Today’s episode is for the person who feels the pressure of stress and anxiety - when you can’t even focus long enough to pray, let alone read Scripture. My guest is Dr. Angela Deulen, and she connects faith and neurobiology in a way that is so practical. We talk about how stress affects the brain, why the Psalms can help calm your nervous system, and how gratitude and joy can tether you back to hope so you can actually renew your mind and receive what God has for you.
✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In Episode 104 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Dr. Angela Deulen to explore the connection between faith, stress, and the nervous system. If you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or “noisy on the inside,” Angela explains why spiritual habits can feel difficult when your nervous system is dysregulated and how calming your body can help you reconnect with God. She shares a powerful framework she calls the “Davidic arc,” showing how David’s Psalms often start in despair and move toward trust, helping us shift from fight-or-flight into a more regulated state where we can think clearly and renew our minds. They also talk about how gratitude supports regulation, why community matters (“borrow faith” from others), and how our view of God can impact fear-based responses. This episode is practical, hopeful, and deeply grounding.
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PODCAST SHOW NOTES:
Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)
🎧Listen on
Apple
🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon)
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🩵 ABOUT US
Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.
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🔗 LINKS
Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram
Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok
Follow Jill on Instagram
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📖 BIBLE RESOURCES
Psalm 23 | Psalm 22 | Romans 12 (renew your mind) | Philippians 4:8 | 2 Corinthians 10:5
The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links
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📣 GUEST
Angela Deulen’s website
Follow Angela on Instagram and YouTube
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🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:
Episode #100 Biblical Boundaries, Peace and Celebrating ONE HUNDRED Episodes w/ Cassian Bellino
Episode #96 Interruptible Faith w/ Katherine Douglass and Brittany Tausen
Episode #74 Proximity Over Performance w/ Terence Lester
Episode #72 Bearing Witness to Brave Faith w/ Kurt Ver Beek
Episode #59 Loyal in His Love: How Jesus Heals What People Break w/ Tabitha Panariso
Episode #53 Faith Isn’t Fragile w/ Erin Moon