G-8ELY0PC2GG Learning About our Prayer Personalities with Janet McHenry - The BraveHearted Woman

Episode 160

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Published on:

2nd Dec 2024

How Prayer Walking Transformed My Life – Janet McHenry’s Powerful Testimony

"God wants us to come to Him immediately when we face problems. Prayer is more about access than answers." 

In this week's episode of The BraveHearted Woman Podcast, I am joined by Janet McHenry, an award-winning author and prayer expert. 

With 27 books to her name, including the bestsellers PrayerWalk and Praying Personalities, Janet shares her journey of faith, resilience, and the power of prayer. She opens up about a life-altering legal battle her family faced in 2005, revealing how her deep relationship with God and a habit of prayer walking sustained her through that challenging season.

Janet also discusses her latest devotional, Looking Up, which offers 365 daily inspirations drawn from her years of reading the Bible cover to cover. Designed for men and women alike, her devotional encourages readers to find joy and hope in God’s Word, even in life’s desert seasons. Janet’s message of taking “the next right step” and trusting God is a powerful reminder for women facing their own trials.

Whether you're seeking inspiration for your prayer life, or looking for practical encouragement to persevere, this episode is a heartfelt exploration of faith in action!


Timestamps:

0:00 - Guest Intro

3:23 - The BraveHeart Story of Janet McHenry on becoming a prayer warrior

5:16 - How to shape worries into prayers?

11:53 - Understanding prayer personalities

13:43 - The importance of prayers in your life

17:05 - Looking Up: 365 devotions

19:09 - Janet's #1 tip to midlife women



Quotations:

"Prayer walking showed me it wasn’t just about my prayers; it was about opening my eyes to the needs of others." – Janet McHenry

"Prayer is simply about a relationship with God, communicating with Him, and having access to His heart." – Janet McHenry

"The rain falls on the good and the evil alike. It's not what we go through, but how we go through it." – Dawn Damon

"When everything is turned upside down, it's about taking the next right step and trusting God." – Dawn Damon

"You may not feel brave when a crisis hits, but the brave thing is just to do the next right thing." – Janet McHenry

"You can trust God. Take the next right step. Stay with His word." – Dawn Damon



Resources:

🎁Connect with Janet & grab your FREE ebook - Prayer Helps here: janetmchenry.com

_____________

📚 Get a copy of Dawn’s Ignite Your Confidence & Soar with Self-Esteem: https://www.braveheartedwoman.com/ignite_your_confidence_ebook

 📞 Book a FREE 15-minute strategy call with Dawn: https://www.braveheartedwoman.com/book-a-call


Connect with your BraveHeart Mentor, Dawn Damon:

💞 Email me at: dawn@braveheartmentor.com 

💞 Website: https://braveheartedwoman.com/ 

💞 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bravehearted_woman 

💞 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braveheartedwoman 

💞 Podcast: https://the-bravehearted-woman.captivate.fm/listen


Download the full transcript here.

Transcript

Dawn Damon: My guest today is the author of 27 books. Yes, you heard me. 27 books, eight of them on prayer, including the best-selling PrayerWalk and Praying Personalities. Her prayer walking has been featured in national magazines, such as health and others. And along with her book, she's also the creator of the prayer school course online. My guest today has a business called Looking Up, and she named it that because she loves helping others develop a deeper relationship with God through the study of His Word and a praying lifestyle. Please welcome my guest today, award-winning author Janet McHenry.

Hey, Janet!

Janet McHenry: Hey, Dawn. Thank you for having me on today.

Dawn Damon: You're so welcome. I've been looking forward to our discussion and am excited for you. You've got a new devotional book out called Looking Up. We're going to talk about that in a minute, but you know, as I was thinking about our conversation today, I think that sometimes when people look into the lives of authors or speakers, award-winning authors, you won this last Your number one book took the grand prize and I'm just so proud of you. But you know, people sometimes are tempted to think, well, you don't have any problems. You're a prayer warrior. Your life is great. I mean, you have had some brave moments in your life. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Janet McHenry: Well, I live in the Sierra Valley, which is about an hour north of Lake Tahoe, and it's the largest alpine valley in North America. A beautiful place where there are a lot of cattle ranchers, and my husband is a rancher here as well, I taught high school English, and I even taught all four of our kids.

