Favored with Ashley Wilhite - 15

What happens when you finally stop making excuses and start saying yes to God? Ashley Wilhite's story will inspire you to recognize the divine favor already operating in your life.

During a powerful moment of worship at the 2023 Rise Up conference, Ashley felt an unmistakable spiritual stirring—something new was about to be birthed. The next day, God clearly instructed her to write a book based on a title He'd whispered to her seven years earlier. What followed was nothing short of miraculous: a perfectly timed free writing program, supernatural downloads of content, and a publishing journey that defied industry timelines.

Despite having four children and serving as a kids' pastor, Ashley made time for her calling by writing at 2 AM and waking at 6 AM. "Delayed obedience is still disobedience," she reminds us. Her determination paid off—"Favored" was written, published, and awarded the Global Impact Award within just one year of its conception.

The book's cheerful ice cream cone cover belies its profound spiritual depth. Through vulnerable personal stories and fresh perspectives on familiar biblical characters, Ashley reveals how recognizing God's favor transforms our daily experience. Her family practices this awareness by enthusiastically shouting "favor!" when experiencing everyday blessings like finding a good parking spot—a simple habit that "cancels coincidence" and acknowledges God's intentional goodness.

If you're holding back from pursuing a God-given dream, Ashley's message hits home: "You were created on purpose, for a purpose, and it is time to rise up." Your excuses don't stand a chance against God's calling. When He speaks, your only question should be: what's my next step of obedience?

Ready to recognize the favor already operating in your life? Grab "Favored" on Amazon or at live-favored.com and join the journey toward living as one of God's favorites.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to It's Time to Rise Up
• 1:14 Meet Ashley Wilhite and Her Family
• 2:28 The Birth of "Favored" at Rise Up 2023
• 8:34 Overcoming Publication Obstacles
• 14:02 The Depth Behind the Book's Message
• 22:53 Recognition and Future Projects
• 29:48 Encouragement for Listeners' Dreams

Transcript

Kim McIntire: 0:08

Hey everyone, welcome to the it's Time to Rise Up podcast. I'm your host, Kim McIntyre. We know there are so many things you can do with your time. Thank you for choosing to spend your time listening today. We pray you're encouraged by what is shared. If you're not familiar with our show, please check out our website at itstimetoriseuporg where you will find our social media links and for our podcast platforms. You can find us on YouTube, apple Podcasts, spotify and anywhere else you find your podcast. We would humbly ask you to subscribe, leave a comment, a thumbs up or, even better, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcast. I'm honored to have Ashley Wilhite in the studio today. Ashley is a mom, a wife, a kid's pastor, a speaker and a newly published author. Her book, favored, has recently received an award and we're going to talk about that later in this interview. But before we dive in, ashley, how about you tell us anything you want the listeners to know about you today?

Ashley Wilhite: 1:14

Oh, lots of fun questions. Anything I want the listeners to know or not? Yeah, well, I'm Ashley. My favorite color is pink. I love it. I do have four kids. My favorite color is pink, I love it. I do have four kids. My oldest two are boys. They are ages 15 and 14. And my youngest two are girls and their ages are six and three Fun times. So we had a big little gap there. Yeah, it was a fun gap because the boys were big enough to help us when we had the younger two. That's so good. It was one of those times where you think you're done Right and God says surprise, surprise blessings, I love it. And so we love our surprise blessings. Yeah, that's so good. Yes, and we have reptiles. So we don't have any fur babies, okay, but we have reptiles and we love them all.

Kim McIntire: 2:06

Very interesting. I didn't know that about you. Yeah, okay, fun fact for me today. Well, we're so glad you're here. I invited you onto the podcast to talk about your book, which I have read, which has blessed me richly, which I've heard so many different people talking about, and so we're going to dive into that portion. Now let's talk about how this book came to be.

Ashley Wilhite: 2:32

Well, that is a wonderful story because it started at Rise Up, which is amazing. So in 2023, rise Up August 2nd. Yeah, august 2nd 2023 is when God said write the book. But it actually started that night in worship. There was just such a presence of God.

