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How to Pray · The Living Freed Podcast

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Hey y 'all, I'm Hannah Liz, a coastal living,
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Jesus living, NC native, and this is the Living
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Free Podcast. where we discuss intentionally
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living our lives to the fullest that God has
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intended, having those late night open heart
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friend convos, not letting others, ourselves,
0:37
or ideas hold us down, allowing Jesus to free
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us of the chains that we didn't know we were
0:42
holding onto. You can see the full show notes
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attached to this episode, and if you loved this
0:48
episode, please leave me a review. Alright, it
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is time for our weekly catch up, where I catch
0:54
you up on what's been going on. since the last
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time we talked. okay so y 'all i have to be so
1:01
honest with you i'm addicted to love island i've
1:05
watched seasons in the past and yes i mean i
1:08
do think season six is supreme but it is when
1:10
a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon but this
1:13
latest season season season seven has been actually
1:17
so crazy one of my friends posted on tiktok the
1:20
other day though that she thinks it's the fakest
1:22
season we've had yet And after hearing her say
1:26
that, I kind of agree. I think that everyone's
1:29
trying to manipulate how they're turning out
1:31
or showing up on social media. And I don't know
1:35
about Ace. I like Ace, but I think that he is
1:39
almost showing up too well and too cool and too
1:43
chill. I feel like he's playing the long game
1:45
here. There's a con happening. I just don't know
1:48
how real he is. But anyways, let's talk about
1:51
Huda and Jeremiah. First off, they're the most
1:53
toxic couple I have ever seen in my whole entire
1:57
life. Like, holy crap. I just got to the part
2:01
where they broke up. Can I say officially? No,
2:03
because we're only the first what? Week and a
2:06
half in. We'll see what happens next. But yeah,
2:09
they need to get super far away from each other.
2:12
And Huda needs to go see a therapist, a counselor
2:15
and a psychologist. she's got some work to do
2:18
um all right uh things we are stepping into this
2:22
week more beach time in fact after i record this
2:26
episode i'm going to the beach with one of my
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friends um and things i'm stepping out of this
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week let me tell you i have gotten out of control
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with my sweet treats out of control i was never
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really a sugar person and now i am i feel like
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i'm eating sugar all the time Especially with
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one of my friends. I feel like we're always going
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out to get a little sweet treat and I'm not that
2:48
person and I can't do it anymore I feel so gross
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like I'm tired every day. I don't want to go
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to the gym And my swimsuits are just not looking
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that cute on me anymore So I'm stepping out of
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sweet treats as of today as of this week Okay.
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Well, that's all I have for you today and let's
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dive in into today's episode Today we're talking
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about prayer. What is it? Why pray? How do you
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pray? Is it important to my relationship with
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Jesus? Does it matter if I pray or not? What
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if I don't know how to? And what does it have
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to do with me feeling freed? These are all questions
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I've heard or gotten either through coffee dates
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with friends or through Bible study meetings.
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A lot of people don't feel comfortable praying,
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have never tried, or just don't know how to.
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And if you're one of those people, please know
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that you aren't alone. I remember a time when
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I'd hear people do long, drawn -out prayers.
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They seemed to know all these words and how to
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string them into the most beautiful or longest
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sentence I've ever heard. They could be praying
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over food or a sick friend, and in my mind, a
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simple, Lord, bless this food or heal our friend
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would do. And truthfully, that's all I had in
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my own head to say. But other people could go
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on and on and on, and I was low -key impressed.
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I remember thinking, wow, now they know how to
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talk to the Lord. God must really love them.
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But very rarely did I ever feel moved or feel
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the spirit in the room when those prayers were
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prayed. I hated being asked to pray for groups
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or over dinner. I'd get so self -conscious, I'd
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stress out about it, what I would say, not have
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enough to say, or say the wrong thing, because
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again, truthfully, I wasn't a girl with many
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words to pray out loud for all to hear. I often
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would listen to others pray and make notes on
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what to add to mine when I got the chance. I'd
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be like, oh wow. That was a good thing to say.