Dawn Damon: Wow.

Janet McHenry: So, it's a beautiful place that people don't know about, but a lovely, wonderful place to live.

Dawn Damon: Yes, sounds beautiful. I just returned from South Africa where we went on safaris and saw the African kind of animals. But I love the plains, the land, the ground, and the beautiful animals.

hing in your life happened in:

Janet McHenry: We sure did and we writers do write out of those pain points of our lives. So in the winter, late in 2005, my husband was challenged with a criminal case. He had lost six calves and an old bull in a blizzard that had covered them over in a dry Creek bed where they had all bedded down together. Then a neighbor found those calves and the old bull dead before my husband did. He called animal control and that led to seven counts of felony animal abuse. It was something we thought we simply would have to live through. The animals had been well fed as the necropsies on those animals had proved. Craig had large animal veterinarians who were going to testify to that fact. But the trial went kind of screwy. He ended up being convicted of six felony animal abuse charges. Those charges were eventually overturned in the California Court of Appeals two years later. But it certainly was nearly a five-year journey from the time of the original charges and until and through that season through the appellate court. And it was really difficult for us.

Dawn Damon: Absolutely. Yeah. Difficult on so many levels. And this is the thing, you know, you've gone through something and the Bible says the rain falls on the good and the evil alike. It's not what we go through, but it's how we go through it. I imagine that in that season, five years, your faith was probably pushed right to the limits. You're trusting God, not knowing how did you keep yourself in peace. How did you keep your mind and your heart at rest, knowing that your whole world had just gotten turned upside down?

Janet McHenry: Yes, well, it took about three and a half years for that case to get to trial and we were pretty focused and positive during that time period, because we knew all the evidence was in our favor, the auction records, the future testimonies, you know, all of that. All of that together, it seemed like it was going to be just something we had to live through. You know, and then when the convictions fell because the judge orchestrated a lot of horrible things in the actual trial itself, you know, we kind of were in shock. I initially had to go on antidepressants because I had, an erasing heart that just wouldn't settle down. And even when I went to the Bible, it seemed like just like a big gray mass to me. I couldn't focus. I couldn't read the words and just find the kind of meaning for my life that I needed at that time.

Dawn Damon: Yes, and didn't you have a habit of reading the Bible every year? So normally the word of God is something that just, you know, blesses and reaches you, you draw strength from it. Now you're finding yourself in this place where it's just this big gray mass. It doesn't connect. You can't find any strength. I mean, it's there, but it's just not connecting How did that change you and impact you?

Janet McHenry: Well, you know, I was frustrated because I was praying like crazy and I'm like God show me something in your word and Finally, I actually went to my shelves and I got out a little devotional book called Streams in the Desert written by L. B. Cowman, and I tried to read this classic devotional book many times before, but it didn't connect. But this time as I read it, it seemed as though every word was for the situation that I needed because she was in a desert time when she was writing that. And so I needed that fresh watering. I needed that watering hole, you know, kind of a season for me. That would speak specifically to the trauma that we had been through. And that's what that did it for me. She was writing about God's word, but in such a way that really could touch my heart. That's partly why I descended eventually. Through this reading through the Bible kind of practice to offer up a devotional book that might do the same for others who needed a little bit of joy in their lives.

Dawn Damon: Yeah, absolutely. I love that because, you know, like you said, sometimes, you know, we're reading the Bible and because we are feeling anxiety. We are feeling some depression. We are struggling with some of the things. It is often very reassuring and comforting to be ministered to by some of the truths and realities that other people have experienced in their desert times. And you know that they're saying here, I've been there. I've gotten through it. I made it. I pray this devotional will bless you too.

t? And was this a part of the:

Janet McHenry: Well, that occurred in the fall of 1998 and I'd been suffering with some health challenges. I was huffing and puffing going up and down stairs. I was needing painkillers to get to sleep at night. I think the worst moment was when I walked out my back door and I found myself in a crumpled heap because my knee had given way. So I knew I needed to do something about my health, but I also knew that for some time God had called me to a deeper life of prayer.

