1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, welcome to the Praying Christian Woman podcast. 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:10,100 Speaker 1: I am Alana here with Jamie. 3 00:00:10,220 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 2: How are you? Hello, I'm doing great. How about you? 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,460 Speaker 1: Good. So a little congested, so pardon me if I 5 00:00:16,660 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 1: sound weird or have to clear my throat some, but 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:25,240 Speaker 1: I'm really excited for today's coffee break question. So people 7 00:00:25,380 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: can go to prayingchristianwoman.com slash questions and submit these so 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,900 Speaker 1: that we know What's on your mind? And Jamie and 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:39,589 Speaker 1: I can discuss it. So today's is about almost fatalism. 10 00:00:40,030 --> 00:00:43,769 Speaker 1: Does praying make you fatalistic? And I think this is 11 00:00:43,909 --> 00:00:47,890 Speaker 1: so interesting and important. Can you read us the actual question? 12 00:00:48,729 --> 00:00:52,940 Speaker 2: Yes. So we have a question from a listener. 13 00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 3: She says, sometimes I wonder if my prayer life might 14 00:00:57,300 --> 00:00:59,940 Speaker 3: make me too fatalistic. Like, I'll be praying to find 15 00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:02,380 Speaker 3: my keys instead of getting up and looking for them. 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,620 Speaker 3: That's an exaggerated example, but do you think that depending 17 00:01:05,670 --> 00:01:08,730 Speaker 3: so much on prayer can ever make you too complacent 18 00:01:08,830 --> 00:01:11,490 Speaker 3: in your day-to-day life? And I think this is a 19 00:01:11,530 --> 00:01:15,250 Speaker 3: really great episode to kind of piggyback our last episode 20 00:01:15,390 --> 00:01:19,130 Speaker 3: where we talked a lot about evangelism and prayer and 21 00:01:19,470 --> 00:01:22,370 Speaker 3: what the balance is and can you hide behind prayer 22 00:01:22,430 --> 00:01:25,430 Speaker 3: as an excuse not to get out and evangelize? Can 23 00:01:25,490 --> 00:01:30,670 Speaker 3: you go out there and act without prayer or without 24 00:01:31,190 --> 00:01:34,330 Speaker 3: kind of discernment and maybe do damage. Like it was 25 00:01:34,370 --> 00:01:37,869 Speaker 3: a great kind of introduction to this broader topic of 26 00:01:38,569 --> 00:01:41,300 Speaker 3: prayer and action, really. Yeah. 27 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: So let's take the exaggerated viewpoint of prayer as a 28 00:01:47,140 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: complete excuse for inactivity. And that would be, I have 29 00:01:53,110 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: kids to take care of and I have no money 30 00:01:58,060 --> 00:02:02,690 Speaker 1: to buy groceries or pay the rent. And instead of 31 00:02:03,190 --> 00:02:07,030 Speaker 1: showing up to the job that God has provided for me, 32 00:02:07,050 --> 00:02:10,290 Speaker 1: I am going to lay in bed all day and 33 00:02:11,990 --> 00:02:15,530 Speaker 1: say that I am praying for God to take care 34 00:02:15,570 --> 00:02:19,090 Speaker 1: of my family. I hope most people can see that 35 00:02:19,310 --> 00:02:24,010 Speaker 1: as the caricatured exaggeration. This is going to sound really 36 00:02:24,050 --> 00:02:26,740 Speaker 1: bad coming from two women who podcast about prayer. There's 37 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:28,700 Speaker 1: some things you don't really need to pray about. You 38 00:02:28,740 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: don't need to pray, should I change my newborn's diaper 39 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,369 Speaker 1: if they're dirty and gross and uncomfortable, right? There are 40 00:02:37,470 --> 00:02:40,230 Speaker 1: times where you just do it. You don't sit back 41 00:02:40,330 --> 00:02:43,390 Speaker 1: and say, dear God, please change this diaper now. Because 42 00:02:43,410 --> 00:02:45,410 Speaker 1: you and I are you and I, and we can 43 00:02:45,610 --> 00:02:48,669 Speaker 1: always see every single side of it, is there a 44 00:02:48,710 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: moment where a new mother literally has no energy to 45 00:02:52,780 --> 00:02:55,579 Speaker 1: change that diaper and must pray for either the energy 46 00:02:55,660 --> 00:03:00,710 Speaker 1: or the help? Absolutely. Okay. But we're talking about competent 47 00:03:00,770 --> 00:03:07,470 Speaker 1: people who are able to do the activity that common 48 00:03:07,570 --> 00:03:11,060 Speaker 1: sense requires and say, well, actually, I'm just going to 49 00:03:11,090 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: sit and pray on this. Do you feel like it's 50 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:17,460 Speaker 1: controversial to call that unwise? Do you think there are 51 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: some people who would be like, I don't know, maybe 52 00:03:19,740 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: that isn't as unwise as you're making it out to be? 53 00:03:21,940 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: Am I being unfair? 