Episode Summary

When life flips upside down—through divorce, grief, or any major life change—worship is often the last thing on your mind. But in today’s conversation, Tom and guest Paul Berard explore why worship might just need to be your first response.

Recorded from Tom’s new home base in Portugal, this episode is filled with personal stories, hard truths, and biblical reminders about how to lift our eyes upward—even when life feels like it's falling apart. They discuss what worship looks like in the trenches, how to find God in the silence, and why masculinity should never be a barrier to expressing real, emotional faith.

What You’ll Hear

• Why worship is a vital part of Phase 2 in the Starting Over | Life 2.0 journey
• How to reframe worship as an act of healing, not just a ritual
• Personal stories of worship in times of loss and uncertainty
• The power of posture and music in emotional and spiritual breakthrough
• Why God honors raw, honest, unfiltered worship over polished perfection

Why You Should Listen

If you’re in a season where life feels unpredictable, and the idea of worship seems far off—or even impossible—this episode will meet you right where you are. Tom and Paul don’t offer clichés; they share real stories and honest insight about how worship has carried them through the hardest seasons of life. You’ll walk away reminded that worship isn’t about having the right words or the perfect setting. It’s about showing up—with all your pain, questions, and hope—and letting God meet you there.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode sets the foundation for understanding worship as a spiritual lifeline during a rebuild. It’s part of Phase 2 in Tom’s six-phase framework for starting over—a key step that often gets overlooked when people focus only on fixing external circumstances. Worship invites God into the healing process, helping listeners not just survive but truly rebuild from the inside out.

If today’s episode encouraged you, take the next step by visiting www.newlifewithgodpodcast.com. There, you’ll find additional resources and tools to help you navigate life’s challenges and rebuild with faith and purpose.

Share this episode with someone who may need a reminder that they’re not alone. Let’s inspire hope and show that with God’s grace, even the most broken seasons can lead to a beautiful new beginning.

If you'd like a copy of Tom's book "Starting Over: Life 2.0 With God', visit www.thestartingoverbook.com.

Do you want to know God and receive Jesus as Savior into your life for healing and salvation? Put your trust in Him with a simple prayer of faith HERE.

Episode Summary:

In this heartfelt follow-up episode, Tom and Paul dive deeper into the real meaning of prayer during life’s transitional seasons. Going beyond the basics of how or when to pray, they explore what it means to develop a sincere, intimate relationship with God through prayer.

Whether you're navigating change, feeling spiritually dry, or seeking to grow closer to God, this episode offers grounded, relatable encouragement to help you move beyond a surface-level prayer life. From using the Psalms as a model to interceding for others and realigning your desires with God’s promises, this conversation will inspire you to embrace prayer as both a relationship and a rhythm.

What You’ll Hear:

• How to develop a daily rhythm of prayer that goes beyond crisis mode

• Why praying for others shifts your heart and invites healing

• How to use God’s promises and scripture as the foundation of your prayers

• The difference between boundaries and walls in your spiritual life

• How brokenness and humility lead to deeper intimacy with God

Why You Should Listen:

If you've ever wondered why your prayers feel stuck, shallow, or repetitive, this episode will help you reset your perspective and rediscover the power of relational prayer. It’s not about fancy words or long hours—it’s about real connection with God, honesty, and growth.

Why This Episode Matters:

This episode reframes prayer as a lifestyle of alignment with God’s heart, especially during transitions. It’s a practical and biblical guide for how to grow spiritually through tough seasons by deepening your daily walk with God.

If today’s episode encouraged you, take the next step by visiting www.newlifewithgodpodcast.com. There, you’ll find additional resources and tools to help you navigate life’s challenges and rebuild with faith and purpose.

Share this episode with someone who may need a reminder that they’re not alone. Let’s inspire hope and show that with God’s grace, even the most broken seasons can lead to a beautiful new beginning.

If you'd like a copy of Tom's book "Starting Over: Life 2.0 With God', visit www.thestartingoverbook.com.

Do you want to know God and receive Jesus as Savior into your life for healing and salvation? Put your trust in Him with a simple prayer of faith HERE.

Summary:

In this episode of Starting Over | Life 2.0 with God, we dig into the very first step of healing after a major life change: prayer. If you've ever felt like you're stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of where to go next, prayer isn’t just a last resort—it’s the beginning of rebuilding from the inside out.

I’m joined again by Paul Berard, and we talk candidly about what prayer really is (and isn’t), how to move past spiritual roadblocks, and how prayer isn’t about saying the right words—it’s about opening your heart to God. This episode sets the stage for the six-phase framework from my book Starting Over, and today, we explore how prayer becomes the foundation for real, lasting transformation.

• Why prayer is the first internal step in starting over

• The difference between a formulaic prayer and an honest conversation with God

• What to do when the answer to your prayer is “wait” (and why that’s the hardest one)

• How posture and consistency in prayer help deepen your faith walk

• The connection between prayer, emotional healing, and practical next steps in life

If you’re in the thick of uncertainty—whether from a loss, failure, or big transition—this episode will remind you that you don’t have to walk through it alone. We unpack what prayer looks like when life has knocked you down, and how you can use it as a starting point to rebuild your life with purpose. Even if you feel spiritually distant or unsure how to begin, this conversation will help you take that first step in a very real and honest way.

We all need a reset button sometimes, and prayer is often where clarity and comfort begin. This episode strips away the complications, traditions, and pressure we sometimes put on prayer and invites listeners into a space of real connection with God.

Whether you’re new to faith or returning after a hard season, this is a foundational conversation that will guide you into phase one of starting over—with God at the center.

If today’s episode encouraged you, take the next step by visiting www.newlifewithgodpodcast.com. There, you’ll find additional resources and tools to help you navigate life’s challenges and rebuild with faith and purpose.

Share this episode with someone who may need a reminder that they’re not alone. Let’s inspire hope and show that with God’s grace, even the most broken seasons can lead to a beautiful new beginning.

If you'd like a copy of Tom's book "Starting Over: Life 2.0 With God', visit www.thestartingoverbook.com.

Do you want to know God and receive Jesus as Savior into your life for healing and salvation? Put your trust in Him with a simple prayer of faith HERE.