Being a woman who loves to multitask, you know, to get more than one thing done at a time. I thought, you know, I'll just get up a little bit earlier tomorrow before I go to work at the high school. Then I will walk and I will pray while I walk. There was a lot of minus in that initial season until I saw a young man and a little blanketed baby girl to a daycare worker before six o'clock in the morning. I heard that little girl say, bye Daddy, I love you. And I knew that God had me out in the streets less for the minus of my prayers, you know, like for my marriage, my kids, my job, a lot of minus there.

Dawn Damon: Yeah.

Janet McHenry: But more for the needs of other people and that I simply needed to open my eyes, look at for the needs around me, and pray as God led me. So that led to the practice of prayer walking and to a new passion to find out everything God's word says about prayer. So that became a new way that I was going through God's word. As I found a prayer or I found a teaching on prayer, I'd put a little circle P in the margin and underline it and study it a little bit so that I could understand this God who longs to have a relationship with him. And that's really what prayer is all about.

Dawn Damon: Yes, I think sometimes we get the wrong notion about prayer that we have to pray for two hours every morning. We have to pray for three hours. We have to intercede. We have to be on our face, you know. Prayer is communicating with God and having that relationship with God. That kind of stormed the nation too, that prayer walk. I mean, that prayer walking now, going through neighborhoods, multitasking, as you say, but walking, interceding, praying, it's a beautiful way to get out of our own mind and our own head about our own lives and our own pains. Take a look at the world around us. That's for sure. So prayer walking, and then you came up with praying personalities. Different personalities have different kinds of prayer lives, a little bit more about that.

Janet McHenry: Yes, I was speaking to a group of people one day and they'd asked me to explain how to have more prayer time in their lives. So I was listing all these different ways that we could pray and I heard myself say, perhaps that has something to do with our God-given personality. And that really resonated with those ladies. And it was kind of an aha moment for me. So I began again, going to God's word to say, God, is this true? You know, that we don't have to pray in a certain way for it to be the right way, many different ways to have a vital prayer life.

I saw people like Moses arguing with God for two full chapters in Exodus. Then I saw people like Hannah crying out in her pain. And then the next chapter in First Samuel, she's rejoicing because God's given her this child and on and on. We see all these different ways that people approach God in prayer. And so I wrote the book, Praying Personalities.

Dawn Damon: Beautiful. Yes. I agree. Like ever you read the book of Nehemiah, he's always shooting up these little mini prayers real quick to God. I loved that when I saw that because my prayer life tends to be kind You know, I have my moments. I pray every morning and my devotional, all that. But all throughout the day, I'm always sending up these little flair prayers. Like, okay, God, here we go and I thought, Oh yeah. So, you know, God hears that they don't have to be long drown out prayers. The point is God wants a relationship with us.

Janet McHenry: Yes, really.

Prayer is really more about access than answers. We have access to the living God and He desires to have that relationship with us. So as we face problems in our lives, certainly he wants us to go to him immediately. We see that teaching all over God's word, but he really wants that relationship with us and he loves us.

Dawn Damon: Yes, he does. So all of this rich history that you had. It served you so powerfully when then you found yourself in this crisis situation where you know, your husband is going up against these charges. And what we have to understand about moments like that in life is that we're going along, we have our routines, our patterns, we have joy, things are well. Then everything, when it's turned upside down, we don't recognize our life. Maybe for the first three years after that, it was fairly normal. But you find yourself in this situation, sleepless nights. I'm sure worry, anxiety, racing heart, you know, to trust God, but everything that you know is just, it feels like this, you know, Charlie Brown's teacher sometimes in our ears when we're having that experience. Do you feel like your knowledge of the word and your prayer life prepared you to make it through this struggle?

Janet McHenry: Absolutely. I think, you know, the longer that we have this life of faith. We can see God's works throughout those paths that we have already crossed before. You know, we see those markers, those guideposts, those stones. We have those stones of remembrance in terms of how we see, Oh God, yes, you got me through that traumatic pregnancy. Yes, God, you got me through that time when I needed that emergency surgery. Yes, God. And so we have all those yes. God moments that we can look back upon, you know, so that, when we are again facing that traumatic situation, we know that God is with us as we just do the next right thing. And the next right thing, you know, may certainly be prayerfully ensconced in, you know, a looking up kind of perspective.