Ashley Wilhite: 3:04

And there was just a stirring in my spirit and I could feel something was changing, something new was changing in me, and I didn't know what that was and I didn't know what was coming. I could just feel it and I had been praying for a while that there would just be something new, something fresh. And so, as I felt this stirring, I was like, oh, just set me on fire. Like, make me hungry for you, like, just give me something new, give me something fresh. And there was the prophetic worshiper and she sang out in the room there's a fire in the room. There's a fire in the room. There's a fire in the room. Something's about to be birthed to what we do not know. And I was like that could mean so much to so many people. But I knew in the moment that's for me. There's a fire in my belly. I don't know what it is, but something is going to be birthed. Thank you, lord. I was like I'm holding on to that, I am taking that. It is for me. And I was like yes and amen.

Ashley Wilhite: 4:09

We went back to the hotel room that night and I was sitting with the girls that I was rooming with and we could not stop talking. We talked till wee hours of the morning just about worship and all the things we got out of it and just like lots of time, just what is this stirring in us? And so many of us had different interpretations of what God was doing in the room. And the next morning we get there and you know when you're up that late you could go in kind of tired, but that next morning when we went in, we it, it wasn't that way, it was completely different. It was one of those like expectation, like what is God gonna do? And I was like God, you birthed this stirring in me last night, right, and I can't wait to see, like what more you're going to give me today.

Ashley Wilhite: 5:09

I was not expecting what was about to happen. Like, let me back up just a hair, because this is a Rise Up conference. This conference is not a conference that I was serving at, and that was a big hurdle in the beginning for me to get over because I had never just attended a conference, and so the whole first half I had to turn off my serving brain. I had to turn off my serving brain. It was hard for me to just sit back and take anything in, because I wanted to. I was like looking around, like how can I lift the room, how can I serve this person, how can I do this, what like? And I had to be like I don't have to lead, I don't have to be a leader in the room, like this is not my event, wow, I get to just be like like I get to receive from God. I get to shut everyone else out.

Kim McIntire: 6:12

That was something that was on our hearts and I don't remember specifically if we had a conversation prior to conference about this, about this. But one thing that was on our heart was that people we knew at our church and other churches because many churches were involved in that but people who are on staff at a church like, let them come and receive. Right, let them be there to receive, because so often when you're on staff or you're a pastor or a pastor's wife, it's constantly pouring out and I'm so thankful that you just attended. It was such a gift. Yes, it was. It was a gift for us because we got to hear what the Lord did. After the conference, we were like, wow. I remember when we went to coffee and you were sharing all this with me and I was like this is incredible.

Ashley Wilhite: 7:06

It was such a gift and so like. So then that next morning, being able to enter right into worship, yeah, like I didn't have to like jump all those hurdles of like looking around the room and how can I lift the atmosphere, and all these things of why am I not serving, and I didn't have those hurdles to jump and I was able to just enter in. And like I didn't have to worship when I opened, when I closed, and so God at that point was just like hey, do you remember seven years ago when I just told you a book title? And I was like, oh yeah, like it was just a title and I just wrote it down Like no big deal, he's like it's time to write. And I was like, oh, that's funny, that's funny God. And he started downloading and I, in the middle of worship, I just sat down at the table and, like a mad woman, just started writing. Like I couldn't write fast enough to keep up with all the thoughts that were pouring in. That's incredible. Like I was just writing super fast because God was just pouring this book into me, he was just downloading it and I was like I don't know what to do with this, I don't know where to go from here. So I left Rise Up with this incredible gift of just this new freshness of the Holy Spirit, this new freshness and fire and passion, and then this new fun journey that God was like. You're about to embark on the funnest thing, the most exciting thing that I've placed in your lap this far, and I did not know what was about to entail. That was about to happen, and that was Saturday. Get home Saturday. Tell my husband about it.

