WEBVTT - How to Renew Your Mind with Prayer

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 1>If we want peaceful lives, Philippians four eight tells us

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<v Speaker 1>to think on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent,

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<v Speaker 1>and anything worthy of praise if we want to be

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<v Speaker 1>transformed into the people that God is calling us to be.

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<v Speaker 1>Romans twelve two tells us that this only happens by

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<v Speaker 1>the renewing of our minds. If we want to combat

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<v Speaker 1>the lies of the enemy that contradict the truth of God.

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<v Speaker 1>Second Corinthians ten to five tells us that we are

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<v Speaker 1>to take every thought that we have and make it

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<v Speaker 1>obedient to Christ. In today's episode, I want to share

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<v Speaker 1>with you three powerful points of prayer to renew your

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<v Speaker 1>mind so that you can think the thoughts of God

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<v Speaker 1>that change your Welcome back, friend, you are listening to

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<v Speaker 1>the Teach Us to Pray podcast, where we teach believers

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<v Speaker 1>practical and real life tips on how to grow your

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<v Speaker 1>faith and a relationship with God through the power of prayer.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Christina Patterson, host of the Teach Us to Pray

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<v Speaker 1>podcast and founder of Beloved Women, where I encourage, equip

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<v Speaker 1>and empower women in the love of Jesus Christ and

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<v Speaker 1>the truth of God's word. Maybe you're like me and

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<v Speaker 1>you have thoughts popping in your head a mile a

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<v Speaker 1>minute of what needs to get done today, tomorrow, and

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<v Speaker 1>even ten years from now. Maybe you struggle with negative

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<v Speaker 1>thinking about yourself and must constantly fight off bad thoughts.

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<v Speaker 1>And maybe you're focused on what everyone else is doing,

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<v Speaker 1>and these thoughts leave you depleted and envious. Our thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>can be a very powerful guiding force in our lives.

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<v Speaker 1>Where our minds go, our actions will soon follow. When

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<v Speaker 1>we lose control of our thoughts, we are quick to

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<v Speaker 1>get off course and off track in our lives. So

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<v Speaker 1>if we want to live lives that God has purpose

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<v Speaker 1>for us to live, we have to be diligent about

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<v Speaker 1>guarding our thoughts. A renewed mind does not do the

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<v Speaker 1>things of the world. A renewed mind transforms us out

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<v Speaker 1>of the harmful patterns of the world and into a

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<v Speaker 1>life that glorifies God. So how can we start to

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<v Speaker 1>have those types of thoughts? And if that's a I shouldn't,

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<v Speaker 1>that's on your mind today, You're in the right place

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<v Speaker 1>because I want to show you how prayer can drastically

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<v Speaker 1>change your thoughts and in turn your life for the better.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right, you can pray about what you actually think about.

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<v Speaker 1>And we should be praying about our thoughts because they

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<v Speaker 1>are one of the most powerful guiding forces in our lives.

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<v Speaker 1>And so the first powerful prayer point that I want

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<v Speaker 1>to give you to pray over your mind is to

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<v Speaker 1>first pray that God will help you to become aware

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<v Speaker 1>of your thoughts. Now, this is so important because you

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<v Speaker 1>can't change your thinking. You can't transform your mind if

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<v Speaker 1>you aren't even aware of the thoughts that are coming

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<v Speaker 1>into your mind that are actually being lived out by you.

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<v Speaker 1>And you might be thinking to yourself, well, Christina, how

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<v Speaker 1>is that even possible? Let me tell you there are

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<v Speaker 1>so many thoughts that we subconsciously hold onto that we

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<v Speaker 1>don't even realize, and we find ourselves acting in ways

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<v Speaker 1>and responding in ways that we don't even expect, and

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<v Speaker 1>we think to ourselves, where did that come from? And

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<v Speaker 1>most of the time, it came from a thought. It

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<v Speaker 1>might be a thought that you weren't aware of. It

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<v Speaker 1>could be a thought that you internalized when you were

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<v Speaker 1>five years old or five years ago, but it started

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<v Speaker 1>as a thought that is guiding your life. And so

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<v Speaker 1>we need to be aware of those thoughts, and so

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<v Speaker 1>to pray about that and ask God, is there any

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<v Speaker 1>thought in me that does not align with your will

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<v Speaker 1>and your purpose for my life. Psalm nineteen fourteen says,

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<v Speaker 1>let the words of my mouth and the meditation of

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<v Speaker 1>my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh Lord, my

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<v Speaker 1>Rock and my Redeemer. Are Oftentimes we pray about our

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<v Speaker 1>actions and what we want to do and what God

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<v Speaker 1>actually wants us to do in our lives, and that's great.

