Latest / The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom / 211. A Simple Prayer Framework for Empty Nest Moms Who Are Tired of Worrying

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211. A Simple Prayer Framework for Empty Nest Moms Who Are Tired of Worrying · The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom

• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.
• 0:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hey mama, I'm Pamela Henkelman, certified emptiness coach in your listening to the mid-life Mama podcast.
• 0:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: This show is for Christian moms navigating the emptiness, learning how to let go with grace, set healthy boundaries, reconnected marriage, and step confidently into their God-given purpose.
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each week I'll coach you through this season with faith-building encouragement on his conversations and practical tools that you can apply right away to your relationships and your life.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: If this episode encourages you, I'd be grateful if you leave a quick rating and review.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: It helps other moms find the support they need.
• 0:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll find the link in the show notes.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And make sure you're following the podcast.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: And let's get started.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome back to the Midlife Mama Podcast, the place for faith, friendship, and real talk for emptiness moms.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Have you ever noticed how worried doesn't leave when your kids grow up?
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: It just changes shape.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And instead of worrying about scraped knees and school projects, we lie awake at night, wondering about our adult children's choices, our marriages, our purpose, and what this next chapter is supposed to look like.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Today's episode is for the mom who loves Jesus deeply and still worries.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: For the mom who's read Philippians 4-6 more times than she can count, yet sometimes feels more convicted than comforted by it.
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: For the mom who wakes up at 3 a.m. with a racing mind and a tired heart.
• 1:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: In this episode, we're reframing that familiar passage and not as a rebuke, but as a gentle invitation.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm walking you through a simple, grace-filled prayer framework straight from Philippians 4 that shows us how to move from worry to peace, not by trying harder, but by drawing closer to God.
• 1:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're tired of carrying both worrying guilt, settle in, this conversation is for you.
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: What do you do when Worry stalks us like a hungry lion, creeping into our quiet moments and pouncing on us when we least expect?
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: What's a mom to do when this season of motherhood feels heavier than we anticipated?
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: For many emptiness moms, Worry doesn't disappear when the kids grow up.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Simply changes, shape.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: We feel uneasy about our kids' choices.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: We worry about our marriages as the noise of parenting faves every wrestle with questions about purpose, direction, and what this next chapter is supposed to look like.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then we come to this familiar passage in Philippians 46.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Don't worry about anything.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Instead, pray about everything.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He's done, then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything you can understand.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've seen these verses everywhere splashed across journals stitched into devotionals and highlighted and well-worn bibles, and if we're honest, they can feel less
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: as if the message is, if you were trusting God more, you wouldn't be worrying at all.
• 3:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we carry the weight of worry and the quiet guilt that follows it.
• 3:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: We know we're not supposed to worry, yet here we are again.
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ask me how I know.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was 3 a.m. when my eyes popped open and then my mind immediately went to work rehearsing everything that could go wrong.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't shut it off.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't pray it away.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I just lay there.
• 3:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Why to wake, wondering why peace felt so elusive.
• 3:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: But what if this passage was never meant to shame us?
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: What if Philippians 4'6' isn't a rebuk, but an invitation?
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: When we slow down and read it with grace, we discover something beautiful.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: A gentle, God-given framework that shows us exactly how to move from worry to peace.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Not through striving harder or having better faith, but by turning toward God in honest relational prayer.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: The pressure lifts when we realize the instruction isn't don't worry harder, but it's bring your worry to me.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that changes everything.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's look at the framework provided within the verses.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: The first step of the framework is to pray about everything.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Many of us carry an unspoken prayer filter.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Before we even open our mouths to God, we run our worries through an internal checklist.
• 4:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Too small to bother God with.
• 4:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has more important things to worry about.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I should be able to handle this on my own.
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we keep our concerns tucked away, replaying them in our minds, instead of releasing them in prayer.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: But scripture gives us a different invitation.
• 4:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: If it's on your heart or weighing on your mind, you have full permission to bring it to God.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing is off limits.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing is too insignificant.
• 5:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing disqualifies it from prayer.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Prayer is not a performance or a last resort.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a relationship.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's an honest conversation with a God who welcomes your interruptions.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: When you come to him, you're not adding to his burden.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's something powerful that happens in the moment we turn worry into prayer.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Our bodies begin to settle, our nervous system call, and we move from spiraling inward to leaning outward onto God's strength instead of our own.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Philippians 4-6 isn't telling you to stop worrying through sheer willpower.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's a gentle reminder when worry shows up, pray.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Move closer to God.
• 5:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Trade-rumanating thoughts for real conversation with the one who knows you loves you and is already at work.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Step 2 in the framework.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Tell God what you need.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: This season of life comes with a unique set of unknowns and it's only natural to feel unsettled by them.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you learn to loosen your grip on your grown children, reconnect with your husband without the constant distraction of parenting, and rediscover who you are beyond motherhood where you can creep in quietly.
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: These adjustments are layered, tender, and sometimes overwhelming, and one of the most powerful ways to loosen fear's grip is to speak honestly to God about what you need, specifically and without a apology.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is a holy tenderness that shows up when we name our needs before Him.
• 6:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: It requires humility to admit we don't have it all figured out, and confidence to believe
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: For many empty-ness moms, this kind of prayer doesn't come easily.
• 6:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've spent years putting everyone else first, often silencing, our own needs in the process.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: But this passage invites us to do something different.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: It invites us to bring our whole selves, questions, longings, and all before a God who listens.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: When you get honest with God intimacy grows, trust deepens, you begin to experience prayer not as a duty but as a partnership.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: one where God meets you with grace and studies your heart as you learn to walk forward and faith.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: The framework step number three is to thank God for all these done.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: When fear rushes in, it has a way of shortening our memory.
