Talks with Tori

Latest Episodes:

i prayed for this life... so why am i struggling? | the lie that turns blessings into burdens Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

i'm not gonna lie.. i was tired recording this one. and that turned out to be exactly the point.
Episode Sponsors:

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iced coffee in a can from the little drive-through shack (if you're in Franklin, you know), a one, two and three year old who did not sleep, and a heart that really needed this word as much as you do ☕

here's where the Lord has had me: every single blessing you pray for comes paired with responsibility. the home comes with the mortgage. the kids come with the stewarding. the job means you have to show up. and the enemy doesn't come to take the blessing away.. he comes to change the lens. he takes the responsibility side of the blessing and gets you looking at the very thing you prayed for like it's a burden. so we go to Matthew 25 and sit with the two servants who multiplied what they were given.. because what the master gave them wasn't a vacation. it was MORE. more responsibility, more to steward. and i don't think that's a punishment. i think that's the whole point. when He comes back i want Him to find me faithful and thankful.. not cursing the things i begged Him for.

📖 Galatians 6:9, Matthew 25:14–30, Philippians 4:8

→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough (we build your battle plan in there): HERE
→ Missed last week's episode on the God who sees you? Listen HERE
→ The full deep dive on Matthew 25 and the servants: HERE
→ Why God lets you get crushed (trials + the oil): HERE
→ Riley's newsletter, The Courage Club: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE

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What happened in this episode!
0:00 i'm tired today (iced coffee in hand)
1:54 a prayer before we start
3:39 the sneaky way the enemy turns blessings into burdens
5:14 i love the reason i'm tired
6:04 Galatians 6.. don't give up in doing good
6:48 "i don't want Him to find me cursing what i prayed for"
10:27 Matthew 25.. He gave it to you to multiply, not maintain
13:34 the servants who were faithful got MORE
15:48 saved from something, saved for something
17:15 turn every reason you're tired into praise
20:24 the art of looking for the good (Riley's letter)
23:07 why you need a battle plan
25:23 it's not a sin to be tired.. rest before you grumble
26:44 the wrong train (Christine Caine)
28:40 i love you guys

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→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Follow along on IG: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE
→ Leave me a voice message: (615) 656-0986
→ Or record online: HERE
→ All my links in one place: HERE

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God, i just need to know what to do next | when you can't see the whole picture Oct 23, 2026

Show notes

i asked a few girls this week what they need most in this season.. and three of them gave me the exact same answer. more on that below-
Episode Sponsors:

cold coffee in hand (reheated four times, 9am, you know the drill) and James has been wrecking me in the best way.. there are blue sticky notes all over our living room wall right now. so grab your Bible and your notebook, we're going through James 1, 3 and 4 and then over to Genesis 16 ☕

here's where the Lord has had me: why are we doing the good things? serving, leading, starting the podcast, writing the book.. if the why isn't flowing out of actually experiencing His grace, it points to a divided heart. and James says a divided heart won't receive the wisdom it's asking for. then the question that three different girls answered the same way: "i just want to feel seen." so we end with Hagar.. the servant nobody in that house saw as a person, pregnant and alone in the wilderness, and the God who found her, called her by name, and asked her how she was doing. she's the one who named Him El Roi, the God who sees me. whatever you need most right now.. He is. and you don't have to perform to be seen by Him.

📖 James 1:2–8, James 3:14–16, James 4:1–3, Genesis 16:1–14, Hebrews 11:1, Psalm 139:23–24, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 34:18, Nehemiah 4:17

→ Missed last week's episode on why following God feels so hard? Listen HERE
→ The secret place episode i keep coming back to: HERE
→ Why God lets you get crushed (trials + the oil): HERE
→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE

—

What happened in this episode!
0:00 cold coffee + the thing God keeps bringing up
2:35 why are you really doing the good things?
5:24 James 1.. the verse i wish stopped halfway
8:23 you ask and still don't get it (James 4)
12:04 are we elevating gifts over character?
18:07 three girls, the exact same answer
19:02 whatever you need right now.. He is
20:49 faith is a substance you can hold
24:20 Hagar, the woman nobody saw
27:15 "where have you come from?" the God who asks
29:18 El Roi.. and a well you can still visit
31:20 four questions to ask yourself this week
35:22 a prayer over you 🤍