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Or, that could cover a lot of things. I need
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to remember that. But I'd always forget. I wanted
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to pray the way that other people did. Mine felt
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too short, too simple. There was no way God would
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want to hear my prayer when other people were
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so much better at it. Theirs were deeper, longer,
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had prettier words. So they had to carry more
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weight and value, right? Well, no. I was wrong.
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Like most subjects in my life, I sat on what
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prayer was and how to do it right for a long
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time. and I just never felt like I was doing
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it right. I prayed and feel like I should be
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feeling something, but I didn't. I'd start a
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prayer and hope God would give me the words to
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say to bless a meal and I'd end up overthinking
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it and going back to my basic, Lord, thank you
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for this food, amen. I knew I was making prayer
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too much about me, so I gave up. I don't know
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how old I was when I gave up, but I remember
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a moment in my head and heart where I felt defeated
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and decided praying good, quote unquote, wasn't
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in my cards. It just wasn't my thing. So I decided
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my prayers were going to be me just talking to
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Jesus because I'm really good at that. I'm a
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yapper. But I just start to end it with an amen
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now. I talk to Jesus a lot. So much so I'm pretty
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sure anyone who walks upon me unexpectedly thinks
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that I'm crazy because I'm talking to myself.
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But I'm just having a convo with Jesus. Jesus
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has to listen to all my rants because I keep
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him involved and up to date on all my drama.
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The only other person who might come close is
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my mama. In all seriousness. That's what prayer
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is though. It's just being in communication with
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God. We can dress it up in beautiful poetry or
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we can make it simple like I have. It's funny
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though, because now people tell me I pray so
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well or that they wish they could pray like me,
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but honestly, I'm at the point I forget everyone
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else is there. When I pray for a friend or in
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a group, I'm just telling Jesus what's up, what's
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going on, and what's on my heart. So this is
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tip one. If you don't know how to pray or where
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to start, just have a conversation with Jesus
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like you would a friend and add an amen to the
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end. If you're meeting a friend for coffee, what
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do you do? You say, hi, how are you? And then
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you tell them what's going on in your life and
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what you've been up to. For me, it's as simple
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as when I'm in the car headed to work or getting
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ready in the morning to go do something. I typically
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say something like, hi Jesus, I get to meet a
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friend for coffee at a new shop today. And then
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I have to go shopping and meal prep. I really
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like to make time to read my new book and rest
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hopefully if I can. You know what? Will you please
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be with me and all that today and bless it? Okay,
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thanks Jesus. Amen. And then I carry on with
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whatever random thought I have and wanted to
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tell him because unfortunately for me, my brain
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never turns off. Sometimes in those conversations,
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I tell my fears and my insecurities. Not because
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He doesn't know them, but because that's what
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I would do with a friend. I would tell them.
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Prayer is important. How can you have a relationship
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with someone you never talked to? You can't.
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If you don't communicate, make a request, or
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let someone get to know you, then you can't have
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a relationship. Yes, yes, God is all -knowing,
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so He already knows you, in your wants and needs,
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but He wants you to know you can trust Him, make
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a request of Him, and let Him know you. All of
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you. Prayer is where God gets to show up for
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me. I'm not saying I'm asking him for something
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and he's my genie in a bottle so he gives it
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to me, but he lets me see his heart through my
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asking and his answering. One time I was going
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through a really hard breakup. My heart was shattered.
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I was leaving my favorite coffee shop and I was
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telling God about my sadness and how I wish I
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could just have a hug from someone in that moment,
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or if there was some way he could show me that
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he loves me and sees me. And as I was saying
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this, I saw the most beautiful rainbow in the
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sky, and instantly I felt loved. Just the feeling
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of love washed over me. And I knew in that moment
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that that had been placed for me to see. And
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maybe somebody else needed it too. But it was
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definitely for me. Another time I was praying
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that God would make something very clear to me.
