The Transformative Power of Prayer: Navigating Trials and Growing Spiritually

Discover the transformative power of prayer and how it can serve as a lifeline during challenging moments in our latest episode. Journey with us as we uncover personal stories of finding profound relief and guidance through prayer, particularly in times of stress, anxiety, and depression. We’ll also touch upon Jesus' teachings from Matthew, chapter six, emphasizing that prayer is more than presenting requests—it's about truly understanding God's heart and intentions for us.

Explore how humility and continuous prayer can lead to spiritual growth and maturity. Through candid anecdotes, we highlight the significance of not judging others harshly, extending grace, and the crucial need to forgive those who've wronged us. We delve into the awareness of the enemy, the need for God's help to avoid temptation and evil, and the critical role of prayer in navigating life's toughest seasons. Learn how to recalibrate your focus, trust in God, and allow His strength to carry you through demanding times.

Get practical tips for maintaining a genuine walk with the Lord amidst daily responsibilities. Understand the importance of setting aside dedicated moments for prayer and worship, and how intentionality can transform your spiritual journey. We discuss the concept of "praying without ceasing," the necessity of listening to God, and the unchanging nature of His blessings. This episode is packed with insights to inspire and strengthen your faith journey, focusing on the power of continuous prayer and the significance of personal growth in your relationship with God and others.

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Chapters

• 0:00 The Power and Purpose of Prayer
• 13:11 The Impact of Prayer and Humility
• 19:31 Trusting God in Times of Trial"
• 25:53 Navigating Seasons of Prayer Life
• 32:42 The Transformative Power of Prayer
• 41:12 The Power of Transformative Prayer
• 46:25 The Consistency of God's Blessings

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, let's Dig crew, Thank you for joining this conversation. It is going to be such a good one and, honestly, I'm going to be a little vulnerable in this conversation for some things that I went through this week and we just wanted to share with you. We all know we're living in some really challenging times. It is an election year, First of all. It makes everything more magnified with stress, anxiety. You know the state of our world, the state of our nation. There's just so much going on right now.

Speaker 2: 0:29

And we're also going into the last end of this year where depression goes up. So true, suicidal rate is up.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Yeah, the holidays always do a number on people as well, and so, as we go into this last episode, we talked about how to grow your relationship with God, and today's topic and conversation is one of the main ways that you grow your relationship with God, and it is the best gift that he gave us, and that is prayer.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Yeah, which is probably the number one way to grow your relationship with God. We mentioned it in the last episode at the end, but we're like we saved the best for last. We're like actually to get closer to God, talking with him, building that relationship. I could imagine you and I growing close in our relationship and never spending quality time together in our conversations, communicating, talking and listening, and so, yeah, I'd love to talk about that today, what that looks like for us.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Yeah, so we're going to talk about what is prayer, what does it look like in our everyday life, how do we do it, and different seasons that it might have changed, and, honestly, what we get out of praying. So you ready, let's dig.

Speaker 2: 1:37

What's fun about this conversation and I say fun is not like fun, like oh, holly jolly, I'm talking about fun of just uncovering the elements of understanding, like how we talk with God, that relationship I think the relationship um is really determined based off of even how you talk to this person.

Speaker 1: 1:55

yeah, I think some let's just define really quickly like prayer is literally just a conversation with God yeah, like. Like it's nothing of. Like, well, all of you do this and you do that. It's nothing of. You have to be in a church. You can be anywhere. Like just for some of our listeners that may not have any type of reference of what we're talking about when praying, or if they may have a reference, it may be a different religion and how they do it.

Speaker 1: 2:21

But, as believers of Christ and Christians, we believe that you can pray anywhere and that it is genuinely just a conversation between you and God.

Speaker 2: 2:31

Yeah, and I think just to bring clarity to is I know the Pope said this couple of weeks- ago but there aren't a bunch of religions that that lead to God.

Speaker 2: 2:42

Right, I think everyone believes in God. Yeah, most people believe in God, even those that say they don't believe in God, people that say they're atheists. Maybe, maybe, maybe you might say that, but the fact that an atheist keeps talking about God, why do you keep talking about something that don't exist to you? You know, I've heard like atheists, like people who claim to be atheists that say they don't believe to you. You know, I've heard like atheists, like people who claim to be atheists that say they don't believe in God.

Speaker 2: 3:08

Like you spend a lot of time talking about something you don't believe in, like whether you believe that he's not involved. Maybe you think he's a guy that's just out there but he doesn't get involved in human behavior and characteristic and life and things like that. But we believe there's only one way to God and it's through God himself and it's the human in the human form, through Jesus. That's what we believe. We truly believe that, and we don't believe it because my mom believed it, because our parents believed it, because our grandparents believe it. We believe it because we have literally seen God's hand moved.

Speaker 2: 3:43

We have called upon the name of Jesus Times that I remember for me when I went through depression a couple years ago. Yeah, there was nothing that was able to pull me out of depression. Nope sure wasn't no therapist no book and we love book. We love the self-help books.

Speaker 1: 3:58

Yeah, and we believe in therapy. Yep, we've done it.

Speaker 2: 4:00

Yeah, we've done therapy. I'm a big fan of Dr Phil, all those things. There's all types of medical science, psychological tools out there that can help us, but nothing was able to set me free from depression until I literally called on the name of Jesus. I prayed to God, and it wasn't because I wanted him to take this away from me. I wanted to just get closer to him, and the closer I got to him, all the way in the weight of this world came off of me.