Ashley Wilhite: 9:12

Sunday afternoon after church I get home and there's a little nice email in my inbox from a pastor out in California named Havilah Cunnington that just says hey, I'm having a free seminar on how to write a book. If you would like to join, that would be fun. Perfect timing, I know right, what wonderful timing does God have. And so I was like, okay, well, I'll just jump on and see, you know, like that, that's what a coincidence. So jumped on and let me tell you every single excuse I had she blew out of the water. I mean, I had excuse after excuse why I couldn't write this book. I'm not talented enough. Other people have written a book on this topic. I don't have a good enough viewpoint on this book. I don't have enough knowledge on the topic. I go to a church of people who have written better books than I could write. Like my pastors write books, they could write this book.

Kim McIntire: 10:21

Like, why me?

Ashley Wilhite: 10:22

Wow, I had excuse after excuse after excuse why I should not write this book. Like, why me? Wow, I had excuse after excuse after excuse why I should not write this book, and she blew every single one of them out of the water. Well, thank you, havilah, I know. Exactly, exactly, exactly.

Ashley Wilhite: 10:37

She just blew all of them out of the water and I was like, okay, well, that's great, but how much is this going to cost? Yeah, you know that's what it comes down to. And so it came up and she told everyone that was on there, like this is how much it's going to cost. And I was like, oh, that's something we cannot afford, right. And so I went to my husband. I was like this is what God told me this weekend. I'm supposed to write this book, and this is how much Havel's class is going to cost. I was like I don't know if—like we just can't afford that. And my husband, who is typically on the very realistic side of things, looked at me square in the face and said but aren't you the one that always says if it's God's will, it's God's bill? And I was like, yes, I am, that's a good one, that's a good one.

Ashley Wilhite: 11:35

I was like yes, I am. He said. So why don't you go ahead and apply, and if you make it into the program, we'll figure it out from there.

Kim McIntire: 11:47

Yeah, okay, just another open door, yeah exactly.

Ashley Wilhite: 11:53

So I went ahead and applied and then it was the night before classes started and I still hadn't heard anything. Wow, I hadn't heard back. So now we're looking at it's August 27th, classes start on August 28th and I get a text message that says hey, it's Havilah, I really want you in this program. Will you please check your portal and make sure all your information is correct? All your information is correct. Wow, great. So I guess I'm accepted. So I jump in and I look at the portal and I go through everything and I'm checking everything out. I'm checking here's my phone number, here's my address. That's correct here. This is correct.

Ashley Wilhite: 12:40

I get all the way down to the payment options and then, right beside, where it says subscription and payment option, it just said free, praise God. And I was like you know what? I am God's favorite, amen, I am absolutely God's favorite. I am made to write the book on God's favorite. And that was just the icing on the cake. I love that. And that's how the journey started. From August 2nd to August 28th. That was the start of the journey.

Kim McIntire: 13:13

What a beautiful story of God makes a way where there seems to be no way Absolutely. You know all through it what obstacles like from that point until the book was actually published. What obstacles did you meet along the way?

Ashley Wilhite: 13:30

Oh, I mean, a lot of them were just until it was actually published. So a lot of people have asked me about roadblocks or writer's block.

Kim McIntire: 13:47

Well, the main reason I'm asking is I know your schedule. You're a kid's pastor, you have four kids, You're involved in a lot of things, friend to many. So I just have wondered how—I've always wondered if the time— was one of your biggest obstacles. So just maybe speak into that, Because I feel like sometimes God calls us into things and one of the things we can. I've done this before and I don't even work outside the home, but I'll have an opportunity to come and I'll be like I really don't have time or margin for that, you know. So how did you deal with that time element? Or was that even an obstacle for you? Maybe it wasn't.

Ashley Wilhite: 14:27

I just knew that God said to do it, so I made the time Like, honestly, I got up earlier and. I stayed up later, so good. So on Friday night I was up till 2 am writing, and on most mornings I'd get up at 6 am to write some true sacrifice, yeah, true sacrifice. I would get up early. I wouldn't do it when my kids were up. Yeah, that's beautiful. I wanted to be with my kids. I did it when they were in bed, so I would wait till they went to bed.

Kim McIntire: 15:00

Yeah.