Dawn Damon: Yes, I love how you're saying that. And we do, we have this history now that we can look back and say, God, you were faithful there and you brought me through and you'll be faithful again. You'll bring me through all of the things that life throws at me and take that one day at a time, taking the next right step.

I'm thinking of any women who are listening to this today, and you might find yourself in a situation where the life that you loved, the life that you knew was comfortable or beautiful, whatever word, suddenly is turned upside down or it's different or tragedy is struck or there's divorce. There are financial reversals. There are all kinds of things that happen as we traverse our way through this fallen world. There is a God who sees you he knows you you can trust him and I'm encouraging you along with Janet say, Trust God. Take the next right step. Stay with his word.

Janet, you've written a devotional that could also help. It's called Looking Up. Tell us a little bit about that.

Janet McHenry: As for, so for many years I had been reading through God's word. I think, you know, accumulated something over 20 now and through God's word from Genesis to Revelation every year I found joyful that God always brought me a piece of encouragement through his word every day that I specifically needed for that day. Then, so it just occurred to me, wow, maybe others need to know this too. Maybe they've tried reading through the Bible before, but maybe they got stuck in Leviticus or they got stuck in some of the prophets that seem kind of negative in nature. But so the book is an offering of those pieces of joy that can help encourage you to approach your day and then live faithfully through it.

Dawn Damon: So you have 365 devotions, one for every day. And is this book just for women? Is it for men? Who would benefit from this?

Janet McHenry: Well, it was reviewed by several theological reviewers, so it's ready for men, women, children, and it's written in such a way that it's approachable with, you know, personal experiences, but also a lot of teaching about what actually the chosen verse is for that particular day.

Dawn Damon: Wonderful. Well, I'm so excited for you. Now the book is out and they can find it on Amazon, I'm sure. Are there any other places for them to search for it?

Janet McHenry: Yeah, they could find it in any of the online stores. So, you know, you have christianbook.com or other places as well. And it's available through Our Daily Bread Publications, which is the publisher. And that's a really good, great place to go as well.

Dawn Damon: Yeah. Shout out to Our Daily Bread. I live in the same hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. So, that's awesome that you're an author with them. So you know, my audience, we are bravehearted women. And before we say goodbye today, what can you say to a woman who is going through a situation? How can she be brave thoughts from you today?

Janet McHenry: Well, the idea that we may not feel brave. You know, when the crisis hits us, we may not feel brave, but what we can do is just that next thing. What is the next thing? Is it just fix breakfast? You know, what is that next thing? Does it drive the kids to school? What is the next thing?

Is it just to go to the parent meeting that night, just doing the next thing? I think that is the brave thing is just moving forward, you know, with God's help and absolutely knowing that God loves you, God is with you. He's not going to abandon you in your situation and you have his strength to get you through that.

Dawn Damon: Yes, doing the next right thing. Taking those baby steps. I think it was Brené Brown, I think, who says sometimes the bravest thing we can do is just show up. So you're right. Going to school conferences, whatever it is, showing up. Going to church on a Sunday morning, sometimes when you think if people see me here, they're going to, you know, talk to me, I might start crying. And what if I'm vulnerable? What if I'm, it's okay. Do just the next right thing and God's grace is sufficient. I used to think, Janet, that grace was something you got from God when you didn't get what you really wanted. You don't get that, but I'll give you grace. Then I heard this definition of grace, God's supernatural power to overcome. I said that's the kind of grace. Yeah. I love that. All the things that we're going to face. God's grace is available to us. His supernatural power for us to be sustained and overcome. You're an overcomer here. You are today, 20 years later, and still doing amazing. What's next for you?

Janet McHenry: Well, I'm working on another book project and just very excited to see what, you know, God has in mind for that book. You know, it's kind of at the place where decisions are being made and I'm super excited about that, but I hope to keep writing for publication.

Dawn Damon: Yeah, beautiful. Okay, I'm going to take a pivot just real quick before I say goodbye to you. You're an author. How many books? Over 27, did I say? That's an amazing career. When did you write your first book?

