping score...He’s keeping the door open.

💭 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why guilt and shame are the enemy’s biggest tools to keep you from prayer

• How God sees your heart even when your words fall short

• The difference between striving for perfection and surrendering in prayer

• Simple ways to rebuild your prayer rhythm and reconnect with God daily

• How to turn your self-talk into God-talk and invite Him into every moment

📖 Scriptures Mentioned:

• Romans 8:1 – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

• Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

• 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

• Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

💕 Let’s Stay Connected
If this episode spoke to your heart, share it with a friend who’s been struggling to pray — she needs this reminder too.
Follow me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah for daily encouragement, Scripture reflections, and behind-the-scenes of Leaps of Faith.

✨ Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more women find this message of faith, freedom, and authenticity through Jesus.
And if you’re walking through a season where prayer feels hard, my inbox is always open. I’d be honored to pray for you.

You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m opening up about the moments when prayer feels heavy when shame, busyness, or self-doubt whispers that you’ve failed God, and how He meets us right there with grace.

This conversation is raw and honest. Together, we’ll unpack the lies the enemy uses to make us feel unworthy of prayer, and the truth that prayer isn’t about perfect words, it’s about a present heart.

Whether you struggle to pray out loud, find time for quiet with God, or feel guilty for drifting away, this episode will remind you: God’s not keeping score...He’s keeping the door open.

💭 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why guilt and shame are the enemy’s biggest tools to keep you from prayer

• How God sees your heart even when your words fall short

• The difference between striving for perfection and surrendering in prayer

• Simple ways to rebuild your prayer rhythm and reconnect with God daily

• How to turn your self-talk into God-talk and invite Him into every moment

📖 Scriptures Mentioned:

• Romans 8:1 – “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

• Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

• 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

• Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

💕 Let’s Stay Connected
If this episode spoke to your heart, share it with a friend who’s been struggling to pray — she needs this reminder too.
Follow me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah for daily encouragement, Scripture reflections, and behind-the-scenes of Leaps of Faith.

✨ Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more women find this message of faith, freedom, and authenticity through Jesus.
And if you’re walking through a season where prayer feels hard, my inbox is always open. I’d be honored to pray for you.

I'm sharing real moments of vulnerability, the truth about spiritual warfare in our thought life, and the power of taking every thought captive through Christ. This episode is a gentle reminder that peace isn’t found in control, it’s found in surrender.

Whether you’re walking through a busy season or fighting off midnight anxiety, this message will help you release the noise and rest in God’s presence.

💭 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

1. Why your racing thoughts may be part of a spiritual battle

2. How to recognize when the enemy is whispering lies into your vulnerable moments

3. Practical ways to quiet your mind and invite Jesus into your mental chaos

4. Why taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) is key to lasting peace

5. How surrender, not control, is the real path to freedom and calm

📖 Scriptures Mentioned:

1. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

2. Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

3. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

4. Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”

💕 Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that she’s not alone in her anxiety or overwhelm.

Follow me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah for daily faith encouragement and behind-the-scenes of Leaps of Faith.

✨ Subscribe, rate, and leave a review to help more women find this message of faith, freedom, and peace through Jesus.
And if you’re carrying a prayer request, my inbox is always open. It’s an honor to walk alongside you in faith and pray for you.