54 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,490 Speaker 2: I don't think you are, but I mean. 55 00:03:25,530 --> 00:03:31,209 Speaker 3: I personally think that that is not unwise. I remember, 56 00:03:31,290 --> 00:03:36,230 Speaker 3: so there was one time when we were considering moving 57 00:03:36,870 --> 00:03:40,090 Speaker 3: to another state when my husband and I were much younger, 58 00:03:40,150 --> 00:03:44,090 Speaker 3: before kids, and we didn't have jobs. I had interviewed 59 00:03:44,130 --> 00:03:45,930 Speaker 3: and I had gotten a job, but my job couldn't 60 00:03:46,170 --> 00:03:48,210 Speaker 3: sustain us and he couldn't find a job there. 61 00:03:48,230 --> 00:03:50,770 Speaker 2: And we had. 62 00:03:50,710 --> 00:03:54,630 Speaker 3: Friends that lived there and We just kept talking about like, yeah, 63 00:03:54,650 --> 00:03:57,610 Speaker 3: we're just praying to see if God will open the doors. 64 00:03:58,570 --> 00:04:03,570 Speaker 3: And the wife of the couple made a comment kind 65 00:04:03,610 --> 00:04:05,450 Speaker 3: of about like, well, you know, I mean, if you're 66 00:04:05,470 --> 00:04:08,850 Speaker 3: just praying about it and you're not really putting your 67 00:04:08,870 --> 00:04:12,530 Speaker 3: feet to the pavement, which we kind of were. 68 00:04:12,550 --> 00:04:14,890 Speaker 2: I mean, we were looking. We were looking for stuff. 69 00:04:16,350 --> 00:04:19,150 Speaker 3: But I just remember her kind of challenging us, not 70 00:04:19,180 --> 00:04:23,210 Speaker 3: in a mean way, but just basically like, just remember that, 71 00:04:23,490 --> 00:04:24,410 Speaker 3: you know, God's. 72 00:04:24,150 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 2: Not going to just drop a job in your lap. 73 00:04:26,220 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 3: Like you got to be looking for it and really 74 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:33,140 Speaker 3: trying if this is something you want. And so I 75 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,659 Speaker 3: think back to that because I think in some ways, 76 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,350 Speaker 3: looking back, it was not where we were supposed to be. 77 00:04:39,370 --> 00:04:41,770 Speaker 3: I feel like as much as we kind of wanted 78 00:04:41,870 --> 00:04:44,550 Speaker 3: to on the surface move there because they were there 79 00:04:44,630 --> 00:04:47,729 Speaker 3: and we had this for various reasons. But I also 80 00:04:47,790 --> 00:04:52,370 Speaker 3: kind of wonder if the lack of Finding a job 81 00:04:52,490 --> 00:04:56,050 Speaker 3: on my husband's part could have been sort of a 82 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:58,779 Speaker 3: subconscious knowledge that this wasn't. 83 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:00,720 Speaker 2: And what she was saying. 84 00:05:00,740 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 3: Because they really wanted us to move there. And she 85 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,860 Speaker 3: probably was a little bit right because we did a 86 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 3: lot of lip service to, yeah, we're praying, we're praying. 87 00:05:09,339 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: And I mean, we were. 88 00:05:10,100 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 3: We were like reading, experiencing God and trying. 89 00:05:13,930 --> 00:05:16,370 Speaker 1: To discern God's will. We really were. 90 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 3: But I think in terms of the underlying, because I 91 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,800 Speaker 3: don't remember there being, I remember him looking and I 92 00:05:26,860 --> 00:05:28,419 Speaker 3: looked and it was pretty easy for me to find, 93 00:05:28,740 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 3: but we didn't work super, super hard. I think we 94 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 3: were in a way waiting for God to just open 95 00:05:34,300 --> 00:05:35,060 Speaker 3: a door for us. 96 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:38,650 