Speaker 2: 4:35

So, good, and so I do believe that there's power in prayer. We believe there's power in prayer. And the cool thing about prayer, right, it's not just. It's not just a thing of just like you go to God with your whole list of stuff, it's just getting to know what's on his heart.

Speaker 1: 4:51

It's getting to know what he has for us. How do you like what you said? You just said you get to know what's on his heart. Like what does that look like? How do you? Get to know what's on God's heart.

Speaker 2: 5:02

Yeah, so Jesus actually gave us the formula on how to pray. So, as we're talking about prayer, I'm going to open up the Bible here, and in Matthew, chapter six, um, I love it, and some of you who've been born and raised in church you probably already know this. This is, you know, some call it the Lord's prayer, others say it's not the Lord's prayer. This is more of a demonstration. It was a formula on how to pray and Jesus talks about okay, what does it mean to pray? And there are some religions out there where they're so religious. They go into some place or to some synagogue, some temple, into some room, they get on their knees and so everything about the ritual looks right, right, but they're sitting there babbling words over and over and over and over and over and over again, thinking that God hears them, like repetition of saying the same things Exactly.

Speaker 2: 5:46

And Jesus actually confronts that in Matthew, chapter six. He says when you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. He says they think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don't be like them. He's like the father, already knows exactly what you need even before you ask him. So that already tells me. Even when I go to God to pray and talk to him, my goal is not to give him my whole list of stuff. God already knows everything that we need. Few verses before that, he says.

Speaker 2: 6:19

And also, when you pray, he said don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. Some might be listening to this. Oh, thank God, that's not me. Well, that could still be you. He just gave those two as examples, right. But he said I tell you the truth. That is all the reward they will ever get. Right, there are those that are really good at praying in front of people, but God sees you privately. So Jesus said.

Speaker 2: 6:42

In verse six, he said but when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you and pray to your father in private. And so he goes down and we're going to talk about that in a little bit, because I do want to talk about what does a private prayer life look like with God? Right, because there's a lot of us we, you know, there's a lot of us that pray and talk to God while we're doing other things, which I know we're going to talk about that a little bit later but I think there is. There is something very specific about setting up a specific time with God to sit there and talk and listen. So in verse seven, nine, he says when you pray, pray like this.

Speaker 2: 7:20

So, to answer your question, jesus gave us a formula, right? So he said pray our father who are in heaven? Right, that's the king james. But this translation I'm gonna read he says father who's in heaven, our father, who said may your name be kept holy, right, or others might read it by may your hollow it be thy name it would be your name I said that my whole entire life.

Speaker 2: 7:40

I never knew what that meant, didn't?

Speaker 2: 7:42

know what hallowed meant until I tapped into right. So get, get a different translation. That might make sense for you. Amplified version is really cool. I'm reading the new living translation. But Jesus says first of all, before you even go to God with all the things that you want for him to do, recognize who he is. God, you're in heaven and your name is holy. Your name is lifted up above every single name. So he's basically saying before you use my name, put some respect on it, right, respect my name. And he says may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So I pray like this, like when I pray, I put these in my words right.

Speaker 2: 8:22

I don't say our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Like you see, like in the movies. I'm not saying don't do that, but what I'm saying is some of you guys get so religious and you think if I recite this scripture then God hears my prayer. He's just given us a formula saying when you pray, respect my name, God, you are holy. If I've ever disrespect your name, if I ever use your name and attached it to a cuss word, forgive me. Yeah, I cleanse my heart, my mind. May your name stay holy. And then, and then he says may your kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven To me, when I read that that is Jesus saying before you go to God, asking him what you want, ask him what do you want?

Speaker 2: 9:05

Yeah, come, come to the Lord and say God may your will, whatever you want to be done let it happen here. That's good Before I come to you. So I pray like that. I'll say God, like Father, you know what's on my heart, you know what's in my thoughts, you know what's in front of me, you know the bills that are here, you know what's happening in my mind. I pray that let your will, your desire, what you have for me, come into fruition.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Other ways that we've said that for years is God open doors that only you can open and close doors that only you can close.

Speaker 2: 9:36

There you go.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Because we like just to show a different way of phrasing it. It's the same template but it's a different way that we've said it and we've prayed that for years, because we still get open doors that I'm like we don't know. Lord, is that you? I don't want to take that open door if it's not you. So if it's not you, close it. And then if this one is standing before us and it's open, god, then let it stay open and give us peace and confirm it. You know things like that. We will pray people out of our lives, god. Take the people out of our lives that don't need to be with us and bring the ones that need to be in our lives, that we need them in us to get where we're going. Bring them into our lives.

Speaker 2: 10:17

Another way that we say and I pray this same exact formula. We say, god, if this ain't you, I don't want it. If you're not in this, lord, I don't want it. Imagine y'all when you start praying and started, instead of going to God saying like telling him all the stuff that you want, jesus is saying no, ask God, what do you want. Let whatever you want, what you desire, your will be done here on earth, because you know better than us. So that's, it's what it's what you're saying. It's all a part of formula, like it's breaking down the scripture. And Jesus said this is a said.