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I told him, I need it to hit me like a bag of
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bricks. It's so clear. Well, the very next day
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I got my very clear answer and a decision was
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made. But there have also been prayers that I've
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prayed in my bed, crying, begging for an answer
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for years. And it took years for it to be answered,
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but it was answered word for word of what I asked
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for. So I knew it was from him. In those times,
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He saw my heart, my pain, my need, and He answered
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and showed me His love and His faithfulness to
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me. Has God answered every request I've ever
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made? Probably not, but I also don't remember
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the ones He didn't answer, so I'm going to assume
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that they didn't lead to the life I have now
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and that He had planned for me. You might be
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scared of getting a no from God, and that's okay.
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Not all prayers are an asking -of -Him prayer.
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This leads us to Tip 2. Gratitude prayers. Truthfully,
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most of my prayers are gratitude prayers. I struggle
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with depression, so I do my best for my mental
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health to sit in a space of thankfulness instead
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of what I need, lack, struggling with, or am
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hurting from. So because of that, I spend a lot
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of my conversations slash prayers thinking Jesus.
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Yes, I know He can handle anything I lay down
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on His feet. But once I lay it down, I do my
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best not to pick it up, so I pray over it. and
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I try not to dwell on it, and instead I sit in
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gratitude instead. Personally, my gratitude prayers,
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or what the Bible calls a prayer of thanksgiving,
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are pretty simple like the rest of my prayer
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life. The average prayer goes something like,
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Jesus, thank you for my cute shoes, for the blue
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sky, for the air in my lungs, that I get to have
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a job, and that I get to live at the beach. And
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sometimes I get a little deeper like, Jesus,
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thank you for my sister, and how she knows me
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and will laugh with me and let me ramble. Thank
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you for giving me a sister like that. And Jesus,
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thank you for loving me and choosing me, and
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for holding me in your hands. You are so good
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to me, and I know in my soul how I am loved.
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And I know in my soul that I am loved by you.
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You are so good to me and those around me, and
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I want to tell you thank you." Or it goes a little
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something like that. In the Old Testament, they
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used to make sacrifices to give thanks, repent,
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or make requests. Those sacrifices would burn
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and the Bible says its smoke was an incense to
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the Lord. Our prayers are about now. When you
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pray, whether giving thanks, making a request,
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or repenting, it's an incense going up to the
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Lord. And one, I think that's really cool. And
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two, I know I always want my incense that goes
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up to Him to be a sweet heartfelt aroma. Prayer
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Tip number three. There is a prayer Jesus actually
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tells us to pray. So if you aren't the ramble
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to Jesus like me type, or you don't feel genuine
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giving gratitude, then start with this prayer.
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Anytime you feel the need, the pool, or the desire
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to say something to God, you just feel it in
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your spirit. Then recite this prayer. Jesus gives
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us in Matthew 6 verses 9 through 13. Jesus says,
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then this is how you should pray. Our Father
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in heaven, hallowed be your name. Wow, my accent
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got stronger. Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom
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come, your will be done, on earth as it is in
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heaven. Give us today our daily bread. and forgive
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us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.
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Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
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the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, and the
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power, and the glory forever. Amen. Jesus did
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what Jesus does and makes it clear and easy for
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us with a simple prayer. It hits on six key parts
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of a prayer, acknowledging Him with praise, putting
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His will first, asking for a blessing, repentance,
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asking for protection, and ending with praise.
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You might feel a little weird at first. Actually,
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you'll definitely feel a little weird about it
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at first if praying has never been your thing
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or if you've never done it. But pray this again
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and again and again until it becomes natural,
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until you learn how to also pray to Him in your
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own words. It might be scary or intimidating,
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but I promise I know you can and will do it.
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Now, maybe you aren't a speak it type of person.
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Maybe you are a write it type of person. So here's
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tip number four. Journal your prayers. Write
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them down, every word that is on your heart or
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mind. No one has to see it. It can be between
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you and Jesus. I have a friend who is an amazing
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writer. I've told her time and time again that
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she needs to write a book. Her words when she
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writes to Jesus or has been moved by him to write
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are the most beautiful and most powerful words
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I've ever seen put together on paper. I haven't
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heard her pray much, but I've heard her read
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her writing plenty of times. and have been moved
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by them each time, so maybe that's you. If writing
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comes natural to you, maybe then you need to
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just sit down in silence and write out your prayers.