Speaker 1: And I think that subconscious thing that you brought into it, 97 00:05:38,770 --> 00:05:42,529 Speaker 1: I think that plays into it so hard. And if 98 00:05:42,589 --> 00:05:48,070 Speaker 1: people haven't listened to our recent episode about... separating out 99 00:05:48,250 --> 00:05:52,290 Speaker 1: just your subconscious intuition and your hearing God's will. I 100 00:05:52,990 --> 00:05:55,950 Speaker 1: feel like this is a really good example of that. 101 00:05:56,089 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: So glad you brought that side of it up because 102 00:05:59,060 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: there probably was some of it to it. And in 103 00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:04,219 Speaker 1: that case, pounding the pavement harder wasn't the answer. It 104 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:09,539 Speaker 1: truly was waiting to see if it was the right opportunity. 105 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,830 Speaker 1: So I think that's We can bring personality into this 106 00:06:14,910 --> 00:06:17,090 Speaker 1: as well. The lost keys, I know the person who 107 00:06:17,130 --> 00:06:22,430 Speaker 1: submitted this question used it as like who would actually 108 00:06:22,550 --> 00:06:24,830 Speaker 1: pray about finding lost keys instead of going and looking 109 00:06:24,870 --> 00:06:27,250 Speaker 1: for them. I will raise my hand and be like, 110 00:06:27,490 --> 00:06:30,970 Speaker 1: I kind of take that stance. And then it's not 111 00:06:31,010 --> 00:06:35,350 Speaker 1: because I'm spiritual. It might be because I'm a little lazy. 112 00:06:35,370 --> 00:06:39,029 Speaker 1: And it has everything to do with my personality. And 113 00:06:39,070 --> 00:06:41,570 Speaker 1: this actually, this is a pain point between my husband 114 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:44,660 Speaker 1: and me. Because he is a doer. On the CliftonStrengths, 115 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:47,700 Speaker 1: he's really high in what's called the activator. It's if 116 00:06:47,790 --> 00:06:51,570 Speaker 1: something needs to be done and something isn't visibly happening 117 00:06:51,630 --> 00:06:54,469 Speaker 1: to make that thing get done, he gets very anxious 118 00:06:54,529 --> 00:06:58,790 Speaker 1: about it. And for me, I'm like, I will find 119 00:06:58,830 --> 00:07:01,150 Speaker 1: the keys when God wants me to find the keys. 120 00:07:01,390 --> 00:07:04,570 Speaker 1: And it sounds either we could take it to extremes. 121 00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:07,940 Speaker 1: It could sound so spiritual and serene or it could 122 00:07:07,980 --> 00:07:11,030 Speaker 1: sound so lazy. And to me, it's just the way 123 00:07:11,110 --> 00:07:15,330 Speaker 1: I think about it. So I'm not assigning a negative 124 00:07:15,630 --> 00:07:19,830 Speaker 1: or positive moral attribution to it. It's just part of 125 00:07:19,860 --> 00:07:26,540 Speaker 1: my personality. I could spend 500,000 energy pennies stressing about 126 00:07:26,580 --> 00:07:29,380 Speaker 1: these missing keys, or I could just kind of go 127 00:07:29,420 --> 00:07:32,020 Speaker 1: back to doing what I was doing and know with 128 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 1: certainty that when I'm supposed to have found the keys, 129 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:38,810 Speaker 1: they will have been found. And I think There are 130 00:07:38,850 --> 00:07:44,290 Speaker 1: people who need to take personality into account for questions 131 00:07:44,310 --> 00:07:47,370 Speaker 1: like this. There are people who are more, let me 132 00:07:47,470 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: sit back and see what doors God opens for me. 133 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: And there are people who are more like, let me 134 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,460 Speaker 1: call this person, let me call this person, let me, 135 00:07:55,620 --> 00:07:58,460 Speaker 1: you know. And again, kind of like me and the keys, 136 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: it's not because one person's more spiritual or more lazy. 137 00:08:01,980 --> 00:08:03,260 Speaker 1: It's just their personality. 138 00:08:15,690 --> 00:08:15,910 Speaker 2: Yeah. 139 00:08:16,070 --> 00:08:18,310 Speaker 3: Can I tell a story about praying to find something? 140 00:08:18,890 --> 00:08:47,460 Speaker 2: Yes. I hope I get all the details right. 141 00:08:47,500 --> 00:08:50,960 Speaker 3: But basically my husband was working in the garage and 142 00:08:50,980 --> 00:08:54,260 Speaker 3: there was a really important bolt that he needed and 143 00:08:54,460 --> 00:08:57,650 Speaker 3: he dropped it and it just went somewhere in the 144 00:08:57,690 --> 00:09:01,010 Speaker 3: garage and it was just gone. And he was so upset. 