Speaker 2: 10:44

Give us this one's the big one, right here, verse 11,. He said give us today the food we need. Oh right, the King James might say give us today our daily bread, right, so we used to say that growing up as a kid. I just say it, but when you read it, we need to survive For today, for today, not tomorrow. Give us the strength, give us what we need today to survive. But here's the crazy thing is, if you slow down and go back to verse eight, he said the father knows exactly what you need. And so you're actually coming in agreement with God and say Lord, let your will be done. Provide for us today. Today is in your hand. Give us what we need and forgive us of our sins.

Speaker 2: 11:27

That one right there, I believe, for those of you that are praying and you feel like man, god is not hearing me this one right here is the blocker. That's so true Because he opposes those that are proud Yep, he comes against. Bible says that he comes against sinners, yep, those that think that they're self-righteous, those that think that they got it. Jesus said all right, cool, I didn't come for you. Yeah. So if, if God has turned his ears off towards you, or if he hears you but he's like because you haven't repent, you haven't asked for forgiveness. So Jesus is saying, when you even come to me, look, he's saying and forgive us of our sins. Yeah, right, forgive us of of hate. So every time I wake up, every single morning, I pray. I said God, if there's any hate in my heart, cleanse me If there's any imperfection.

Speaker 1: 12:14

How does that scripture finish?

Speaker 2: 12:15

And it says and and as we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Speaker 1: 12:21

There you go, because I feel like it's one thing, like you're right, we need to ask for forgiveness ourselves, but also we can't just ask for God to forgive us. But I'm holding on to something that somebody did to me years ago or yesterday or whatever, like both of those things are wrong and both of them require me to let go. That's big.

Speaker 1: 12:44

Like both of them are me to let go. That's big Like it. Both of them are me letting go of the pride, me letting go and like humbling myself and saying like okay, God, I'm sorry, Asking for forgiveness for what I did, and then asking and giving forgiveness to that person. And there's so much time, so many times where you actually have to ask God to help you forgive people.

Speaker 2: 13:06

Yeah, yeah, it's funny because the next chapter, verse seven, he talks about Jesus, talks about judging right. He talks about do not judge and you will not be judged right. For the same measure right that you treat and judge others. That's the same measure you'll be treated and judged right. Or it's the golden rule that people in all religions have adopted right, treat and judge right. Or it's the golden rule that people in all religions have adopted right.

Speaker 1: 13:25

Treat others as you would have them do unto you.

Speaker 2: 13:27

Jesus already said that. Jesus said that right Like, that's what it is. So Jesus is saying when you're praying, ask for forgiveness and like he's like and those who have sinned against us, right so even someone, if someone did you wrong.

Speaker 1: 13:48

Jesus is actually implementing praying for others, even those who did you wrong, in your prayers, and we talked about this this week and it wasn't even necessarily that someone did me wrong and this will hit with a lot of people it actually was just that someone disappointed me. They didn't do me wrong, but there was disappointment and I could have held that against them.

Speaker 2: 14:05

And.

Speaker 1: 14:05

I said it to you. I said I just I just gave them the grace that I hope others give to me, and so I was like I just I don't hold it against them, like I just gave them grace.

Speaker 2: 14:17

And you know what's wild is I. I know we weren't going to talk about this, but if you rewind 24 hours before that as your husband, I actually had to like, in a gentle way, reprimand you of, like, babe, the fact that you got this message from this person and it made you feel a certain type of way and you felt a little closed off to it.

Speaker 2: 14:39

Yeah, and I was. I had to as your, as your leader, as your friend, as your spiritual leader over this house. I had to say, babe, I think you need to spiritually grow up and we both this week went through some stuff where we had to spiritually grow up and the fact that you gave that person grace and you let go of that thing, that's the spirit of God working in you.

Speaker 1: 15:01

Yeah, it really was, and it's like what I said earlier. Like I, I literally had to let go of my pride. Like who am I to judge? I have weaknesses of my own, that they're probably my blind spots. I probably don't even see them. And people have to. I want people to give me grace. I want people to say, oh, she doesn't actually know, or she didn't mean that, or whatever it is Like, want people to extend grace to me because I know where my heart's at, so I have to do the same for others.

Speaker 2: 15:28

And that didn't happen until you started praying for that person. So true. So Jesus gave us this formula implement praying for other people in your prayers. And then he goes down and says don't let us yield to temptation. Right, you know, deliver us from temptation. Or he said, said, but rescue us from the evil one. Yeah, temptation right. And why is that? Because we have an enemy. My mom always told me this, like when I went off to college. She told me three things. She said, baby, don't forget. She said stay humble. She said stay humble. She said stay in prayer and know that there's an enemy.

Speaker 2: 16:03

Three things my mom always told me. She said stay humble. And I get it now, because the Bible says that God opposes the pride, the proud, god opposes the proud. So my mom said stay humble, he is for, god is for those that are humble, he stands with you, he fights for you. So mom says stay humble, don't get all cocky. Stay in prayer. Stay in prayer. That keeps us closer to God. The closer we get to God, the things of this world falls off of us. And the third one she said and just know that there's an enemy and the enemy is waiting for us. Even Jesus, when he was tempted, right, he was tempted while he's fasting, while he's praying. So some of you that are listening to this right now, you've probably started praying and fasting. He's like man. I got more attacks Right, because the enemy is like yo you're, you're actually serious about it. Now you're a threat. So my mom said don't forget that there's an enemy Right, because if you look in Genesis, cain and Abel, right, One let anger take over him.