Ashley Wilhite: 15:01

And I would do it late at night or early in the morning. But I knew God said yes and I knew, with Havilah's program, if I wanted to do it the way she had it set, I needed to have my first rough draft done by December 14th. So there wasn't time to say I don't have time. Yeah. There wasn't time to say I don't have time, that's good.

Kim McIntire: 15:23

That's good. I love the determination.

Ashley Wilhite: 15:25

Yeah, I put myself on a schedule and I said this isn't an option. God said to do it, and I told God that I'm never going to say no again, that I'm always going to give him my yes, and so in saying yes, that means right now. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. So it's now and so time wasn't an issue because I just made it happen and so people have asked me about writer's block and I was like, honestly, that wasn't an obstacle either, Because for me at least in this book now I don't know the next book may be different, but this one was so God-breathed that every time I sat down to put pen to paper I started with worship. I started with prayer and just in the Holy Spirit, praying in the Spirit, before I ever put pen to paper, that I didn't have writer's book.

Ashley Wilhite: 16:30

I didn't come up against that with this book. I didn't have time for it. I didn't have time, and so if I came up against something that I was like I don't know what to put here, I just skipped it and went to something else and then I came back to it and it was fine. But as far as other obstacles came with publishing the book, there were several things that came up.

Ashley Wilhite: 16:53

I had a really weird head injury that came up right while we were trying to launch the publishing part of the book and I ended up in the hospital and ended up out of work for almost a month and couldn't really do all the things we needed to do to publish and market the book well for launch, and there were things like that that just came up that I'm like that was all just just a ploy of the enemy to distract and it was all the lead up to Rise Up 2024. Yeah, and I was like it was a one year mark of the book was written and published in one year, to the day that I got that it was solidified to write the book, and so that is God all in of itself, because books aren't started, written, edited oh, tell me, I know, published in one year, it's true, it just doesn't happen.

Kim McIntire: 18:03

It was a wonderful celebration, though, to be part of knowing you were called at Conference 2023, and then you were there to speak in 2024, and the book was in hand and people were able to purchase and just see like if God speaks it into you and over you and you say, yes, this is what can happen, and I feel like whether it's a book or it's something else I have felt in my spirit leading up to this interview that there are listeners that God has spoken a dream into their heart. Yes, and they haven't really had that wherewithal, that determination that follow through to give Him their best. Yes, but you're an example of what happens when we have that determination, that just wherewithal, that I'm giving God my best. Yes, I could have a million excuses yeah, but now is the time right. Now is the time. Yeah, but now is the time right. Now is the time. So one of my prayers has been Lord, let it be that a listener hears this and decides today is the day. They're giving you their yes, absolutely, because God will use it. I mean, the Lord has used the book in my life, ashley.

Kim McIntire: 19:25

I want to share just a little excerpt, if you don't mind. In my life. Ashley, I want to share just a little excerpt, if you don't mind. I actually have many passages underlined, many chapters bookmarked, but this particular part it's day 13, which this is. I should have said this is a 21-day journey, and so she actually has this structured in a way that you have daily reading. There are questions at the end of each day to ponder and meditate on, and just. I love the format of the book, but this is day 13. And I'm going to read from page 139. And I'm going to read from page 139.

Kim McIntire: 20:35

But then, like Jesus, he knelt down and showed me compassion. He forgave me, he reached into my mess and helped me climb out of the pit I was in. I repented and God didn't just forgive me and make me clean, but he restored me as well. Even in that place, he still showed me and my family His favor. By that time we were in foreclosure and only had 30 days to evacuate the house. But God hold on, read that again but God and only God. But God helped us. He saved our home, restored our marriage and renewed our relationship with Him. We did not deserve any of these things. I had disappointed Him yet. But God, he blessed us and in the posture of repentance and compassion, we began to walk in His favor again.

Kim McIntire: 21:34

And the reason I wanted to point out that passage specifically, ashley, is because if a person looks at the cover of the book it says favored, there's a beautiful picture of a scrumptious ice cream cone. On the front Kind of looks like it could be a candy-coated read. It is so not. It goes to deep places of the heart. It's incredibly transparent, incredibly vulnerable. You publicly confess a sin in the book, which you're a pastor. So I applaud that transparency and vulnerability.

