Inspiring Conversations with Audrey Tousant Shelby of Pray Without Ceasing Ministries

Hi Audrey , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story began in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles in the 1980s. I was always good at making arguments, so my father suggested I be an attorney. After graduating from college, I applied for law school. But my LSAT scores said something different. I would instead begin my journey as a social worker working to reform the foster care system. As an adoptee, I have a passion for helping families that encounter the foster care system to help them access the support and resources they need to keep their family together. From my own lived experience, I know how critical it is for a child to stay within their family and community to preserve their cultural identity and maintain vital family connections.

After 14 years serving families, I directed my attention to teaching the next generation of social workers. I have taught and developed courses for various Master of Social Work programs. I now enjoy being a professor at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Working with energized students who want to make an impact in social justice and serve their communities is truly a blessing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My life started with what appeared to be an obstacle, but in reality, it was a blessing. Unfortunately, my biological mother struggled with drug addiction. My family worked hard to keep all of her children together and within the family. When I was an infant, I went to live with my maternal aunt and uncle to keep me safe, as my mother’s lifestyle was unstable. My aunt and uncle adopted me, and they loved and cared for me.

As I matured into a teenager and later, a young adult, I grappled with feelings of abandonment and unworthiness, which led to depression. I was too young to understand that internalizing my mother’s trauma would only lead to further confusion and loss. I have loved God for as long as I can remember, but when these feelings of abandonment and rejection became more prevalent, I did not know what to do. I remember praying to God to “fix it”. Nothing elaborate or eloquent. But somewhere in my not fully developed adolescent mind, I knew only God could help me. As I matured, I sought out therapy to address the trauma I experienced from my mother not raising me and her subsequent death. This is what has fueled my “why” for social work. Over time, I have learned to depend on God to navigate the turbulence of life.

In the summer of 2023, my husband started having digestive issues. What we initially thought was possibly an issue of diet quickly turned out to be much more serious. After significant weight loss and being unable to keep any food down, the doctors found a softball-sized mass on his colon. I remember a deafening silence when I saw the words leave the surgeon’s mouth, “Mrs. Shelby, I am pretty confident that your husband has cancer.” I was faced with a very dire situation – the husband that I desperately prayed for was now facing potential death with what we would find out later was Stage 3 Colon Cancer. I did the only thing I knew to do: I prayed. I called our friends and family to pray with us. After surgery, 11 days of hospitalization, and seven months of chemotherapy, my husband is now cancer-free. Life circumstances, both challenging and joyous, have taught me that nothing is impossible for God.

This foundation equipped me when my husband was diagnosed. I knew nothing about this disease. But I knew that God had been faithful to me before, and I could trust Him to be faithful again.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Pray Without Ceasing Ministries?
Even with the career transition into higher education, I never thought God could use my story to encourage others, but in 2022, something shifted.

While journaling one morning, I heard a soft voice say, “Write a book about prayer. Pray Without Ceasing.” I wrote those instructions down. Then I began writing my story, which would be a testimony of faith and endurance in my first book, entitled Pray Without Ceasing: Thirty-One Days in Prayer. Published in 2024, readers have described this book as a resource that has helped them experience reduced anxiety. One reader said, “If you are looking for something to get you started or to reenergize your practice of prayer, this book gives you an accessible way forward.” My hope with this book is to encourage readers in their faith walk using prayer as a tool for healing and hope. In this book, I reveal the challenges I faced over the years, including serious family conflicts, infertility, and other difficulties. Through it all, I put my faith in God that things could change. Little did I know, Pray Without Ceasing was more than a book; it is a ministry.

In 2025, I launched Pray Without Ceasing Ministries, a platform designed to empower and encourage women in their spiritual journey. Our mission is to curate experiences that enable women to connect in safe, authentic spaces, fostering both spiritual and personal growth. We provide a range of resources, including seminars, connections, and tools, to equip women to walk out their God-given purpose and be a force in the earth.

I am so grateful to support the lives of other women. In such challenging times, prayer is the best place we can start. I am excited to welcome a diverse group of women on Saturday, August 16th, to the first annual 2025 Pray Without Ceasing Conference in Buena Park, CA. This unique event is designed to provide a space for women to disconnect, recharge, and be filled, addressing not only spiritual health but also mental health, emotional health, physical health, and financial well-being. We invite women to join us and be part of this transformational experience. Register at https://www.praywithoutceasingministries.com/events

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned along my journey is the importance of being in community and staying connected to others during times of struggle. When life is challenging, we can naturally want to retreat and seclude ourselves. However, that isolation can exacerbate the experience. Being in community nourishes our emotional well-being. Emotional health is vital to our ability to manage the impacts of life circumstances on our overall wellness and mental health. Attuning to our emotional health builds endurance for the journey.

If readers glean anything from my story, I hope they will see that even when we have to endure difficulty, healing is possible and God will use it all for our good.

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