Speaker 1: 17:07

And anger is a door to sin. Yeah, it's a door to temptation, right? Anger is not a sin.

Speaker 2: 17:09

Right, the feeling is not when you get what you do in that feeling when you get pissed off, you black out my guy, you black out, and you wake up the next day like, oh snap, I think I did something. I regret most people that are in jail, most people that are in prison, I mean think about they don't, they weren't even there bro, think about those people that got sentenced because it was a passionate crime.

Speaker 2: 17:26

That's why and science even backs it and says, yeah, they were angry and chemicals happen- well, yeah, at that point they were not aware of what they were doing. You open yourself up to a demonic realm and you become a vessel to the devil.

Speaker 2: 17:40

So when jesus said right here in chapter six of Matthew, he said don't let us yield to temptation and rescue us from the evil one. To me, this is the form, this is how I pray every single day, and I don't pray these scriptures, but it's become like ingrained in my prayer life and I know God. I thank you, god. You are so holy God. You are everything. You are worthy, god. Your name is lifted up above every single name and some of you guys listen to this. Wow, he has all the right words. Well, I've been saved for a while. So the more you develop your relationship with someone, the more names you have for them. When we first started dating right, I started just calling you little mama.

Speaker 1: 18:19

And I told you I was going to have to marry you.

Speaker 2: 18:21

And then I switched it to shorty.

Speaker 1: 18:22

And then I said I might have to marry you and I switched you to baby and then I married you.

Speaker 2: 18:26

Right, you know what I mean, but it's true. And then you was the white in my chocolate, then you was the pink in my lemonade.

Speaker 1: 18:32

Sure was.

Speaker 2: 18:33

So the relationship developed yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:35

And the names.

Speaker 2: 18:37

The names did so. Then, god, you're this. That's what Jesus said so good. He told us to humble ourselves and then go down the rest of the list. Like God, whatever you want, let your will be done. Lord, father, all I want is you, god, all I want is what you want. God, bend my heart in your direction. Psalms 37,. Like it says, just enjoy delight in serving the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. My want, what you want Forgive me.

Speaker 1: 19:07

Help me to forgive others. You know what I'm saying and so that's how I pray, man, yeah, that's really cool. I also wanted to incorporate this scripture. It's Philippians 4, 6 and 7. It says don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything, Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Speaker 1: 19:31

And I know like this week we also talked about there was a day where I just kind of broke down a little bit. It was just had to get a good cry out. I was really overwhelmed by some stuff and it was a trying week for us. We just had a lot on our plate this week, really overwhelmed by some stuff, and it was a trying week for us. We just had a lot on our plate this week and so that kind of adds to all of it. Um, and I just got overwhelmed and heavy and tired. And I love how that scripture says like um, his peace will guard your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus. And right before it it says when you're praying, um, you will experience God's peace and I think in this week, when I was feeling that heaviness, I had lost focus and I didn't have that peace because I wasn't praying about the specific situation. I was actually carrying that weight.

Speaker 2: 20:23

It's wild because so listen, guys, we went to the gym and we went in the gym together. Danny Lee walks out because she has to jump on a call, a Zoom call, or something like that, and so I'm still in the gym and a while after I come out and I go into the car and she's sitting there and I can tell there's just this heaviness on you. Yeah, I'm like yo, you OK, and you're like I'm not, and you start crying.

Speaker 1: 20:49

Yeah, it was really heavy and I was talking to you about it and I was like I just I had this visual of like a marathon runner and running coaches always tell you like, keep your eyes on the finish line, keep your eyes on the finish line. But I realized that it's they tell you that because you naturally, when you're tired, you actually start looking at your feet. You look down at the ground. Think about if, like if you've ever done any kind of running, you get that pain in your back Like you kind of.

Speaker 2: 21:21

Like you lose your form a little bit, you're tired.

Speaker 1: 21:24

I hate that. So, like the weight, your shoulders kind of round forward and your head drops down. But running coaches always tell you put your head up, get your head up, get your head up. And um, and I know that's because of form, it's because you need to remember where you're at in the race and know that the finish line is in front of you, it's not on the ground. Um, and so I, that's what I told you. I said, man, I think I just got heavy and tired and I was looking down.

Speaker 2: 21:58

Yeah, you know it's wild too. When you were telling me what you were struggling with and all the weight, I said what's going on? And you're like this is just going on and this is where this is struggling and can't figure this out. And these things aren't adding up. And you're like and I'm trying to do this and I'm trying to do this, and if I do this, I'm trying to do and I feel like this and I just but I'm like but God? And then you said but God wouldn't allow all this stuff to happen if I couldn't handle it. But I'm trying to. And I said, man, you want to hear my thoughts? And I was like I'm trying to be gentle. I was trying to be gentle, I was trying to, but I was like I hear a lot of eyes, I hear I, I, I, I, I. And I said it sounds like you're convinced you can actually make all this happen.

Speaker 1: 22:44

The crazy thing is, I feel like I've been on this journey in the last few years. The crazy thing is, I feel like I've been on this journey in the last few years. I think it honestly started once we did therapy of being more self-aware of how I'm naturally built. Yeah, and so I'm a helper.

Speaker 2: 22:57

Yeah, you be trying to help God too.

Speaker 1: 22:59

Bro, that's what I'm saying. Like, the more self-aware you become, y'all it's really helpful. And I've realized in the last handful of years I actually think I need to help God, which is so false and not true at all. But when I get into an unhealthy place or I'm feeling that stress and not the peace, I realize I've literally taken on the weight of like oh, I'm trying to help God Child, he does not need my help, sit down.