• 7:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: We forget the countless times God has met us before, provided, protected, guided, and sustained us.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when we intentionally remember his faithfulness, our trust for today and tomorrow begins to grow.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to look far back to seek on steady-hand at work in your life.
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has carried you through tough seasons, you once thought, would undo you.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has given you strength when you felt depleted, wisdom when you didn't know what to do next and grace when you felt short.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's why gratitude is such a powerful spiritual practice.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: gratitude gently lifts our eyes off our worries and fixes them on the character of God.
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as we thank him, we remember who he is, faithful, strong, wise, loving and unchanging.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is truth and he cannot lie.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is present and he will never leave you.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Gratitude doesn't deny the reality of our concerns, but it does put them in the proper place.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Our problems begin to shrink.
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: not because they disappear, but because God becomes bigger in our sight.
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when He is magnified, worry loses its grip.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hey grandparents, Easter is almost here.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can you believe it?
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Are you looking for a meaningful way to deepen your grandkids relationship with God while making their Easter baskets extra special this year?
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting is offering an Easter bundle you and your grandkids will love.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll love it because all of Christian parenting's trusted resources are bibliosound.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: They'll love it because these products are fun, colorful, special, and made for your grandkids in mind.
• 9:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: They will grow their faith and feel loved and courage seen and known.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Easter Bundle includes God's Holy Spirit and Me and Interactive, 20-day devotional for kids ages 6-12, to explore what it means to have God's Spirit working in their lives.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Scripture affirmation cards 25 cards packed with truths from God's Word to remind your grandkids of their identity and Christ and give them confidence every day.
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: and noteworthy prayers, customizable cards for prayers, scripture, and space for you to write, personal notes of encouragement for your grandchild.
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: These fun and faith-filled resources are now bundled for just $35, that's $25 off the full price.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Don't wait, order your bundle now and make this Easter truly unforgettable for your family.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Visit cpgive.org and get your bundle today.
• 10:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, that cpgive.org.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, let's get back to our conversation.
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Framework number four is that you will experience God's peace.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: The peace of God is not circumstantial, it's supernatural.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: It can settle into your heart even when nothing around you has changed.
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: The problems may still be there, the questions remain unanswered, yet beneath it all there is a steady assurance.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: God is here and I am not alone.
• 10:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: This kind of piece doesn't come from fixing everything or finally figuring it all out.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: It comes from commuting with God, it's the quiet calm that follows on his prayer.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: The deep exhale of a soul that has handed its burden over to a faithful father.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Your circumstances may look exactly the same, but your heart has shifted.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Fear loosens its grip, trust takes root.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: You are no longer striving to control what you cannot, because you've placed it in God's hands.
• 11:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Peace is the fruit of the first three steps.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can't rush it or bypass the process.
• 11:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: If peace feels elusive, it may not be because you're doing something wrong.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: It may simply be because you haven't yet talked to God, name your needs or pause to remember His faithfulness.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Don't chase peace, draw near to God.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Peace isn't something you force or figure out.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's the natural result of drawing close to God, and when you walk with Him this way, peace doesn't wait for everything to be resolved.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: It meets you right where you are in the middle of the unanswered questions and unfinished stories.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: We don't need to shame ourselves for being human.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: We will visit us from time to time in the season, but it doesn't have to take up residents.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: God and His kindness has given us a loving framework that we can return to again and again, one that is free from guilt and rooted in trust.
• 12:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is who your God is.
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: He invites you closer, listens patiently, and meets you with compassion.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is steady when your heart feels unsettled and faithful when your future feels uncertain.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as you bring your worries to him, honestly, consistently and without fear, you will discover the kind of peace that lasts.
• 12:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Not because life avoids a difficulty, but because you are held by the God who never lets go.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Here's your coaching tip of the week.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: In each episode, I will give you one actionable step to improve your life.
• 12:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember, you can't change everything, but you can take one step to be better.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want you to go to a quiet place for a few minutes and open your Bible and turn to Philippians 46.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: And don't read it as a review for worrying, but rather an invitation to partner with God as you process your fears.
• 13:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just sit in it, sit with God, and be settled in it, and see what God does.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: God was never asking you to stop worrying through sheer willpower.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was asking you to bring your worry to him, to pray honestly, to name you needs without apology, to remember his faithfulness, and to rest in the peace that follows closeness with him.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: If this episode encouraged you, would you take a moment to share it with another empty Ness mom who might be lying awake tonight with a racing mind?
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember Mama, Grace, and Peace, you've got this, and God's got you.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for spending time with me on the Midlife Mama Podcast.
• 13:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: My hope is that you leave each episode feeling encouraged, grounded, and clearer.
• 13:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Clearer about what you're feeling, what God may be stirring in you, and how to move forward in the season of the empty nest.
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Through these conversations, I'm not just sharing stories, I'm coaching you, helping you name what's happening beneath the service, challenging the thoughts that keep you stuck and take intentional steps toward peace and confidence as a midlife mom.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're ready to go deeper and want personalized coaching support, I invite you to apply for coaching.
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Coaching is a focused one-on-one space where we work together to gain clarity, process emotions, and discern what God is calling you to in this next chapter.
• 14:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll find the application linked in the show notes, and let's stay connected.
• 14:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can find me on Instagram at PHinkleman.
• 14:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's P-H-E-M-K-E-L-M-A-N, or on Facebook at Pamela Hinglman, Emptinessed Coach.
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to figure out the season alone, Mama.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Support and direction are possible, and I'm here when you're ready.