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Carve out time in your day, sow with the Lord,
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and just write. Whether you're an early riser
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or a night owl, you can find time to sit in silence
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and write out the words on your heart and in
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your head that you want to speak to him. I'm
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not much of a writer. And you already know that
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I'm a rambler with my combos with God, but there
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was a time between then and where I am now that
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I used to sing my prayers. Which brings us to
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my last tip for now. Tip number five. I told
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y 'all how I felt like I never had the right
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words to pray or enough to say. Well, I would
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sing them instead and I still kind of do. I'm
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not saying that I'm gifted with words to sing
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or the voice. I'm saying I sing worship songs
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as my prayers. I started doing this at the very
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first Passion Conference I went to. When you're
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there, it can be so overwhelming. If you've ever
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gone, you know what I'm talking about. You can
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get so distracted, and that's what I found happening
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to me. So many voices and people. And as a professional
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people watcher, it is very easy for me to get
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distracted. I kept finding my heart and mind
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wasn't focused on Jesus, and the whole point
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of being there was to be focused on Jesus. So,
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when one of my favorite worship songs was being
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played, And as I sung the lyrics, I decided to
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not just sing them as a worship song and sing
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them to Jesus, but I started to pray them as
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well. And treat them as a prayer, I was also
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lifting up to Him along with my worship. From
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there on out, for a very long time, whether at
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a conference, church, or in my car, all worship
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songs became a prayer I would sing to the Lord.
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If you can't find the words, if you don't have
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the words, if you feel like you aren't ready
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to speak the words yet, then sing them. If you
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don't already have a worship song that you connect
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with on a spiritual level, find one. When you
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sing it, don't just sing it for worship. Sing
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it and pray it. Let those words speak for you.
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You see this in the Psalms. Those Psalms that
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King David and many others wrote clearly double
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as a prayer. And those Psalms were sung, not
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just by them, but many others for generations.
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So girls, sing that song as your prayer. Let
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it arise as an incense and trust that God will
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receive it. Now these are just tips. You won't
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start with one and automatically be praying for
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others, so don't worry about that. Actually,
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I still don't really enjoy praying in front of
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a group. For me, prayer is very intimate. It's
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a private combo between me and Jesus, so I'm
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hella uncomfy letting people in on that, because
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again, I do forget people are there. And you
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will never know what will come out of my mouth
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because Jesus gets the unfiltered version of
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me. I used to have a lot of fear when I would
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pray slash talk to God. I would be scared he
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wouldn't answer my request. I was nervous he
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wouldn't like what I had to say or that he might
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not like me when he heard what I said. I didn't
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want to take up his time or add to his plate
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when there was people with bigger problems than
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me out there in this world. But none of that
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is true. The facts are he will answer my prayer.
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It just might take longer than I'd like or in
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a way I didn't expect. I can't say anything he
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didn't already know I would say or that would
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cause him to be mad at me. or not like me, and
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I really truly can't add to his plate. If he
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cares for the birds of the air and the lilies
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of the valley, then he cares about me and he
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really does care about you. I've gotten bolder
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over the years with my prayers. I speak scripture
16:35
back to God when praying if I feel like I'm not
16:37
seeing movement. I decided a long time ago I'd
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be the widow knocking on the door at the judge's
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house in Luke 18, not because I feel like I deserve
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it or demand it. but to show God again and again
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that I have faith and that I know He will follow
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through. And let me tell you, He has. I have
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so many stories of Him following through, but
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only because I learned to pray, to talk with
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Him, to let Him see my heart and be vulnerable.
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If I hadn't, I wouldn't be where I am today.
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You might be scared to pray or intimidated by
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it. You might not feel worthy to pray or you
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just feel lost on where to start. That's okay.
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You're allowed to feel that way. But I can't
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and won't recommend you staying that way and
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not even try. Here's the thing, he's got you.