Speaker 2: 23:27

And you know what's wild is. The Bible says without faith it's impossible to please God. So you want to help God.

Speaker 1: 23:33

Just have faith.

Speaker 2: 23:34

Just have faith. And in that moment, when you sat there, I had to kind of like once again check you a little bit. I said, babe, I'm concerned that you're obsessed with this other thing versus being obsessed with what God's going to be doing next yeah, and I told, I said I think you need to recalibrate, yeah, and renew your mind today.

Speaker 2: 23:56

Yeah, because you said you're tired and you feel like you're about to pass out. You can't handle it. I said Isaiah 40, this was guys. This was literally this week. I said the Bible says in Isaiah 4, the prophet said this is they that wait on the Lord. Some translations say they that look to the Lord, they that trust in the Lord, right Shall renew their strength or shall gain renewed strength or shall have, get, receive new strength. It says that they will mount up on wings of eagles. They will fly, they will soar. They will soar. Those that wait on the Lord will soar. And then it says what it says they will run and not faint.

Speaker 2: 24:37

Right, they will run and not be weary. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not faint. And so when I heard your verbiage that day, I'm like so you're tired, you feel like you're running a marathon. So I said the flip side of that verse basically is the equation to those who aren't waiting and trusting in the Lord. And I had to call you. I said, man, I kind of feel like you forgot who your strength and your source is because you're tired.

Speaker 2: 25:07

And if your strength is in yourself. Of course you're tired, but to me I sat there and I said, babe, I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not with you. Remember I said that, yeah, and I said I know I feel like I'm carrying the weight by myself and I said, babe, because I'm like at this point, these certain topics, certain things that that's heavy on us, all we can do is trust God. Yeah, Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray.

Speaker 1: 25:29

And you said like, oh, you think you could fix any of that. You think you're silly Like that literally makes no sense this is goofy.

Speaker 2: 25:37

I'm like, oh, while you're up at night, I'm sleeping like a baby. You know why? Because the way I was praying I said God, let your will be done, let your kingdom come, give us today this bread, the food that we need for today.

Speaker 2: 25:51

So I'm like, as far as tomorrow, same thing. Chapter six of Matthew Jesus was like don't even worry about tomorrow, Right, so tomorrow worry about it, Tomorrow about don't don't worry about tomorrow. Yeah, Tomorrow's going to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow's going to sleep, it's going to do its own thing tomorrow. So, but the Bible says if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you.

Speaker 1: 26:11

And, honestly, it was really important for me to share that story of this week. Yeah, because for the listeners that have been following Jesus for a long time, it's okay to know that we get out of sync sometimes, but that we need to take every thought captive, that we need to renew our mind, like I said last episode, that I have been saved since I was five years old, and so it doesn't matter how long you've been walking with the Lord. It's a different season, it's a different circumstance, and so sometimes circumstances get the best of you and I just didn't want to sit here. It's never our intention to sit on this podcast and act like everything is perfect. There are days where we sit here and we look at each other and we're like God is gonna have to help us get through this episode today yeah, there's some season we're running and there's some season we're walking man and like, and I never want it to look like something that it's not.

Speaker 1: 27:08

I want to be very authentic in the fact that we're still learning every day. That is what a walk with the Lord looks like. That there are seasons of growth. There are seasons where you feel far away from him, and there's seasons where you feel so close to him. There are seasons when you hear him speaking all the time, and there are seasons where you're like Lord, you're not saying anything.

Speaker 2: 27:30

Yeah, man, and there's, there's, there's times we have to grab on the mindset of just like we're not just walking with him, we are walking and talking.

Speaker 1: 27:39

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 27:40

Last episode we talked about what does it look like to walk with the Lord. Today? It's like okay, long walks and we talking and and let me say this too for those of you that are listening and you go to God and you just can't shut your mouth. I'm gonna come to you right now and just say shut your mouth.

Speaker 1: 27:55

Wait, hold on Before you say that, because this is also something that when you're reading the scriptures and I was like, oh, this is also something that I've learned about myself, that I'm an outward processor. So, although I know, the Lord knows everything I need. I'm an outward processor so, although I know the Lord knows everything I need, sometimes for me the only way to like feel that burden lifted off is that I do talk with him about it.

Speaker 2: 28:17

Yeah, and that's okay so.

Speaker 1: 28:18

I do like. I just want to say you're right, though Some are just complaining and mulling and blah, blah, blah, like you're going and going and going but also for me and knowing my personality and what I'm learning about myself, sometimes I do just need to process it. But I'd rather process it with the Lord than anybody else. But you know what?

Speaker 2: 28:34

There's times, even babe, in our relationship, and this is us as humans, in our marriage. So I'm not equating it to a relationship with God. I'm not giving God this human form of like. He's married to me right now and this is how we do it in our marriage and which, yes, we are married to the church, we were married, we are the bride of Christ and he's coming soon. Right, he's coming soon for us. But I'm talking about like in our in our relationship.