145 00:09:01,890 --> 00:09:04,530 Speaker 3: And at that point he had just, he just had 146 00:09:04,570 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 3: a really hard stretch. And I won't say that like 147 00:09:09,550 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 3: his faith was lacking necessarily in God, but I think 148 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,050 Speaker 3: he just felt kind of like God was, not happy 149 00:09:17,090 --> 00:09:19,350 Speaker 3: with him or something, you know, he was just, he 150 00:09:19,370 --> 00:09:21,590 Speaker 3: was just not in a great spot. And because the 151 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:25,170 Speaker 3: bolt was that important, but because his faith and just 152 00:09:25,309 --> 00:09:28,260 Speaker 3: knowing that if God, like he, we looked for a 153 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,679 Speaker 3: little while and just to no avail. And I just 154 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 3: remember thinking, God, you know where the bolt is. Like, 155 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,820 Speaker 3: it's not some, it's not like a situation where we 156 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,829 Speaker 3: could have left it at the grocery store or something, 157 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,890 Speaker 3: you know, like it's here somewhere and you know where 158 00:09:42,929 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 3: it is. It didn't disappear into thin air. Like, Tell 159 00:09:46,660 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 3: us where it is, you know? And I just remember 160 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,579 Speaker 3: praying about it and I didn't look. I actually stopped 161 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,010 Speaker 3: and I felt led to close my eyes. And it's 162 00:09:57,250 --> 00:09:59,709 Speaker 3: probably the only time this has ever happened in my 163 00:09:59,730 --> 00:09:59,970 Speaker 3: entire life. 164 00:10:00,350 --> 00:10:00,670 Speaker 2: Life. 165 00:10:01,390 --> 00:10:03,790 Speaker 3: But I closed my eyes and I like kind of 166 00:10:03,809 --> 00:10:05,809 Speaker 3: had a, it took a little while. I mean, I 167 00:10:05,850 --> 00:10:07,670 Speaker 3: was like that for, you know, several minutes and I 168 00:10:07,710 --> 00:10:09,569 Speaker 3: think he had gone inside at that point. He's like, 169 00:10:09,610 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 3: this is a lost cause. And I just remember closing 170 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 3: my eyes and just being like, Lord, you know where 171 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:15,319 Speaker 3: this is. 172 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: Where is it? Show me, like show me in my eyes. 173 00:10:18,890 --> 00:10:21,450 Speaker 3: And I closed my eyes and I saw like a 174 00:10:21,470 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 3: tire and the bolt next to it. And I didn't 175 00:10:24,750 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 3: know where that tire was, but I just started looking 176 00:10:27,220 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 3: around the garage. And sure enough, I found a tire 177 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 3: and the bolt was next to it. And it was 178 00:10:33,660 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 3: very similar to what I had seen as far. And again, 179 00:10:36,620 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 3: I don't know. I have a really bad track record 180 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 3: with remembering details to stories, but that was the gist 181 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 3: of it. And I found it and I went in 182 00:10:45,980 --> 00:10:49,150 Speaker 3: and I just told him, I was like, I was, 183 00:10:49,350 --> 00:10:52,380 Speaker 3: I was so intent on praying for this. So you 184 00:10:52,390 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 3: would know that God loves you. Like he sees you, 185 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,940 Speaker 3: you know, like that's why this was so important to 186 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 3: me not to be right, not to like be some mystical, 187 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,690 Speaker 3: you know, person that sees visions of where bolts are. 188 00:11:06,870 --> 00:11:07,870 Speaker 2: Cause that's not me. 189 00:11:08,650 --> 00:11:11,190 Speaker 3: Um, I joke around that I'm like the opposite of 190 00:11:11,330 --> 00:11:13,010 Speaker 3: having like intuition. 