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Why Does Following God Feel So Hard? | what a Spirit-led life actually looks like Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

we say "follow the peace" all the time.. but what if some of us have been following the easy way and calling it peace? 🤍 more on that below-
Episode Sponsor:

i walked in ready to talk about something totally different and the Lord pivoted me right before i hit record (classic). a sermon at our church two weeks ago has been burning in me ever since, and it keeps coming up in conversations with so many of you.. so grab your coffee, we're going through Romans 8 together ☕

here's the truth i can't shake: a life led by the Holy Spirit leads you into life and peace.. but not always ease. the same Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. He'll lead you into war with your flesh and into character that only hard seasons can grow.. and He also leads you into freedom from fear and shame, the confidence of being chosen and adopted as His heir, and a hope nothing on this earth can hold. if following Jesus feels harder than you expected right now.. you're not doing it wrong.

📖 Romans 8:1–25, Luke 4:1–2, Luke 8:4–15, James 1:2–4

🔎 i asked y'all to fact-check me on the adoption part, so here it is.. the practice i described is Roman adoption (the world Paul was writing to), not Levitical law. and yes, it's real: a Roman father could legally adopt an heir, even a grown man, who then had the exact same inheritance rights as a biological son.

→ Missed last week's episode on when God's timing feels too slow? Listen HERE
→ The Parable of the Sower episode i mentioned: HERE
→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE

—

What happened in this episode!
0:00 The Reality of Being Led by the Spirit
2:12 Misunderstanding Peace for Ease
5:05 Following the Spirit Over Fleshly Desires
10:26 When the Spirit Leads You Into Battle
14:21 The Confidence of Being Adopted by God
22:02 Living with an Eternal Perspective

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When God's Timing Feels Too Slow | why the delay might be preparing you for more Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

if God's timing feels way too slow right now.. this episode is for you. and honestly it took me four tries to even press record.. i kept having to stop and just worship, and by the end i knew exactly why the enemy didn't want us having this conversation 🤍 more on that below-
Episode Sponsors:

Hosanna Revival 🤍 the Marlowe Bible (NLT, notetaking edition) is the one you see me holding in this episode.. my goal is one Bible per kid with every page marked up to pass down someday, and this one is Noah's (he wanted his handprint drawn inside 🤍). use code TORIMASTERS for 15% off → shop HERE

it all started with a bedtime. i was rocking Ezzie, watching the clock, anxious to get out the door to a women's prayer night.. and the Lord stopped me with one sentence: you prayed for this. the moment i was rushing through to get to the "ministry moment" WAS the ministry moment. so today we're talking about hurry, delays, and the line i wrote in my notebook that won't leave me alone: the journey isn't the obstacle between you and your assignment.. the journey IS the assignment.

then we're going deep in Mark 5.. Jairus begging Jesus to hurry, the woman who wasn't even supposed to be in that crowd, why Jesus stopped for her anyway, and how the "delay" turned a healing into a resurrection. if you're in a season of waiting, He is not late.. He might be doing something bigger than what you asked for.

📖 Mark 5:21–43, Psalm 37:23, Luke 8:4–15

→ Missed last week's episode on why you can't focus when you pray? Listen HERE
→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE

—

What happened in this episode!
0:00 why this episode almost didn't happen
2:44 the bedtime that became holy ground
6:30 none of it matters if this isn't fruitful
9:53 the journey IS the assignment
10:51 into Mark 5.. Jesus heals on the way
13:43 the woman who wasn't supposed to be there
17:52 the 12-year detail i just noticed
18:23 when Jesus seems too slow
23:19 heart posture over the goal
25:42 the art of lingering
30:06 a prayer over you 🤍

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I Can't Focus When I Pray (and I finally know why) Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

okay so this one came out of a bedtime routine.. i caught myself timing how fast we could get the boys down and the Lord stopped me with one thought: ten years from now you won't regret the slow nights, you'll regret the rushed ones 🤍

and then it got personal.. because if i'm rushing bedtime with my boys, i'm probably rushing my time with the Father too. this episode is about why we get so distracted the second we try to pray, why that resistance is a compass and not a stop sign, and what Jesus was really saying in the parable of the sower about the thorns that quietly choke out the fruit in your life.

if you feel like your thoughts about God keep getting crowded out by everything else.. this one's for you.

