From Pain to Purpose with Stefania Leão

What happens when a private journal becomes a life-changing devotional for people around the world? In this episode, we speak with Brazilian author Stefania Leão, whose debut devotional, The Prayer: Rise with Jesus, began as a private journal during one of the hardest seasons of her life and became a #1 Amazon bestseller in the English, Portuguese, and Italian categories, earning three international book awards in 2025. Stefania shares the story behind The Prayer and how its purpose grew beyond the book. In this episode, you’ll learn:-How a personal journal became a published devotional-How difficult seasons can shape creative work-How social media helped The Prayer reach readers around the world-How a book can grow into something bigger than its sales-The humanitarian work connected to The Prayer in San Francisco, Malawi and globally Memorable Line from the Episode“Don’t wait for the right time… you need to trust what you have, and do it, go for it, it’s never too late.” Mentions & ReferencesThe Prayer: Rise with Jesus — readtheprayer.comStefania Leão — stefanialeao.com Connect with StefaniaTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stefanialeaoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefanialeaoofficialAbout the PodcastAuthor Affairs explores storytelling, the craft of writing, and the business of being an author. Through solo reflections and occasional guest conversations, we uncover the ideas, decisions, and challenges behind the stories we tell. Connect with meFollow the podcast and subscribe to the Author Affairs newsletter on Substack to receive new episodes and insights into storytelling and writing:https://dumoxaba.substack.com Official Website: https://dumoxaba.co.za Follow for updates:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dumoxabaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DumoXaba.AuthorTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dumoxabaLinkedIn: https://za.linkedin.com/in/dumo-xabaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DumoXaba This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dumoxaba.substack.com