191 00:11:12,530 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 2: Or whatever, but, um, But yeah, so that was cool. 192 00:11:17,179 --> 00:11:19,780 Speaker 3: And that was just one time when I just kind 193 00:11:19,820 --> 00:11:22,860 Speaker 3: of stopped looking because I was just thinking to myself, like, 194 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,350 Speaker 3: me just randomly looking isn't productive when God knows exactly 195 00:11:27,370 --> 00:11:29,210 Speaker 3: where it is. So there's a time for that, I think, 196 00:11:29,650 --> 00:11:30,110 Speaker 3: for sure. 197 00:11:30,150 --> 00:11:30,969 Speaker 1: There absolutely is. 198 00:11:31,150 --> 00:11:32,730 Speaker 2: And there might be lots of times for that. 199 00:11:33,090 --> 00:11:38,849 Speaker 1: Some people are going to feel defensive on God's behalf 200 00:11:39,210 --> 00:11:42,110 Speaker 1: with what I'm about to say. could very well have 201 00:11:42,150 --> 00:11:44,910 Speaker 1: been that God gave you the image of where the 202 00:11:44,950 --> 00:11:50,510 Speaker 1: bolt was. It could also be that your subconscious brain 203 00:11:51,170 --> 00:11:56,490 Speaker 1: had seen a tire somewhere, could guess the best route 204 00:11:56,570 --> 00:12:01,110 Speaker 1: that this bolt might have fallen, and maybe it was 205 00:12:01,150 --> 00:12:05,550 Speaker 1: a combination of both. Maybe it was entirely God's divine intervention, 206 00:12:06,090 --> 00:12:10,250 Speaker 1: or maybe it was just your brain subconsciously remembering the 207 00:12:10,290 --> 00:12:13,870 Speaker 1: layout of your garage and the way a bolt would fall, 208 00:12:14,850 --> 00:12:17,770 Speaker 1: no matter what it was, I guess what I'm trying 209 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:21,780 Speaker 1: to say is even if there was no divine intervention there, 210 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,220 Speaker 1: that is still a gift of God's provision. You know 211 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:25,620 Speaker 1: what I mean? 212 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,220 Speaker 3: Yeah. If every good gift is from God and he 213 00:12:29,260 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 3: gave us the brain to be able to do that 214 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:33,610 Speaker 3: kind of stuff in the background when we don't even 215 00:12:33,660 --> 00:12:34,680 Speaker 3: know it's doing it. 216 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:35,329 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. 217 00:12:35,350 --> 00:12:38,180 Speaker 2: Absolutely. And likewise, I would be. 218 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,950 Speaker 3: Remiss not to mention that there have been times that 219 00:12:40,970 --> 00:12:42,429 Speaker 3: I've tried that after and. 220 00:12:44,650 --> 00:12:45,710 Speaker 2: Haven't found the thing. 221 00:12:45,730 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 3: And so it's not like this is like, you know, 222 00:12:50,140 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 3: God is a party trick to just. 223 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:53,500 Speaker 2: Thumbing up whenever. 224 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:58,100 Speaker 3: And his reasons for, and he is just as good. 225 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:00,820 Speaker 3: whether he shows us where the lost thing is or 226 00:13:00,860 --> 00:13:03,100 Speaker 3: whether that thing is lost forever. Because there are things 227 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 3: that are lost forever that I've looked for and that 228 00:13:05,700 --> 00:13:10,610 Speaker 3: were pretty important that I prayed for the same thing. Like, okay, 229 00:13:10,630 --> 00:13:12,270 Speaker 3: you did this that time. Can you do that for 230 00:13:12,290 --> 00:13:12,690 Speaker 3: me again? 231 00:13:12,710 --> 00:13:13,510 Speaker 1: Uh-huh. 232 00:13:13,650 --> 00:13:14,270 Speaker 2: He hasn't done it. 233 00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:17,330 Speaker 1: And that's... I had that just a few days ago. 234 00:13:17,350 --> 00:13:21,750 Speaker 1: I lost one of my hearing aids. And so we 235 00:13:21,770 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: were looking everywhere and my husband was really stressed. Because 236 00:13:24,420 --> 00:13:25,740 Speaker 1: like I said, I'm more like. 237 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:26,579 Speaker 2: He's the activator. 238 00:13:27,140 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, like I looked here, I looked here, it wasn't there. 