The battle to embrace gratefulness through hardship | with Rachel Wojo
Stephanie welcomes Rachel Wojo, who exhibits grace under pressure. Rachel recounts the hardships she's faced, not as a means of lament, but as a powerful testimony to her faith in God. Throughout the years, Rachel has encountered numerous challenges that have tested her faith and resilience. Rather than succumbing, she has chosen to lean into God’s strength. From personal hardships like joblessness and financial stress, to navigating the extraordinary pains of watching her daughter slowly lose her life to a rare disease, and the loss of several other key family members, Rachel's story of tenaciously clinging to Christ proves that it is possible to emerge stronger and more faithful.
Rachel shares her story of becoming a single mother to a special needs child after discovering her husband's affair, leading her to rely more deeply on her faith. Her eventual remarriage and the birth of five children, along with the devastating loss of her daughter Taylor to a rare neurological condition, illustrate the peaks and valleys of her journey.
What happens when God’s answer to our prayer is NO? Rachel shares her journey of praying for her daughter Taylor’s earthly healing, only to embrace the eventual understanding that Taylor’s true healing would come in heaven. This acceptance of God's broader plan beyond immediate desires offers a deeper understanding and trust in His divine wisdom. Rachel’s book, "Desperate Prayers," is a source of comfort and guidance for those struggling with faith and prayer life. Her stories, drawn from personal pain and loss, illustrate the profound transformation that can come from earnest, desperate prayers and a heartfelt surrender to God.
Rachel offers vivid examples of the importance of gratitude. She shares how she has learned to recognize "God moments"—serendipitous events that, when noticed, reveal God's subtle presence and guidance in our daily lives. She recalls pivotal moments where choosing to focus on small blessings, such as "noticing the sunshine through the window," helped her navigate through immense grief and trials. This perspective shift, seeing God’s work in the gentle, everyday occurrences, has been transformative for her.
Rachel reflects on her journey of enduring hardship and witnessing God's hand in the small moments of life. When reflecting on the journey of a faithful servant, it's the moments of hardship and perseverance that vividly stand out. Rachel explores the idea of discovering gratefulness in small, often overlooked, moments. In our fast-paced world, it's easy to become overwhelmed by adversity, missing the simple blessings that God provides daily. Rachel shares how she has cultivated an attitude of gratitude, even during the toughest times. This perspective shift has allowed her to recognize and cherish the small glimpses of joy and blessings in her life. By focusing on God's presence in the mundane and the miraculous, Rachel demonstrates that gratefulness can be a powerful antidote to despair.
Stephanie’s conversation with Rachel invites all of us to reflect on our own lives and consider how we can embrace gratefulness and deeper faith amidst our trials. Our journeys, no matter how difficult, are imbued with God's grace and presence.
So, listen to Rachel’s story; and then also introspectively examine your own hardships and blessings. By fostering a heart of gratitude, we too can witness God’s hand in our lives and draw strength from it.
MEET RACHEL WOJO
Rachel says, "Sin erupted in my 'perfect life'. I grew up in a wonderful Christian home with fabulous Christian parents. Our family was faithful to church, and I graduated from a Christian school. I attended a Christian college and completed the circle by teaching in a Christian school. My future husband was a “preacher boy,” and when we married, the plan was that he would take a youth pastor position wherever God led. Only after we married did he have serious doubts about his calling and stop attending church altogether. After two years of marriage, a precious daughter was born to us via emergency c-section. She experienced oxygen deprivation and required resuscitation, but she lived. Three years after Taylor’s birth, I discovered that her father had been having an affair essentially four of the five years we were married. Despite that great protective environment I’d always known, and being faithful to God’s house, sin had erupted in my “perfect” life, and my marriage to this man didn’t withstand. Bad choices were made by both parties, and we divorced.
Despite all the pain and loss of the “perfect” life, God brought a solid Christian man into my life, and He has given us a wonderful story of grace and redemption. But amid Matt and I falling in love, my dearest mom fell severely ill, diagnosed with a rare type of anemia. Two months later, the diagnosis was changed to leukemia, and she lived just six short months after that. Mom was the strongest, most faithful Christian I’ve ever personally known; she was my best friend. The discovery process for my daughter Taylor’s developmental delays became more intense during my divorce and my mom’s death. Doctors often blamed the delays on her lack of oxygen at birth. But in my heart, I knew there was more to her issues. Nine months after my mom’s death, the diagnosis for Taylor came through: MPSIIIB, a rare genetic metabolic disorder that causes gradual neurological degeneration. The average life span is 10-15 years, and there is no cure or even a treatment. Upon receiving Taylor’s diagnosis, my walk with the Lord became intense. I asked all the “why” and “how” questions. I wanted God to spill out His plan for my entire life in one day. But through His Word, God has taught me that faith is not only a one-time decision; it’s an everyday decision. Trusting His plan for your everyday life is equally as important as trusting Him for your eternal life.
On January 2, 2019, our Taylor graduated to heaven. The heartache and sorrow of our loss, yet heaven’s gain, is difficult to describe in a few words. In November 2018, I began writing letters to Taylor because she could no longer communicate. God has richly blessed Matt and me with a beautiful family and more blessings than we can count. Our incredible six children are growing steadily; they challenge me and bless me in every way. I am so very thankful for them. Each day we live by faith that God would have His will in our lives. Each day we claim God’s promises and choose to run towards His plan, no matter what it includes. We are still learning how to take one more step."
MORE ABOUT "DESPERATE PRAYERS"
Do your prayers resemble last-minute cries more than first-response chats? You’re not alone in calling out to God in life’s pitch-black moments and wondering if He’s listening.
Enter the powerful secrets of the Bible's eleventh-hour pleas of fifteen men and women. This engaging book invites you into the prayer stories of struggling Bible characters like Hagar, Hannah, and David. Each chapter's simple three-word prayer focus will deepen your trust and affirm your heart that it’s best to be you before God.
The ideal desperate pray-er to shine light on your prayer dilemmas, Rachel Wojo vulnerably shares her heartbreaking experiences of loss while pointing you to your Father. Her prayer journey and promising principles will guide you from frenzied desperation to dependent faith.
When you finish Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments, you’ll know that praying in a panic creates a powerful pathway to peace.
We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.
Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog
Identity in the battle | Ephesians
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/
Shades of Red | Against human oppression
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/
God's glory, our delight
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/
You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer
There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.
But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?
As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.
If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!
A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER
To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.
We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.
So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.
There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.
Let’s begin.
THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE
Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.
So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.
Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!
So, let’s get started.
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