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<v Speaker 1>We even sometimes pray about our words and have to

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<v Speaker 1>write words to say and maybe a difficult conversation or

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<v Speaker 1>to say to our kids. But we also need to

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<v Speaker 1>be praying about our minds. What are we meditating on?

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<v Speaker 1>What might be in our minds, in our thoughts that

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<v Speaker 1>are not in alignment with God? And as we pray

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<v Speaker 1>to God, he's faithful to bring that up and to

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<v Speaker 1>illuminate what those thoughts may be. So, for example, if

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<v Speaker 1>you're struggling making friends with other women or other men,

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<v Speaker 1>someone of the same sex as you, right, but you

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<v Speaker 1>have an underlying thought that women can be trusted or

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<v Speaker 1>men are boring, whatever the thought may be, that thought

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<v Speaker 1>is going to prevent you from actually pursuing fellowship with others.

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<v Speaker 1>If you have a thought that it's like just nobody

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<v Speaker 1>can be trusted, I just can't trust anybody, You're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>have a really hard time developing intimacy in any of

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<v Speaker 1>your relationships. So do you see how those thoughts dictate

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<v Speaker 1>our actions and impact our lives. Now, if you aren't

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<v Speaker 1>aware of that thought in the first place, then guess

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<v Speaker 1>what's gonna happen. You're just gonna keep living life and

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<v Speaker 1>doing what you do and wondering why certain things aren't

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<v Speaker 1>working out for you, wondering why certain patterns continue to

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<v Speaker 1>happen and show up in your life. But our God

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<v Speaker 1>knows our minds and our hearts better than ourselves, and

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<v Speaker 1>so when we pray to him and say, God, please

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<v Speaker 1>reveal my heart and my thoughts that I may align

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<v Speaker 1>them with you, he is faithful to do just that.

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<v Speaker 1>The second powerful prayer point that I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>be praying over when it comes to renewing your mind

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<v Speaker 1>is to capture negative thoughts that don't align with God truth.

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<v Speaker 1>So the first step is to be aware. Pray that

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<v Speaker 1>God will help you become aware of your thoughts, but

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<v Speaker 1>then that He will give you the strength to capture

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<v Speaker 1>the negative thoughts. Tewod Corinthians ten to five says, we

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<v Speaker 1>destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge

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<v Speaker 1>of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>our thoughts are so powerful, especially when it comes to

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<v Speaker 1>the Gospel, because what we believe about God is going

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<v Speaker 1>to impact our relationship with Him and how we love

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<v Speaker 1>Him and how we love others. And essentially, this is

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<v Speaker 1>what the writer of Second Corinthians was addressing thoughts and

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<v Speaker 1>knowledge that were going around about God and the Gospel

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<v Speaker 1>of Jesus Christ that were not true. And he's saying, no,

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<v Speaker 1>we take these thoughts captive and we make them obedient

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<v Speaker 1>to Christ. And how do we do that We align

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<v Speaker 1>them with the truth of God. Whenever you have a lie,

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<v Speaker 1>it cannot stand in the truth of God. So as

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<v Speaker 1>we assess our thoughts and become aware of our thoughts,

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<v Speaker 1>we always want to align them with the truth of God.

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<v Speaker 1>And ask yourself, does this thought align with God's truth?

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<v Speaker 1>Is that really true? Right? And so in order to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to do that, we have to know God's truth,

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<v Speaker 1>so we need to also be in prayer, but also

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<v Speaker 1>in Bible study. We need to know God's truth, that

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<v Speaker 1>God will not only make us aware of our thoughts,

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<v Speaker 1>but that He will bring his truth to remembrance to

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<v Speaker 1>us when our thoughts especially do not align with His truth.