239 00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:33,180 Speaker 1: But I knew like if I stopped looking, then he 240 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:35,850 Speaker 1: was going to get even more stressed. So I was like, God, 241 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,370 Speaker 1: just give me a picture of where it is. I'm like, oh, 242 00:13:39,550 --> 00:13:42,790 Speaker 1: I got nothing. But I did find it, thankfully. And 243 00:13:43,550 --> 00:13:46,990 Speaker 1: to me, that's just as much of God's answer to 244 00:13:47,030 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: prayer as if I had gotten the snapshot in my 245 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,140 Speaker 1: head of exactly where it was. And here's the other 246 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,780 Speaker 1: thing they have shown. This is just a life hack 247 00:13:57,820 --> 00:14:00,660 Speaker 1: for somebody looking for something that gets lost. If you 248 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 1: say the name of the thing you're looking for, you 249 00:14:04,750 --> 00:14:06,990 Speaker 1: are more likely to find it because it's telling your brain, 250 00:14:07,570 --> 00:14:11,930 Speaker 1: pay attention to this. And I think that prayer is 251 00:14:12,150 --> 00:14:15,510 Speaker 1: absolutely spiritually powerful, but I also believe that there's an 252 00:14:15,650 --> 00:14:20,070 Speaker 1: element of sometimes prayer works because it tells your brain 253 00:14:20,130 --> 00:14:24,300 Speaker 1: what's to do. focus its attention on, right? I had 254 00:14:24,340 --> 00:14:27,860 Speaker 1: a friend who joked that her husband lost 10 pounds 255 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,180 Speaker 1: by praying it away. It's like, why doesn't that work 256 00:14:30,230 --> 00:14:33,530 Speaker 1: for me? And on the one hand, it can just 257 00:14:33,570 --> 00:14:39,070 Speaker 1: be a silly joke. But if you're actively praying, actually, 258 00:14:39,230 --> 00:14:41,729 Speaker 1: let's use this as another example of lost keys, because 259 00:14:41,770 --> 00:14:44,290 Speaker 1: I think this is another one. God, I need to 260 00:14:44,590 --> 00:14:47,330 Speaker 1: get healthier. Let's say that it's 10 pounds that for 261 00:14:47,370 --> 00:14:49,580 Speaker 1: health reasons really should be lost. And we're not bringing 262 00:14:49,630 --> 00:14:54,900 Speaker 1: anything up more charged than that into the conversation. Some 263 00:14:54,940 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 1: people would be like, praying for weight loss is so stupid. 264 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: Go out and exercise and get yourself on a diet. 265 00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:05,980 Speaker 1: And I believe that for certain personalities, that probably makes sense. 266 00:15:06,100 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: I believe there's also a personality where, especially with something 267 00:15:10,300 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: like food and weight loss, it can have so much 268 00:15:14,100 --> 00:15:18,700 Speaker 1: emotionally and psychologically and even like somatically connected to it. 269 00:15:19,540 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: It's really not that simple. And so saying, no, I 270 00:15:23,420 --> 00:15:27,420 Speaker 1: haven't started a diet yet. I'm praying for God to 271 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,900 Speaker 1: help me lose this weight. Yes, some people are going 272 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: to laugh at you. And some people who say that 273 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: would be using it as an excuse, like, God, please 274 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,930 Speaker 1: stop me from going to this donut shop if you 275 00:15:39,970 --> 00:15:42,070 Speaker 1: don't want me to go to this donut shop. That's 276 00:15:42,130 --> 00:15:43,990 Speaker 1: not what we're talking about. But if there truly is 277 00:15:44,010 --> 00:15:48,030 Speaker 1: a genuine daily coming to God and saying, God, I 278 00:15:48,070 --> 00:15:50,530 Speaker 1: have this issue going on in my body. And basically, 279 00:15:50,610 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: it's similar to asking for healing. I'm asking for healing 280 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,180 Speaker 1: in my body. I am asking for my body to 281 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,340 Speaker 1: be able to release this extra weight. You can't do 282 00:16:00,380 --> 00:16:06,460 Speaker 1: that genuinely and fervently without that also impacting your diet 283 00:16:06,540 --> 00:16:09,470 Speaker 1: and your exercise and your relationship to food. 284 00:16:09,490 --> 00:16:10,110 Speaker 2: You know what I mean? 285 00:16:10,230 --> 00:16:13,590 Speaker 1: So I think that we can start thinking of it 286 00:16:13,670 --> 00:16:16,670 Speaker 1: not as