Kim McIntire: 22:16

But what I want people to understand when they read this book about being God's favorite or becoming God's favorite, there are so many layers of depth to the journey of being God's favorite. Yeah, and it's true and it's possible. I should say it's possible for anyone. Yes, and everyone. So anyone and everyone. That was just a part that I read it again and again and I thought I love the humility that really pours off the pages of your book, ashley. It's beautiful. It's beautiful and there's, of course, a whole lot more within the pages of that day. But the examples that you use in the book of you know very familiar Bible characters, so you know if you're a person who loves God's Word and you're well studied in the heroes of the Bible. I love how you point out their imperfections yes, you know yeah and how there is no perfect person except for Jesus.

Ashley Wilhite: 23:28

That was one thing that wasn't originally going to be in the book, right?

Ashley Wilhite: 23:31

I remember that wasn't originally going to be in the book, right? I remember that when I had first written the book, it was just going to be 10 chapters and it was originally just going to be, you know, just the story outline and there was just something missing. And I had woven in some of those stories of the biblical heroes and told a little bit, but I was like there's so much more and so then, just taking it one step further, and so, like she was saying, it is a 21-day journey, but at the end of each day there's what's called the biblical snapshot, and so it's a quick dive into the look of really the snapshot of a life. So it's the highlights and the lowlights of a life, of a Bible character, of someone who lived as one of God's favorites and what that truly meant and why I think that they were chosen to be God's favorite. Now, I mean, it is kind of just a personal little like why I think it's nothing like the Bible doesn't say this is why.

Kim McIntire: 24:44

But you have some very good insight to those characters. I feel like the Lord revealed things to you in the Spirit that a lot of people would not have picked up on. You know, yeah, so that makes it interesting as well.

Ashley Wilhite: 24:57

Yeah, and so I do—there were some people that I originally was like this person I wasn't going to use, but then the more I studied, I was like no, they need to be one of God's like, they need to be in here and featured as one of God's favorites.

Kim McIntire: 25:23

Because everyone would assume Joseph is in the book and he is Right, but there are some Bible characters you would not assume would be in the book, and that's fun too, yeah, so I love that, wow. So what have been some of the most rewarding parts of seeing this to fruition?

Ashley Wilhite: 25:42

Some of the most rewarding parts have just been hearing the feedback of stories from people who have already read it and hearing people be like we were walking through the store and I got this thing, or I saw this, or we got a good parking spot and I yelled favor. I love that If you haven't read the book yet like that is one of the things that my family has done for a while is when we get a good parking spot, we yell favor because there is just power in calling it out. When you have it Like when you see it, then you see it more often, and then it's replicated because when you have to recognize it Because if you don't recognize it, then you don't realize how much you actually have of God's favor yes, your book cancels coincidence?

Kim McIntire: 26:35

Yes, it absolutely does the Lord?

Kim McIntire: 26:36

just gave me that this book cancels coincidence, because anything good that happens in our lives, anything and everything, isn't coincidence, it isn't luck, it is God's favor upon you, yes, and the more you recognize it, the more you realize I really am living under the favor of God. Yes, you know, but sometimes we don't realize we're favored because we're not taking time to acknowledge the Lord did that Right, you know, absolutely so good. So, anyway, so that's rewarding, I know. And I want to talk about the award you received, friend, tell us about that.

Ashley Wilhite: 27:18

So I did just receive an award. It is the Global Impact Award. It is such an honor to actually have an award-winning book. It's an amazing thing. I just I can't even believe it. It was a nominee. I just I can't even believe it. It was nominated.

Kim McIntire: 27:35

Favor.

Ashley Wilhite: 27:36

Favor, favor, favor. It was nominated in the Christian devotion category. Yes, and it actually won. So I got a nice trophy and we will be taking some pictures with it here real soon. So exciting. And I actually got like stickers to put on the books and everything. It's really exciting.