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<v Speaker 1>Which then leads me to my last powerful prayer point,

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<v Speaker 1>to pray over your mind, which is to replace any

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<v Speaker 1>negative thought or any untruth thought with the truth of

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<v Speaker 1>God's word. This is called renewing your mind. Romans twelve

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<v Speaker 1>two says, do not be conformed to this world, but

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<v Speaker 1>be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by

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<v Speaker 1>testing you may discern what is the will of God,

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<v Speaker 1>what is good and acceptable and perfect. There is a

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<v Speaker 1>pattern to this world, and it's so easy to just

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<v Speaker 1>fall into that pattern and do what everybody else is doing,

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<v Speaker 1>do what the majority says it's the right thing to do,

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<v Speaker 1>even if the word of God says is wrong and

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible is telling us that's not how we're to

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<v Speaker 1>think as Christians. We don't just fall in alignment with

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<v Speaker 1>a pattern that does not represent God's truth, even if

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<v Speaker 1>it is held by a prevailing majority, God's truth is

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<v Speaker 1>what should prevail in our minds. But because we live

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<v Speaker 1>in the world, sometimes those thoughts and those patterns can

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<v Speaker 1>come into our lives. And so we need to be

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<v Speaker 1>renewing our mind every day, being aware of our thoughts,

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<v Speaker 1>capturing our thoughts, and replacing any other truth with God's truth.

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<v Speaker 1>And so we need to be praying for the strength

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<v Speaker 1>to be able to do that, because sometimes we don't

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<v Speaker 1>want to believe the truth. It's easier to just go

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<v Speaker 1>with the pattern of the world and the way things are.

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<v Speaker 1>But it takes the strength of God to help us

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<v Speaker 1>to actually renew our minds, to accept his truth and

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<v Speaker 1>know that His way is the better way. And so

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<v Speaker 1>we need to pray that God will not only help

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<v Speaker 1>us to know his word, something that we need as

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<v Speaker 1>we capture our thoughts, but we need to believe his word.

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<v Speaker 1>That God will give us a conviction for a belief

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<v Speaker 1>in His truth that then renews our minds and transforms

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<v Speaker 1>our lives. Let me pray for you, dear Heavenly Father,

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for the minds that You've given

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<v Speaker 1>us so that we can know you. May our thoughts

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<v Speaker 1>be aligned in your truth, God, and may they glorify

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<v Speaker 1>you forever. In Jesus Christ's name, we pray. Amen. Did

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<v Speaker 1>you know that God made us all beautifully different even

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<v Speaker 1>in the way that we pray? That's right. Your prayer

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<v Speaker 1>personality is the unique way you are most likely to

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<v Speaker 1>communicate with God, and knowing which of the three prayer

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<v Speaker 1>personality types you have can equip you to hear from

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<v Speaker 1>God more clearly and overcome any obstacles to your communication

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<v Speaker 1>with Him. I invite you to take my prayer personality

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<v Speaker 1>quiz to learn how you best hear from God, how

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<v Speaker 1>you most likely connect with Him in prayer, and just

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<v Speaker 1>to have a little fun. Take the quiz now at

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<v Speaker 1>prayquiz dot com or find the link in today's show notes.

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<v Speaker 1>It is my hope that today's episode has provided you

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<v Speaker 1>with insightful and helpful tips on how you can pray.

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<v Speaker 1>We have so much more to talk about when it

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<v Speaker 1>comes to prayer, so I hope that if you were

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<v Speaker 1>encouraged by today's episode, you will share it with the

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<v Speaker 1>friend and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes

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<v Speaker 1>of the Teach Us to Pray podcast, where we will

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<v Speaker 1>continue to learn how, just like breathing, prayer can become

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<v Speaker 1>a natural, consistent, and life giving part of your everyday life.

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<v Speaker 1>Until then, be sure to connect with me at Belovewomen

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<v Speaker 1>dot org and check out the show notes to download

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<v Speaker 1>my free five day prayer guide. I also want to

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<v Speaker 1>invite you to study the Bible with me by downloading

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<v Speaker 1>the Beloved Women app, available in the Apple and Google

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<v Speaker 1>play stores. Thanks so much for taking time to listen

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<v Speaker 1>to say God Bless you, and I'll talk to you

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<v Speaker 1>in the next episode. Teach Just to Pray is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of Life Audio and Salem Media. If you like

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<v Speaker 1>what you heard today, please take a second to rate

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<v Speaker 1>and review this podcast in your favorite podcast staff so

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<v Speaker 1>that more listeners like you can find the show. For

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<v Speaker 1>more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio dot com.