📖 Luke 8:4–15, Ephesians 6:12, James 1:2–4, John 15:4–5, Isaiah 55:11, James 4:8

→ Missed last week's episode on stewarding the next 20 minutes? Listen HERE
→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE

Episode Sponsors:

Good Ranchers! 100% American meat delivered to your door, pasture-raised, no antibiotics, no added hormones. This month you get $50 off your first order (build your own box starts at $129) plus double the free meat when you start a plan → shop HERE

Hosanna Revival 🤍 the 5-year prayer journal i talk about in this episode is the one i've been writing in every night.. one page per day, a line for each year, so you can literally watch God's faithfulness stack up over time. all their devotionals are 30% off through today, and code TORIMASTERS takes 15% off everything else → shop HERE

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What happened in this episode!
0:00 The Wonder of His Presence
2:21 The Trap of the Achiever Mindset
6:25 Resistance as a Spiritual Compass
12:56 Restoring the Art of Awe and Wonder
16:40 Are Your Worries Crowding Out God?
22:15 The Secret to Expanding Your Capacity

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I’m Crashing Out and I Can't Stop the Spiral | what to do when everything hits at once Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

okay this one is raw.. i had a whole different episode planned and the day before recording the Lord pivoted me, so you're getting exactly what He walked me through this week 🤍

if you've ever hit that moment where all the kids are crying, the laundry is overflowing, work is calling and you feel like you're about to snap.. this is for you. i was quite literally "crashing out", as they say and what God showed me mid spiral is the same thing He shows David in the Psalms and Jeremiah in Lamentations.. you get it ALL out, and then you find your "but God" moment!

we talk about the war for your thought life, why whatever you fixate on gets magnified, and the two very practical things that pulled me out of it.. one solution per problem, and surrendering the next 20 minutes instead of the next six months.

📖 Lamentations 3:1–33, Psalm 13, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:2

→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & apply for the next Deep Waters Retreat: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send (the weekly email Chad was working on that morning lol): HERE

Episode Sponsors:

Hosanna Revival 🤍 the beautiful Bibles, journals, and devotionals you always see me holding. i'm in week three of Songs for the Suffering and it wrecked me in the best way. all their devotionals are 30% off right now, and code TORIMASTERS takes 15% off everything else → shop HERE

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What happened in this episode!
0:00 Finding Meaning Through Christ
3:36 A Personal Story of Overwhelm
7:21 The Power of the But God Moment
10:42 Lessons from Lamentations
20:03 Practical Steps to Capture Your Thoughts
29:59 Closing Prayer and Encouragement

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I Had Hoped Things Would Look Different by Now | when God is doing something bigger than you asked for Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

GOSH THIS ONE CONVICTED ME 😅😮‍💨 buckle up ladies…
if you've had your eyes fixed on one solution.. one outcome you're sure will fix everything.. this episode is for you. today we're in two stories that go together more than you'd think: the man at the pool of Bethesda who'd been stuck for 38 years (John 5), and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who were walking with Jesus and didn't even recognize Him (Luke 24).
both of them had hoped for something specific from God.. and both of them almost missed what He was actually doing. if you've been praying "Lord, just take me out of this storm," hear this today.. sometimes the pressure is producing something that could never come any other way. God sees you, He's right beside you, and He might be doing something bigger than the thing you asked for.

📖 John 5:1-9, Luke 24:13-35, John 15:9, Hebrews 11:1

→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & the Deep Waters Retreat waitlist: HERE

Episode Sponsors:

Good Ranchers! 100% American meat delivered to your door, pasture-raised, no antibiotics, no added hormones. Get $50 off your first order + free meat with every order when you start a plan → shop HERE

Hosanna Revival 🤍 the beautiful Bibles, journals, and devotionals you always see me holding (I'm currently reading "I Am Not In Charge" by Ness Cannon and i can't put it down). Use code TORIMASTERS for 15% off anything → shop HERE

Lyte 🤍 the AI built by Christians, for Christians, that points you back to Scripture instead of embellishing it. Try it free → download HERE

—

What happened in this episode!

0:00 the excuse we all give God
1:31 why this episode almost didn't happen
5:11 the "business meeting" that changed everything
6:14 "I had hoped".. the two words keeping you stuck
7:38 what the pressure was actually building
12:03 the devotional on my nightstand
14:24 the man stuck for 38 years (John 5)
16:49 his eyes were on the water, not on Jesus
18:00 "just stand up and walk"
23:53 the road to Emmaus (Luke 24)
29:06 suddenly, their eyes were opened
33:40 fixing your gaze.. a prayer over you 🤍

—

→ Grab my 5-day mini course, Enough: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & the Deep Waters Retreat waitlist: HERE
→ Follow along on IG: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE
→ Leave me a voice message: (615) 656-0986
→ Or record online: HERE
→ All my links in one place: HERE

Hosted on beehiiv. Read the full Privacy Policy at beehiiv.com/privacy.