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Jesus loves you and wants you to talk with him,
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communicate and trust him. He wants to know your
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needs, wants, desires, and dreams. That you are
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too scared to tell anyone else and keep tucked
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down deep in your heart. He wants to know your
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pains, hurts, heartbreaks, and what scares you.
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He wants to know your joys and the little things
17:38
that make you smile. He wants you to tell him
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and not because he doesn't know, because he definitely
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does. He wants you to learn that you are so absolutely
17:47
cared for and loved by him. But he also wants
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you to know him. And how do we get to know him?
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Ding ding ding! praying. You have to talk with
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him to know him. When we tell him our fears,
17:58
frustrations, or concerns, it allows him to use
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the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our relationship
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with him. I read a really great book on prayer.
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Actually, I've read three really great books
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on prayer. One is Fervent by Priscilla Shire.
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She says in that book that the devil wants us
18:15
to believe that God hasn't seen a struggle and
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or is disinterested and not concerned with the
18:21
details of our lives. So if you think God doesn't
18:24
care or could care less about you, just know
18:26
you aren't alone. That is the devil's goal, to
18:29
have you think that that's the truth, but it's
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not. The other two books are by the same author
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and pastor, whose name is Mark Something. One's
18:37
title is Draw the Circle and the other the Circle
18:40
Maker. These two books will get you pumped to
18:43
pray. They gave me such a passion for prayer
18:45
and talking to the Lord. He's definitely one
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of those writers you have to chew the meat and
18:50
spit out the bones if you know what I mean, but
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when he writes something good and powerful, well
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dang, you better take it in. If you feel like
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you need a confidence boost to start praying,
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then read one of those books. They will get you
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fired up, girl. I hope you try one of these tips
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if you aren't sure how to pray. Prayer will set
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you free, free from fears or disbeliefs you have
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about your Heavenly Father. It will give you
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breakthroughs and allow you to break out of boxes
19:14
and circumstances that you're in. Okay, ironically
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we are going to jump into prayer now to close
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out this episode. Hey God, thank you so much
19:25
for this day, for this chance to just talk with
19:27
you and be in your presence. Thank you for allowing
19:32
us to be vulnerable. Thank you for giving us
19:35
communication directly to you. Thank you for
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giving us the spirit so that it can communicate
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to you for us what's going on internally. Thank
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you for wanting to know us. Thank you for giving
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us a chance to get to know you. Thank you for
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caring for us our hearts our desires our dreams
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I Ask that whoever's listening to this episode
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Sees your care and wants to know that you care
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That she reaches out that she uses one of these
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tips and she makes that connection with you that
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she furthers her relationship with you That whatever
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lies or doubts she feels about you or towards
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herself That prayer has her break free of that
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so that she can start to live in freedom through
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you and in Jesus name. Amen All right, y 'all
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that's all I have for you today Thank you so
20:33
much for listening to the living free podcast.
20:35
If you want to get connected you can message
20:38
me at Hannah Liz D on Instagram or email me at
20:42
livingfreepod at gmail .com. If you're loving
20:46
the podcast, I'd be so honored if you go ahead
20:48
and hit that subscribe button and leave me a
20:50
review. And if you have feedback or a subject
20:53
you'd like for me to cover, please email or DM
20:55
me on Instagram. Again, thank you so much for
20:58
listening. I hope you feel encouraged, lighter,
21:00
and a little more connected to Jesus today. Bye,
21:04
y 'all. Hey y 'all, sorry. Just wanted to apologize
21:11
for the disruption. Um, I know you just listened
21:14
to this episode and were like why is this girl
21:17
still talking about Love Island? It just ended.
21:19
I did pre -record some of these because I knew
21:22
I was preparing to go to Iceland I didn't want
21:24
to leave anybody hanging. So some of this information
21:27
is older this week and next week are both pre
21:31
-recorded episodes, so I do want to apologize
21:33
for anything that you're like, isn't this old
21:34
news? Yes, it is old news. Anyways, continue
21:37
on with your day. Love y 'all, bye.