Speaker 2: 28:57

There are seasons where, actually, when you just stop talking, and sometimes the silence, sometimes the silence really helps, sometimes it's listening to your partner in a different perspective. So, yes, I do think it's nice when we're able to just go to the Lord and just freely talk, talk, talk. But what I'm saying is I think what he has to say is much better than what we have to say. I agree with that for sure. And yes, I do believe because Jesus also talks about in this same book. He's saying, like acts and you will receive, search and you will find knock and the door will be open. So he said go to the father and ask him. Right, so somebody's saying well, so, so we're not supposed to talk. No, what I'm saying is build a relationship with him.

Speaker 1: 29:39

So it's not just you talking all the time, absolutely it's you talking and you listening, talking and listening that's communication yeah like, just talking is not communication yeah, and and and.

Speaker 2: 29:47

How do you listen? It's through his word, right? There's plenty of times where God is speaking to us and it's in silent moments, it's reading his word. There's times I've read scriptures my whole entire life and sometimes it's not. Now, in my 30s I read it again. I'm like, oh, I read this my whole entire life and I get it now because I slowed down in the season that we're in. Now, because I slowed down in the season that we're in, I didn't understand it as a child, I didn't understand it as adolescent, but as a grown man I understood it. That's true. What does your prayer life look like right now, like in the season that you are in as a mother, as a entrepreneur, as a wife, like what does prayer life look like for you?

Speaker 1: 30:26

So I shared in the last episode that you know it is finding moments right Like in your day, um. And I found a new moment recently in our routine which is like I get the kids ready for school while you're still at the gym and then I send them out the door and you do drop off and um. So I usually take like a few minutes right after the hustle and bustle of the morning and it's just still and quiet in the house and I'll take like 10, 15 minutes and I'll read my Bible and pray for a few minutes. Also, I always find a lot of time I'm just praying in the shower.

Speaker 1: 30:58

I don't know what it is about the shower, whether it's that the kids don't bother me while I'm in the shower or what it is, but actually I do know what it is it's that my thoughts are racing while I'm in the shower, it's silence, and so my thoughts go crazy. And so when I find myself circling thoughts and just like worrying and thinking about something too much, um, I realized like I don't want to just sit in my thoughts. So then I start praying because I'm like why would I just want to worry myself or think myself in circles when I can actually just pray. So a lot of times, like I've set kind of like a parameter or like a warning of like hey, you're kind of circling this and you could actually just be praying about this, and so those are a lot of those moments. So my showers will be long, mostly because I am praying and then the car right, I'm driving a lot like working a lot, so there's lots of driving time.

Speaker 1: 31:56

But I think I said it in the last episode too that you know, your relationship with the Lord when you are a mother changes a lot depending on what season you're in. If you have a newborn, you're up a lot in the middle of the night and then you're sleeping during the day. When you have a toddler, you're always on the go and you're never stopping. Right now my kids are a little older, so we're busy, but it's a different busy, and so I think I said it is that it is not an excuse. It's an opportunity to be intentional about what your relationship with the Lord looks like.

Speaker 1: 32:32

So it may, it's going to always evolve, moms, it will always evolve. But making sure that we take again that opportunity to be intentional of like. Okay, I have 10 to 15 minutes when the kids leave the house, I'm going to sit here in silence and I'm going to spend time with the Lord, then I'll work out. Then I get rushed Like I do it so fast, get ready for work and I'm out the door. But I had those 10 to 15 minutes of alone time with the Lord in peace and silence and specifically for him. The rest of the time when I'm driving I've got worship music on, I'm praying when I am in the shower you know those other times during the day, you know it can be while you're doing things. But just giving that little bit of time to the Lord because even if it's a little bit, it's intentional.

Speaker 2: 33:20

Yeah, Intentionality is key when it comes to prayer, when it comes to spending time with God. God doesn't like us going to him like he's some quick shop, quickie mark, you know, express 7-Eleven.

Speaker 1: 33:28

Did you say quickie mark?

Speaker 2: 33:30

Quick mark. Okay, Quick mark right.

Speaker 1: 33:32

I think it's a mart Mart, yeah, like.

Speaker 2: 33:36

Mart or mart. I think it's mart Now I'm confusing.

Speaker 1: 33:38

I think it's quickie mart.

Speaker 2: 33:40

Okay, treating god like he's some type of 7-eleven at the at the airport you know what I mean, you just stop swing by.

Speaker 2: 33:46

You still got your suitcase, you're. You're on your way to something else and like I'm not saying that's what you you're like you're doing. But I get it like I understand, because the bible also says pray without ceasing, right, right. So pray without you know, like without pausing. So even for me, I'm praying all day long, right. If someone pops in my heart, someone pops in my heart, someone pops in my mind, I take a moment to pray for them.

Speaker 2: 34:07

There's times I'm able I stop to pray for them, and there's other times it's like while I'm doing something else.

Speaker 2: 34:12

But, to me it's an ongoing relationship and it should always be evolving, like your relationship with God should always be growing and getting closer. And how do we get closer to him? It's through prayer. Guys, listen, if you are a believer and you have not tapped into this like, you are living a passive life, a life without power, a life without full access to what God has given to us. Jesus gave us prayer right.

Speaker 2: 34:39

I love how, when Christ came, he got rid of the whole mindset of you have to actually go to a temple every single time. I love the church, I love the meeting places. I love the temple because it's beautiful when God's people come together God's people and I'm afraid that we're living in a time right now that most churches are filled with non-believers right, or people that are seeking, but people that aren't really safe. He's coming back for believers and those that are pure and sanctified, set apart his church. He's coming back for his bride, not a bunch of people that refuse to commit to him. So I love the meeting of the people, I love the meeting places, but the cool thing is we have access to God every single day and it's not just because we want his hand, we want his face. We want closeness, we just want to get to know who he is.