Kim McIntire: 27:57

So proud of you, thank you so? Much. I love this, so what is next?

Ashley Wilhite: 28:04

Ashley.

Kim McIntire: 28:05

Like what dreams does God have on your heart now? Or can you share?

Ashley Wilhite: 28:09

I can share some of them because this is I can share some of them because this is definitely not the last book. So God has laid a series of five books into my heart. So this is just the start of those and they will. I can't say for sure, but I am I'm guessing they will all kind of follow the same layout. Yeah.

Kim McIntire: 28:36

I love the way you structured the chapters. Yeah, it's unusual, you know. Yeah, I just love it. So if you're wondering what that means, order the book.

Ashley Wilhite: 28:46

Yeah, exactly, so you're going to write more books.

Kim McIntire: 28:49

I know you're doing some speaking engagements as well. What's coming up next with your speaking engagements?

Ashley Wilhite: 28:55

So, after this podcast releases, my next one that I have for sure already on the books is going to be July 19th. Okay, yes, it is going to be with one of my friends here in Missouri, awesome, awesome, it's going to be the Worthy. My friends here in Missouri, awesome, awesome, it's going to be the Worthy Conference. Wonderful, wonderful. We'll be out there with them.

Kim McIntire: 29:20

That's exciting. I know you're headed to one soon, but this won't. This will not drop.

Ashley Wilhite: 29:24

Right right.

Kim McIntire: 29:25

Yeah, I know you have a speaking engagement soon, but we're pre-recording. We pre-record our interviews several weeks in advance. So, anyway, I'm super excited for you. Would you be willing to take a few moments just to speak some life into our listeners Again, I believe there are people listening who have a dream on their heart and they haven't followed through. Yeah, would you just speak into them? Absolutely, thank you.

Ashley Wilhite: 29:49

So, first of all, you have to know that you are God's favorite, that you were bought with a price, that you are his masterpiece, that you were the perfect strokes on a canvas. You were created on purpose, for a purpose, and it is time to rise up and continue that purpose. Some of you have started and then stopped. Yeah, it is time to pick it back up and charge.

Kim McIntire: 30:28

Yes.

Ashley Wilhite: 30:29

For those who haven't started, it is time to rise, get up on your feet and take that first step. It is time to say yes, and let the fear of man go to the side and let the fear of God be your light and be your guide. You are His favorite and when he calls you to it, he will see you through it.

Kim McIntire: 30:56

Thank you, lord. I echo every word that you just spoke, and I believe there are going to be people who say yes to God as they listen to this podcast when it releases. And I just want to encourage our listeners always remember, if God's calling you to something or if he's put a dream in your heart, it's for His glory. That's right. That's the purpose. That's right. We're created to glorify God. Yes, he calls us to things, to glorify His name Absolutely. He won't waste even the delay. No, he won't waste the delay. So we encourage you press in and press through. Yes, absolutely, absolutely. So good.

Ashley Wilhite: 31:52

And go buy my book.

Kim McIntire: 31:53

Yes, and we're going to talk about that now. Tell us how we can obtain a copy of your book.

Ashley Wilhite: 31:58

I have my copy, but you can get it on Amazon it is Favored by Ashley Renee Wilhite or you can go to livefavoredcom and get it that way, that's amazing.

Kim McIntire: 32:13

Either way, we're super excited. Ashley, thank you for your time, friendship, absolutely. Getting to watch this, I feel like I've had a front row seat. You have had a front row seat To see all of the things unfold. It's been such a joy to watch God literally lay His hand on you for such a time as this. Yes, so we're excited to announce a couple of things in closing. We have greatly appreciated the feedback we've received about the Abide podcast series. More podcast classes are going to be released in the future and the Abide study will be available to pre-order soon. So thank you for taking time to listen to each episode.

Kim McIntire: 33:03

We are so thankful for our listeners as we close today. Be sure to check us out on our website at itstimetoriseuporg, our Facebook page or Instagram at the underscore official underscore rise, underscore up. May God's grace and peace be with you all.