Janet McHenry: I wrote my first book in the late 80s. I wrote a series of first chapter books for David C. Cook. I wrote six early reader kind of books for David C. Cook. Then Three Girls Mysteries. So I was immersed in writing for children at first because I was afraid I could never write. A big fat book. So I crept slowly into writing the longer kind of books like, and I've written pretty much, Christian nonfiction since then. So, you know, for anybody who is a writer out there and you want to be brave, start with something small, start with a devotion, you know, start with a microblog, you know, and those kinds of things. And that will build your brave confidence.

Dawn Damon: You know, that's what I was going to ask you, because I know I wrote my first book at 50 years old, 5-0. So it took a lot of courage. It did. It took a lot of bravery for me to put myself out there and to share my story.

My first book was a very difficult book to write for a first book and the subject matter because overcoming, you know, childhood sexual abuse was what I was writing about. But I love that you said that, like, be brave. Write something small, put your toe in, and that you just kept showing up writing book after book. That takes a lot of courage, a lot of fortitude.

I have a lot of women who listen to this podcast who do have a dream of writing a book someday. So, yeah. There you have it, ladies. Start small. You can do it. Janet, it looks to me like you have a free gift that you give. A free ebook on Prayer Helps. Where can they find that?

Janet McHenry: Well, if they go to my website, janetmchenry.com and they sign up for my monthly mini-magazine, which is also called Looking Up, automatically send them a book called Prayer Helps, scripture-based prayer. Prayers when you don't know how to pray and that's an ebook form.

Dawn Damon: Wonderful. It's been a joy to have you today on the podcast. Once again, my guest, Janet McHenry, award-winning author and new book coming out, Looking Up, and thank you so much for being with us today. We appreciate you.

Janet McHenry: Thank you so much, Dawn. God bless you.

Dawn Damon: All right, everybody. Thanks again for tuning in to the Bravehearted Woman, where you hear about our brave stories and also encouragement for you to be brave. I'm going to leave you like I always do. This is Dawn Damon, your Braveheart mentor, saying it's time for you, to find your brave and live your dreams!

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About the Podcast

The BraveHearted Woman
Helping midlife women live brave by exploring the traits of success: Vision clarity, Identity confidence, disciplined mindset, empowering self-talk, and positive habits with courageous actions.
Welcome to The BraveHearted Woman, a podcast dedicated to calling out the brave, bold, beautiful dreams women have for their lives. I’m your BraveHeart mentor, Dawn Damon.
I’m a Confidence Coach, Author, Teacher, and Speaker, whose ultimate goal is to champion women like you!
As your BraveHeart mentor and certified coach, I push you to shed false limits, labels, and lies, so you can find yourself, discover your dreams, boost your confidence, and flourish in midlife and beyond. And because I know how scary it can be to take steps of courageous action that lead to change, I want to support and equip you as you move toward any life transformation you desire!
Our discussions cover various topics for mid-life women, including bold life reinvention, beauty hacks, powerful mindsets, healthy habits and disciplines, physical health, spirituality, and soul healing. I help awaken your heart to believe and to see what is possible!

We explore the mindsets of a successful woman, and talk about what I call the “5 Fortitudes of a BraveHearted Women;” of course, I use the acronym BRAVE.
• Bold Vision
• Real Identity
• Able mindsets
• Virtuous Self-Talk
• Excellent Habits

If you want to grow and develop, ignite the flame of your vision, reach your goals, and achieve your dreams, you’ve come to the right place because we are all things “women empowerment.”
So, thanks for stopping by. I believe you will be motivated, inspired, challenged, and, if you keep coming back…changed!

About your host

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Dawn Damon

HI! It's great to meet you. I'm Dawn Damon, a Podcaster, Best Selling Author, Speaker, and Mentor of BraveHearts and Bold Visionaries . I love to coach and empower women to Live their Brave Vision with courage and fire! I'm the founder of the FreedomGirl Sisterhood Conference and Podcast.

Here's what others say,
"Dawn is an engaging communicator who inspires her audience to move beyond the pain of past trauma and to maximize their God-given purpose and potential in Christ. Dreams are ignited as Dawn uses sound biblical teaching, personal stories, and splashes of humor to awaken the gifts and callings in every person."