Speaker 2: 35:26

We love prayer and a few other things about pray that I even want to mention. You know prayer is so powerful. Right, there's there's so many meaningful points to why we connect with God through prayer. Right, there's divine intervention right, that's big, like we get that out of prayer. Right, it's intervention. Right, things that we've gone through. Right, prayer can lead to God's direct intervention in this world, us interceding, standing on the behalf of things we can be believing for miracles and healings, deliverance from danger, guidance through difficult situations.

Speaker 2: 36:01

We see it in James, we see it in Philippians. Like, we're taught that Prayer. Right, we receive strength and endurance when we pray. Prayer provides spiritual strength, helping us believers to endure through hardship and through trials. You know what I mean. It's seen as a source even of peace. Right, it's a way to gain power just through God's presence, getting to know who he is. We saw in the old testament they had to actually go to an so an actual place, a tent, and go inside of a holy place, the most, the most holiest place. Right, and that's where God was.

Speaker 2: 36:36

God was in literally in a box yeah literally in a box, right, but that's no longer the case anymore now. But what happens is because people know that God's not in a box, they they treat him like he's just everywhere, and when I say everywhere, meaning like he's common. He is everywhere. But we should always keep him holy right, like they did back in the days before Jesus came. They kept them in his holy box. But now that God's no longer in a box, we've treated him like he's some common thing and having prayer right, it gives us that peace, it taps us into that presence of God.

Speaker 2: 37:08

Prayer also is good for us, tapping into other levels of forgiveness right, pure, like pure revelation of our heart and where our heart is right. We always ask God through prayer to purify our hearts right, creating us a clean spirit. Purify. Every single day I pray God. Will you purify my heart, purify my mind, anything that has happened that I've done with my hands that is against your will, god, I ask for forgiveness right now. God sees and hears the prayers of his people. The Bible says that those who call on him. He hears our prayers, but he closed himself, turns his head, turns his back to those who are proud, those who are wicked. That refuses to listen and repent. Right Healing we find that prayer is a mean of asking God for forgiveness and receiving healing, both physically and spiritually speaking right, and also through prayer, there's guidance and wisdom. I love this aspect. Out of prayer, right Through prayer, like us as believers, like we can seek wisdom and discernment from God.

Speaker 2: 38:12

There's been times I'm praying and I'm praying God for wisdom and discernment. I've been put in traps before or I've been faced. I've faced traps before from people that try to put us in deals right Record deals that we almost signed. I've worked for churches that bribed me before for. From people that try to put us in deals right Record deals that we almost signed, right. I've worked for churches that bribed me before and I sat there and I went back and prayed. I said God, reveal to me the truth, give me discernment and I can feel peace, ease, right. Peace is one of the fruits of the spirit. So if you start feeling uneasy like man, is it my gut? It's not my gut, especially when you feel the spirit. It's the spirit of God, right? So, making tough decisions when we are faced with tough decisions and I felt like that's what happened the other day you forgot who your source was? Right, you almost thought it was you, yeah. And why are you stressed out? Because of your own source? Because I thought it was me. Why are you frustrated? Right, because you were the source, yeah. But when you realize that God is the source, where he's my help, there's that peace to make a tough decision.

Speaker 2: 39:04

And a cool thing also about prayer is we find transformation through prayer. It shapes our hearts, it aligns us together for God's purpose. When we pray, we let go of our own personal beliefs, our own personal thoughts, the things that we think in our will and our desire. We submit it to God through prayer and he fills us up with his purpose. And the last one is this is the big one, because we need it right now in this world is through prayer we have the power to overcome temptation. Once again, this is the formula from Matthew, chapter six. Jesus taught us that like we can overcome and resist the devil, especially when we pray. When the devil came to attack Jesus, jesus used the word of God for the devil to come against him, to resist him. That's how we pray. This is not just some sermon. This is what we talk about inside of our homes. This is how we tap into the powers of God and this is how we get closer to him. It's through prayer, yeah.

Speaker 1: 40:01

So one of the last scriptures I wanted to leave with you guys was James 5, 16. And it says God hears and answers the prayers of his children, even when they are weak, weary or without hope.

Speaker 1: 40:14

And so I just really loved that scripture, because that was where I was this week.

Speaker 1: 40:20

I was weary, I had lost hope, and it's because I had lost focus, and so I just needed to shift my eyes, shift my focus, shift my gaze back to where my help comes from. And so, you know, the Bible says I think it's in first Peter uh, cast all your cares on him, for he cares for you. And so, knowing that, like, okay, god does care where my heart is heavy, he does care for the wounds that I was carrying, he does care for the weight that I had but I was actually carrying it when he's like, just give it to me, I'll take care of it, and so if anyone is out there listening and they're feeling that weight, I want you to know that through prayer, you can lift that weight. Actually, you can't lift that weight off of you, but Jesus can lift that weight. Actually, you can't lift that weight off of you, but Jesus can lift that weight off of you he will take it from you, but prayer is the way that we let go of that.