When You're Too Tired to Be With God | intimacy with God in the busy season Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

this one is for the tired mom who feels like she can't get to God the way she used to.. the one whose quiet time looks nothing like the aesthetic morning she sees online, and who's wondering if just showing up exhausted even counts. 🤍
my sweet friend Grace Hackett (host of the Miracles and Grace podcast) came on and we went everywhere.. finding intimacy with God in the busy season, saying yes to His call even when it's scary, hearing His voice, becoming a safe place instead of a shame trap, and the difference between your mission field and your battlefield.

if you've been running on empty and striving to earn your time with God, hear this today.. He gives His beloved rest, and He is just inviting you to come.

📖 Matthew 11:28 • Psalm 127:2 • Galatians 5:22-23 • Luke 7:36-50

This episode is sponsored by Good Ranchers! As we celebrate 250 years of America this Fourth of July, here's a question.. did you know more than 85% of grass-fed beef in grocery stores is imported? We've trusted Good Ranchers for 4+ years.. 100% American meat delivered to your door, pasture-raised, no antibiotics, no added hormones. They're celebrating all 50 states with $50 off your first order (their best offer ever!) plus free meat with every order when you start a plan. Shop HERE for $50 off. Good Ranchers — American meat delivered.

This episode is also sponsored by Hosanna Revival 🤍 the beautiful Bibles and journals you always see me holding! i have the Marlo Bible (NLT note-taking) and i'm so excited about their five-year prayer journal, and everything they make is crafted with such beauty to help you get into the Word. Use code TORIMASTERS for 15% off any Bible, journal, or devotional.

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Host: Tori Masters

Guest: Grace Hackett — Miracles and Grace podcast

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What happened in this episode!

0:00 we don't get to judge anyone's heart
0:31 meet Grace.. 8 kids, 4 adopted & a rescue center in Uganda
6:25 saying yes scared.. the day her mom heard "I have a child for you"
13:26 why your quiet time doesn't have to look perfect
22:15 the night God said "just come rest"
28:04 the word she sat on for 6 years.. and the diagnosis that confirmed it
35:42 why it's easier to receive from someone who's been there
42:48 how to actually become a safe place (not a shame trap)
45:11 "if I'm doing this for my own fame, take it all away"
47:10 don't take criticism from someone you wouldn't take advice from
48:43 you are who you surround yourself with
54:51 your mission field is not your battlefield 🤍

Links & More!

→ Shop Good Ranchers: HERE
→ Shop Hosanna Revival (code TORIMASTERS): HERE
→ Grace's podcast, Miracles and Grace: HERE
→ Love One International: HERE
→ Follow Grace on Instagram: HERE
→ Join Unveiled & waitlist for November Retreat (at bottom of page): HERE
→ Follow Tori on Instagram: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE
→ Leave Tori a voice message for a future Q&A: 615-656-0986 (or record online HERE)
→ All Tori's Links: HERE

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Why God Lets You Get Crushed | the hidden purpose in your hardest season Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

some seasons feel like a graveyard.. like the very thing you're carrying is dead and buried and could never be used by God. but what if the thing that crushed you the most is the exact thing He wants to use the most? 🤍
this one poured out of me after a night i'll never forget.. watching God set woman after woman free from shame. it sent me into a study on anointing that completely wrecked me, because here's what i can't stop thinking about.. the oil only comes from the crushing.

we walk through the ones God anointed.. David, Joseph, Moses, even Jesus.. and the wilderness that came before every single assignment. so if you feel hidden, overlooked, or stuck in a pressing season, hear me friend.. you are not disqualified. you are being prepared.

📖 Psalm 105:19 (+ the stories of David, Joseph & Moses)

This episode is sponsored by Good Ranchers! Chad has the highest standards, and we've been subscribed for 4+ years.. 100% American meat delivered to your door, pasture-raised, no antibiotics, no added hormones. It makes the perfect Father's Day gift.. it shows up on his plate all month long 🙌 Shop HERE for $40 off + free Wagyu burgers on any Father's Day box. Good Ranchers — American meat delivered.

