Shows / Make Prayer Beautiful
Make Prayer Beautiful
I quit praying for eight years because the amount of resistance wore me down. But prayer is so transformative, I want you to be able to pray in health and power.
Episodes
- Make Prayer Beautiful
Surrender or Contend, and How Would You Know?
An excellent question from this article: https://blog.makeprayerbeautiful.com/sometimes-surrender-is-just-giving-up/
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Observing the Move of the Holy Spirit Without a Gift of Supernatural Sight
Putty Putnam's practical demonstration--so helpful!
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The Deliciousness of Water, and the Gift of Living Water
Reflections on something both glorious and mundane.
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When a Yawn Is More Than a Yawn
Celebrating all the ways of deliverance, in ourselves, and in the community.
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Living Things Take the Time They Take
Microorganisms digesting a compost pile, gestating a baby, growing in God … let's grow at his pace. And to find the Spring Forth Farm books I mention, see…
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A Pertinent Warning Against Dreams and AI Tools
Want your rough audio transcript to re-flow into nice paragraphs? Yes, AI can help. Want to get an interpretation? No, don't do it!
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A Demonstration of Interpreting a Small Dream
The number 20, the words "salt" and "ta-da!" and the sense that this dream was about healing.
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How to Not Get Overwhelmed with Dream Details
We can ask the Holy Spirit: "What are you highlighting?" (Wow! So helpful!)
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Babies with Language as a Picture of Beginning Dream Interpretation
If things start in seed form, can we start dream interpretation as true beginners, starting simply with learning to recognize: is this from God, or not?
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The Surprising Roots of Modern Dream Interpretation
Pizza? Freud? Jung? And the Bible!
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Watching Childlike Faith and Importunity in Real Life
Lord, give me similar willingness to move after my dreams with enthusiasm and openness.
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Different Generations Deal with Different Challenges
Meeting less resistance? That might not be because you're weak, but because previous generations fought through on your behalf.
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Bringing Samuel to Live with Eli and Sons … Not Exactly a Happy Prospect
The faith of Hannah! The Lord's protection over Samuel! The challenge embedded in this story!
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Breaking Free of Feeling Demoralized, and Entering into Joy
It's okay to be tired. It's okay to recognize that sometimes we pick up what other people are carrying. It's okay to recenter. (Lord, bless our times of…
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An Idea for Helping Offer Counsel and Relational Help, Between the Pastor and a Professional
One possible direction: lay chaplains (https://ifoc.org/). Another option, for free: six hours of training on listening well. https://www.thechurchcares.com/
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Thoughts on Prayerwalking and Praying, and How All Prayer Counts
An airport story, a hotel story, and a bit at Lenin's Tomb.
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Dealing with Any Disappointment from the Holy Spirit's Presence Not Looking As Expected
Praying through any sense of rejection or let down, and keeping holy hunger.
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Saying Hello to the Holy Spirit
And also, "Good morning." Treat him as a person!
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Natalie Grant's Powerful Statement About Leading Worship
I had never thought of this before, but such a brilliant insight.
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Learning Lectio Divina in a Few Minutes
I have read entire books on this topic, and didn't realize we could actually put it into practice in a few minutes. Wow!
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An Unexpected Invitation to Stay in a Room and Pray
The most repentant Yom Kippur I've ever spent. (So thankful!)
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Finding a Place of Rest and Recovery in a Partial Fast, and Not
Elijah needed food from angels to feel restored enough to keep going.
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A Time of Greater Angelic Activity
If you've been wakened in the night, without apparent obvious need … enjoy!
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A Movable Tabernacle
Walking and praying in the city, shedding abroad the glory of God.
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Would You Know What It Means to "Rebuild the Foundations"?
I did not … but I have a better sense now. (And a prayer for clear communication.)
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Asking the Lord for the Right Seat, Part 2
On being shoeless in the desert, dancing at the back, meeting new friends, and God answering prayers.