Speaker 1: 41:12

Prayer is the way that we find that forgiveness that we have to extend to someone else. That is really, really hard, and in most cases you actually probably have every right to hold resentment and to withhold forgiveness from them. They probably hurt you, they did something wrong to you and you have every right to. But when the Bible says, forgive so that you can be forgiven, prayer is one of the best ways that it will help you. It's just what you said transform your heart to be more like him and to extend that forgiveness. And so we just really wanted to share this huge part of our walk with Jesus. We couldn't live without it. We said you know, therapy was a huge thing for our marriage, but so was prayer, and we wouldn't be sitting here today without it.

Speaker 1: 42:02

I remember praying the prayers of you know, god, I know you can turn this marriage around. I just don't know if we'll allow you to do it because it was so much work for us, but it was my heart's prayer. God, I want you to fix this marriage, I want you to change our situation, and so I encourage married couples all the time as well, like if there's a tough season between husband and wife. If you are both searching for God and if you are both praying, eventually you will meet back in the middle, because if God's in the middle of your marriage, nothing can break it. And so I know that that was a big part, because it felt like we were really off for a long time, but both of us prayed the whole time break it. And so I know that that was a big part, because it felt like we were really off for a long time, but both of us prayed the whole time through it. And so prayer is one of the things that brought us back together.

Speaker 2: 42:52

It is and so, if you are listening to this right now and this is blessing you and you feel like you're struggling to talk to God, you feel like you are struggling to hear God, we want to actually take this moment and actually pray for you. We want to lift you up in prayer and anything that is keeping you from God. We want to come against it. We want to come in agreement with you. We want you to let us know how we can pray for you, even jump in the chat. Send us a message. You know all the links. We're going to pray for you here in a minute, but send us a message. You know all the links. We're going to pray for you here in a minute, but send us a message like. Hit that like button. Let YouTube know that you know what this blessed me, so that it can bless somebody else Like.

Speaker 2: 43:31

Our goal is to be able to point every single person that's listening to this to Jesus. He's the only one that can save. I'm grateful that you guys feel like this is helping you and you believe it's helping you, but ultimately, you're following us as we are following Christ. And so, babe, why don't you start off man, look at that camera and just pray for those that feel stuck, that feel like man. They've lost that power of prayer that that fire would honestly fill them up again.

Speaker 1: 43:57

Yeah, all right, let's pray. Lord, I just come before you and I thank you for every single person that's listening to this podcast right now. I thank you for what you have done in their lives to this point. But, god, if there is someone that is listening that feels distant from you and feels far away from you, god, I ask right now that you would bring them close to you, that you would show them yourself today, wherever they are in their life, as they go about their day. God, let them see little things that you're doing for them, to know that you are real and that you are with them. Your word says that you never leave us or forsake us, and so, god, there are people that are listening to this right now and they just feel distant from you and they feel like they can't find you. And so, father, I pray right now that they would feel the sense of your spirit, your Holy spirit, wherever they are, whether they're driving in their car, they're in the gym, they're at work, god, wherever they are. That they would feel your spirit right there with them, lord, as they go about their day to day. That they would see little things, father, whether it's a bill that's taken care of whether it's an almost car accident, but you protected them, god, that they would see your hand today and that that would help them to seek your face.

Speaker 1: 45:13

Father, I thank you that you are ever present. I thank you, god, that you hear every prayer that we pray and that you hear your children's prayers. I thank you that you see every need we have and, god, that you know every wound that is in our heart that only you can heal. So, father, I thank you right now that the presence would build their space wherever they're listening to it. God, I thank you for healing in their heart, for the wounds that are there, lord, that you would heal, like only you can heal. And, god, I thank you that you would just draw them closer to you and that, after they've listened to this today, that their relationship with you would come closer than it's ever been before. I thank you, lord, that you are close to us, that you are near to the broken hearted. I thank you, father, that you carry our burdens and that your burden is light and easy and that they don't have to carry that weight by themselves.

Speaker 1: 46:06

Lord, we just take this moment to cast all our cares upon you. God, thank you that you care for us. Thank you that you care for the small details that matter to us, that you are this huge God but yet you care for the little things that matter to us. Thank you that you are such a great God. Thank you that you never change.

Speaker 1: 46:25

Even though we may change from day to day to day and from moment to moment, god, you stay the same and you are the same God from the Bible that has raised people from the dead, that has caused healing, that has broken chains off of people's lives. God, and I know that you are still that same God. I thank you that you are a God that restores marriages and that you are a God that restores relationships. God, we thank you for the right people in their life and that the people that are in their life that shouldn't be their God, that you remove them.

Speaker 1: 46:56

God, I thank you that you open doors that are for them and you close doors that are not for them, that you make their pathway straight and that you guide every step that they take. We thank you, father. We thank you for the opportunity to actually just have a relationship with you. What a blessing it is to trust in you, god. What a blessing it is to seek your face and not just your hand. But when we see your face, we get to see your hand move in our lives. We thank you that you are such a great God.

Speaker 2: 47:29

Thank you Lord, thank you God, thank you Lord. We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Let's dig, crew. We love you guys. Thank you for tapping into this. You guys already know Jesus said it best. He said the two greatest commandments. The first one is to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, all your soul. The second greatest one is to love your neighbors as yourself. And so, as you guys know, as we continue to grow, life gets better when relationships do your relationship with God, with others and with yourself. So keep on digging, keep pulling out those bad roots, and we're going to replace them with what, the what, with, with what God has for us in our lives. And so we love you guys, peace, and let's keep digging.