Why do some situations leave you feeling discouraged every time you pray about them?

If you’ve ever felt weighed down by a problem and wondered where your thoughts were leading you, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Sara explains why spiritual warfare doesn’t require us to identify every attack. Instead, awareness helps us recognize when painful experiences and the enemy’s lies have become mixed into the way we see a situation.

Using a personal story that began with an unexpected image during prayer, Sara shares how years of disappointment in friendships shaped what she expected for her daughter. She explains how God brought that hidden interpretation to the surface, reminded her of truth He had already been teaching her, and showed her how it applied to the conflict she was facing.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the hardest lies to recognize contain real history and partial truth

• How the enemy’s influence can raise doubts about God’s character and His relationship with you

• Three questions for testing what a thought leads you to believe about your Father

• How awareness differs from spiritual hypervigilance

• A simple Ask, Write, Test practice for bringing a situation into partnership with the Holy Spirit

If you've ever found yourself assuming the worst, wondering why hope feels so difficult, or questioning whether God has anything meaningful to say about your situation, this conversation will help you notice what's happening beneath the surface and take the next step toward hearing his voice with greater confidence.

Journal prompts from this episode:

Questions for testing your own thoughts:

• What is this thought leading me to believe about the way God treats me?

• Does this agree with what Scripture shows us about Him?

• Does this way of thinking draw me to enjoy our relationship, or move me away from it?

The basic Ask, Write, Test process for listening to God’s voice:

Ask God what He wants you to know and write down any thoughts that come to mind, whether they seem important or not.

Then test those thoughts by what you know of God from Scripture.

Ask yourself whether this is something He would say to you, if he were sitting next to you.

Next Steps:

Get our free "Hearing God Starter Kit" and learn the journaling process featured in this episode at:

Sophiculture.com/guide

Get personalized support to build a thriving friendship with Jesus at:

Sophiculture.com/illumination