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Asking the Lord for the Right Seat
On altar calls, prayer teams, uncertainty, and grace.
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Sometimes Prayer Is Weird (But Even in the Oddity, God Provides)
A testimony of God's graciousness of connection. (I touched on this yesterday, now with a more extensive description.)
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Testimonies of Right Place, Right Time …
And the occasional moment of, "What on earth was that about?"
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A City Within a City That I'd Never Thought Much About
And the sense of renewed invitation: stay curious about the things around you, and be open to prayer.
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Specific Gratitude for Specific Gifts
A place to dance and worship; things to occupy the time; a new heart to pray.
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Closing Out the Recovery Time and Heading Home
Sticker books, Chipotle rice, walking, twinges of pain … covered and protected.
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Recovery: Solutions, Blueberries, Iron Man, and Flannel Pants
Lots of rest and not much else.
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Amazing Medical Inventions (Dissolving Sutures! Tape That Falls Off When Its Work Is Done!)
Staying in the post-op room, finding sustenance, and perfect timing.
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An Hour for Pre-Op, an Hour Getting Anesthetized, More Than an Hour for Surgery
Finishing out our first 24 hours away from home (and processing through the experience).
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Changing Best Practices in Life-Threatening Surgery
Who first experimented to figure out how to have better outcomes? (The amazing advances in medicine.)
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No One Wants to See a Child in Pain
A few hours of uncertainty about where we were in the process … but apparently not close to dead yet.
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The Kindness of Strangers (Or: Don't Go to the Hospital Without a Phone Power Cord)
The initial, disorienting hours at the hospital.
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My First Trip to the ER for Something Not Visibly Wrong
We've had two broken bones and one need for stitches after hours, but our overall experience with intense medical needs has been quite minimal.
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Growing in Relationship with God … or Missing Relationship with God
So thankful that the Lord draws us to himself.
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Once I Have a Sense of Following God, the Willingness to Pursue That Course
The point of life is not to be free of drama.
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Willingness to Live in Unusual Circumstances
Missionaries do so around the globe; we did so in central Virginia.
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Many Options for Creativity and Learning
Books, audios, resolving boredom in productive ways.
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Thinking About What It Means to Be "Seriously Intense"
And what does it say about people who listen to me, or read what I write?
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When Revelation Doesn't Seem Quite As Clear As We'd Prefer
Then intuition and impressions might be enough … and a lot of asking for wisdom.
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Relationships, Plateaus, and Ever-Increasing Intimacy
Reflecting on the nature of relationships.
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A Sense of a Plateau in the Spirit
Lack of hearing clearly, a sense of separation … what does it look like to walk with God when he seems distant?
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My Surprise Realization About Stewardship
Not just a service to benefit clients; not just donations … another, hidden benefit I hadn't considered.
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A Spontaneous Prayer: The Lord Blesses the Righteous
I'm saying it and singing it, but do I believe it?
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A Fun Idea About Health and Longevity
Dan Sullivan's plan to live to 156 … a bit tongue-in-cheek, but also a delightful thinking exercise.
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Asking the Lord for His Thoughts About Different Projects
A brand-new idea, and so satisfying!
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Hacking Back the Poison Ivy … Spiritually and Literally
Praying again for things we've prayed through already.
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Eating Humble Pie and Polishing the Silver
Recognizing the reality of proof-reading not as well as I would wish … and new solutions. (So thankful.)
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A Second Testimony from the Recent Fast
Entering anew into the idea that God is the owner and I am the steward, and what came of that.
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A Testimony from the Recent Fast
An idea that saved me untold frustrations down the road. (SO. THANKFUL.)
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Other Ways to Pray Than Just a List (Who Knew?!)
For many years, I didn't realize we had any other option in prayer other than using a list.
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Experiments in Worship
Arms raised, singing a new song … and a bit about some words being specific to you, and some being more for the body of Christ.