Holding on when you want to let go | with Sheila Walsh
Episode 118 – How do we hold on when we want to let go? How do we persevere with God when we are about to give up? How do we answer our WHY questions? How does our trauma inform and shape our faith? How can we know that God is trustworthy in the midst of trauma, crisis and disaster? Stephanie welcomes international speaker, bestselling author and fellow Bible geek Sheila Walsh. From Scotland, Sheila is an author, Bible teacher and television host. She has spoken around the world to over 6 million people and reaches a potential 100 million daily as co-host of the Life Today television program. Sheila loves to make the Bible practical, sharing how God met her at her lowest point and helped her to rise up again. Her message? God is faithful and He is holding you!
Sheila’s books have sold over 5.5 million copies including multiple bestsellers “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” and her new book “Holding On When You Want To Let Go.” This latest book is the focus of our episode today.
Sheila vulnerably shares the traumatic events of her childhood, the loneliness, anxiety, and depression that still creep into her life, how the coronavirus pandemic magnified and exacerbated her struggles, and the source of the hope that keeps her holding on each and every day. “I am still learning how to be healed and whole,” says Sheila Walsh. “God is still writing my story. He is writing yours too. The pieces are not lost. You are not forgotten, overlooked, pushed aside. Your story is simply not finished yet. We all wish that we were able to be the perfect parents, partners, friends, to never bruise another soul, but we are flawed and that’s why each one of us needs a Father.” In an effort to connect with the millions worldwide who are hurting struggling with mental health and pain from their past, Sheila honestly shares the issues that plague her, the promises and miracles she clings to, and the practical strategies and steps and that have helped sustain her on her journey to keep holding on.
For those having a hard time hanging on, Sheila offers a lifeline of hope. With great compassion born of experience and hardship, she comes alongside the hurting, fearful, and exhausted to remind them that no matter how insurmountable their struggles may feel, hope and love are freely available from the God who writes their story. Sharing from her own pain and digging deep into biblical stories of rescue, hope, and miracles, she gives readers the strength to keep going, to keep holding on to God in a world turned upside down. “I don’t know what the missing pieces in your story are. I don’t know the circumstances you find yourself in right now or why you might feel as if you are just clinging to hope by a thin thread. But I do know this. You are not alone. You are not abandoned. You are seen. You are loved. You are believed. You are forgiven. You are free. Hold on to God with everything that’s in you and on the days when you feel yourself slipping, remember you are being held.”
CONNECT WITH SHEILA
Buy “Holding on when you want to let go”: https://sheilawalsh.com/holdingon/
https://www.facebook.com/sheilawalshconnects
https://www.instagram.com/sheilawalsh1/
https://twitter.com/SheilaWalsh
IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES!
Click to check out the first episode of each season:
We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Centering on Christ: the Tabernacle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series on gospelspice.com or wherever you are listening to this one from!
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/
"Identity in the Battle": https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
The Psalms:
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/
The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE
If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:
PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/
PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward
PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!
Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.
Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!
Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.
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.
Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!