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Praying Like Never Before - Part 3: Leading Your Family in Prayer and Growing Spiritually · Couples’ Journey Podcast Channel

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  What if the key to deeper intimacy with God lies in your daily prayers?
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  Hey everyone, welcome back to the Couples Journey blog series podcast.
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  We're on part three of Praying Like Never Before.
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  Today, we're diving into the transformative power of prayer with insights from
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  Ray, who reflects on how to cultivate a genuine connection with God within our busy lives.
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  Join us as we explore the importance of humility and intentionality in our prayer
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  practices. inspired by the wisdom of A.
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  W. Tozer. Here's Ray.
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  In my past life, away from God, I learned a crucial lesson, how easily we forget
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  God, especially when everything around us seems to be going well.
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  Even though we claim we believe in Him and say prayers.
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  When our petitions are answered, just as we hope, our joy often shifts from
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  gratitude towards the one who answered to simply celebrating the answer itself.
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  I've seen this tendency quietly creep into our small family too.
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  That is why Annie and I decided to be intentional in our faith journey,
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  to surrender our marriage and family to God's care.
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  A vital part of that is disciplined prayer.
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  We value individual prayer time, setting aside moments just for us to connect with God.
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  Then, at the end of each day, we gather as a family for prayer.
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  We often hear in sermons and teachings that prayer reveals our true intimacy with God.
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  Our family embraces this truth, and it has become the foundation that keeps
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  us focused on nurturing a regular prayer habit.
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  Yet, I must admit that there are times when we tested, especially during out-of-time
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  trips and our busy schedule, when routine is disrupted.
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  Thankfully, reminders through text and video calls have helped us stay connected and committed.
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  One day, I had a chance to revisit A.W.
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  Toza's writing, which reminded me of the true importance of prayer.
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  In The Essential Toys Collection, The Pursuit of God, The Purpose of Man,
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  The Crucified Lives, he writes, The key to prayer is simply praying.
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  He explained, prayer is not technical in the sense that if we go through the
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  right motion, say the right words, our prayer is automatically answered.
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  Our aim in prayer is not simply getting our prayers answered.
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  Instead, we should luxurate in the overwhelming presence of God.
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  Prayer is not a monologue where we tell God what we think or want.
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  Rather, it's a dialogue between two friends, an intimate fellowship that often surpasses words.
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  Words can be clumsy and inadequate to express our feelings.
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  As mystic and saints have encouraged, begin practicing presence of God.
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  This is not merely an exercise of imagination, But the ecstatic of fellowship.
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  Once you lose yourself in the ruptuous prayer, prayer will never become a routine again.
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  The key to prayer is simply praying.
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  We all know prayer is a way to humble ourselves before God.
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  But it's also how we deepen our intimacy with Him.
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  You might have a routine that looks good on the surface, But we must never lose
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  the true essence, our personal, intimate connection with God.
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  Tozer highlights the importance of intimacy in the pursuit of God.
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  He describes humility as the first duty and the root of every virtue.
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  He never emphasized that our posture, how we physically come before God.
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  It's a powerful expression that humility, for example, bowing the knees,
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  honors God's greatness and dependence on Him.
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  While Tozer doesn't specify a single verse about physical postures,
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  his overall message underscores that humility.
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  Often seen in our physical stance, it's crucial for approaching gods genuinely.
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  Bowing or kneeling is a tangible sign of inner humility, he notes.
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  Humility is a virtue saturated for it recognizes the divine trundescence and unworthiness.
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  Two, come before God in prayer and worship rightly. There must be a sense of
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  reverent humility, which sometimes manifests through the act of bowing or kneeling.
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  Inspired by Tozer's words, I reflected on my own postures during prayer and family devotion.
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  Usually you sit on the couch or gather in a room and pray casually.
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  But after reading Tozer's insight, I proposed a change to my family.
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  Instead of slouching on the couch, let's approach prayer with reverence, by kneeling.
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  By His grace, this simple shift constantly reminds us that we need God's presence
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  in every aspect of our lives.
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  We humble ourselves before Him, acknowledging our dependence.
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  Fellow husbands, let's be intentional in our prayers, not just out of duty,
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  but because we truly desire His presence.
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  In seeking Him earnestly, our lives and our families are transformed.
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  Always remember, prayer is the pathway to intimacy with God.
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  When we draw near, we find everything we truly need.
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  Before we close, we want to invite you to engage with us and support the Couples'
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  Journey blog series podcast.
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  By following this channel, leaving comments, and sharing episodes with your family and friends.
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  You're helping us in our mission to transform marriages today.
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  Your support encourages more couples to seek God's guidance and grow stronger together.
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  Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can make a difference.
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  Here's the final part of today's episode.
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  Thank you for tuning in to today's discussion on nurturing intimacy with God through prayer.
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  We hope Ray's reflections encourage you to approach your prayer life with renewed
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  reverence and intention.
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  Don't forget to stay with us for tomorrow's part four of the series,
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  where we will continue this journey and explore practical steps to strengthen
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  our prayer lives further.
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  Until then, may your heart and spirit remain open to God's presence and guidance.