This episode is also sponsored by Hosanna Revival 🤍 the beautiful Bibles and journals you always see me holding! i have the Marlo Bible (NLT note-taking) and the Lisbon notebook, and everything they make is crafted with such beauty to help you get into the Word. Use code TORIMASTERS for 15% off any Bible, journal, or devotional.

—

Host: Tori Masters

—

What happened in this episode!

00:00 the graveyard that turned into a garden (the vision)
04:32 the night i watched chains break off women
05:46 the day i went public with my secret.. and a burden became a key
13:24 a Father's Day word (Good Ranchers)
15:16 the word the Lord would not stop giving me
18:01 why shepherds anoint their sheep.. and what it means for you
20:31 others are blessed by the oil that came from what crushed you
22:15 the Bibles you always ask about (Hosanna Revival)
25:14 David, Joseph & Moses.. the wilderness before the assignment
27:08 you don't get the oil until the olive is crushed
30:16 your crushing isn't disqualifying you.. it's pressing out the oil
33:32 he sees you.. you're an arrow in His hands 🤍

Links & More!

→ Shop Good Ranchers: HERE
→ Shop Hosanna Revival (code TORIMASTERS): HERE
→ Join Unveiled & waitlist for October Retreat (at bottom of page): HERE
→ Follow Tori on Instagram: HERE
→ Subscribe to The Sunday Send: HERE
→ Leave Tori a voice message for a future Q&A: 615-656-0986 (or record online HERE)
→ All Tori's Links: HERE

Hosted on beehiiv. Read the full Privacy Policy at beehiiv.com/privacy.

For the Woman Who's Comparing, Waiting & Worn Out | your questions answered Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

this one is a little different.. it's our very first call-in episode, and it honestly felt like we were all just sitting on the couch together 🤍 you sent in your questions and i answered as many as i could, going wherever the Holy Spirit led!

we talked about whether heaven is actually exciting (spoiler.. it's so much better than the floating-on-clouds version we got sold), what it looks like to be your husband's crown instead of the decay in his bones, the word i'd give every new mama, and the tension of wanting another baby while still trusting God's timing.

if there's one thread through all of it, it's this.. stop running to the noise at 3AM and start leaning into His voice. He is so much nearer than you think.

This episode is sponsored by Good Ranchers! If Chad has taught me one thing, it's to not cut corners.. not in work, not in life, and definitely not in what you put on the table for your family. So this Father's Day, don't go halfway.. give him American meat that meets his standards. Good Ranchers partners with local farmers and ranchers to deliver 100% American meat straight to your door.. pasture-raised, no antibiotics, no added hormones.
And for Father's Day they make gifting easy.. schedule the delivery for the day you know dad will be home, add a custom gift message, and get free express shipping (every order backed by their satisfaction guarantee, so no stress about shipping perishable food). Shop HERE for $40 off + free meat, and for a limited time when you grab any Father's Day gift box they'll throw in free Wagyu burgers too. Good Ranchers — American meat delivered.

we sat in Revelation 21 dreaming about the home God is preparing for us, and in Romans 8 where the Holy Spirit takes our groanings and weaves them together with the will of God 🕊️ this is what it looks like to fix our eyes on Him in the middle of real life.

📖 Revelation 21, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Proverbs 12:4 & 31:10–12, Romans 8:26–28

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Host: Tori Masters

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Timestamps

00:00 "stop going to ChatGPT at 3AM.. lean into the Holy Spirit instead" (cold open)
00:30 welcome back + how the call-in line works
02:25 praying us in
05:18 Kylie asks.. is heaven actually exciting?
07:50 the boring heaven Hollywood sold us
08:31 Revelation 21.. no more tears, streets of gold, no more pain
16:10 can you imagine a world with no evil? (1 Corinthians 2:9)
18:43 a Father's Day word
20:27 the nagging wife question.. when you start competing with your husband
24:51 his crown or the decay in his bones?
29:30 Sydney asks.. a word for the new mama
31:09 let the other voices fade & lean into His voice
32:57 wanting a baby.. how do i hope and still surrender?
36:23 the night Chad told me motherhood had become an idol
38:14 the throne room vision i'll never forget
41:51 how we finally got pregnant
44:29 Unveiled is open + leave your question for next time
45:55 prayer over you 🤍
Links & More!