prayer as either or. It's kind of like, 287 00:16:17,010 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: do you treat depression with drugs or do you treat 288 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:22,660 Speaker 1: depression with wellness? Well, why does it have to be 289 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:23,220 Speaker 1: one or the. 290 00:16:23,180 --> 00:16:24,580 Speaker 2: Other, you know? 291 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:31,860 Speaker 1: And if you're gonna miss a piece, maybe missing prayer 292 00:16:32,060 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: is gonna be the more dangerous option if we're talking 293 00:16:34,980 --> 00:16:38,300 Speaker 1: about like prayer, prayer and not just, oh yeah, by 294 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 1: the way, God help these calories that I'm about to 295 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:44,180 Speaker 1: eat with this huge, you know, McDonald's meal not impact 296 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:44,500 Speaker 1: my health. 297 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:45,460 Speaker 2: Help them not to count. 298 00:16:46,340 --> 00:16:48,900 Speaker 1: Exactly. That's not the kind of prayer I'm talking about 299 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,430 Speaker 1: in this case. It truly is. Can you picture this 300 00:16:52,470 --> 00:16:55,790 Speaker 1: very genuinely? God, I am having this struggle. It's impacting 301 00:16:55,810 --> 00:16:59,870 Speaker 1: my health. It's impacting my spiritual life. It's a stronghold. 302 00:17:00,710 --> 00:17:02,710 Speaker 1: I don't even know where to start. I just need 303 00:17:02,730 --> 00:17:05,570 Speaker 1: your help. And I think especially with weight loss, there 304 00:17:05,609 --> 00:17:09,500 Speaker 1: really is a, at least for me and my relationship 305 00:17:09,619 --> 00:17:15,300 Speaker 1: with body weight, there really is a requirement to let 306 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:19,459 Speaker 1: go of control. When I carry extra weight, it is 307 00:17:19,660 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: padding to protect against stress. It is my body saying, 308 00:17:23,260 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: you are stressed, therefore there must be a famine, therefore 309 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: we're going to pack as much of this fat that's 310 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:33,100 Speaker 1: going to save your life as possible. For me, that 311 00:17:33,619 --> 00:17:39,010 Speaker 1: can't get answered with okay, let me prove to you 312 00:17:39,050 --> 00:17:41,450 Speaker 1: that we don't have a famine sweet body of mine 313 00:17:41,490 --> 00:17:45,350 Speaker 1: who only wants me to survive starvation by not giving 314 00:17:45,390 --> 00:17:49,500 Speaker 1: you the calories you need. There needs to be something 315 00:17:50,060 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: that gets addressed in addition to that. But I think 316 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,060 Speaker 1: it comes down a lot to personality. There are other 317 00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:57,720 Speaker 1: people who are like, if you need to lose the weight, 318 00:17:57,740 --> 00:17:58,419 Speaker 1: go on a diet. 319 00:18:11,490 --> 00:18:14,070 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I agree. I think of this a lot 320 00:18:14,109 --> 00:18:15,090 Speaker 2: with my parenting. 321 00:18:15,690 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 3: I think of, like, I know my husband's been gone 322 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:23,260 Speaker 3: a lot for work, traveling for work since we've moved 323 00:18:23,340 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 3: to Utah. His job has changed. And so he's traveling 324 00:18:27,180 --> 00:18:31,580 Speaker 3: several days a week sometimes. And it has really highlighted 325 00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 3: to me the holes in my parenting that he kind 326 00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:39,690 Speaker 3: of compensates for. We're very different styles of parenting. My 327 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 3: executive functioning, my organization and planning, it's challenging for me. 328 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,820 Speaker 3: And I am constantly working on that. And that's tough 329 00:18:49,859 --> 00:18:52,780 Speaker 3: when you've got busy kids. You've got kids that need 330 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 3: support through sports and homework and schedules and being on 331 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 3: time to stuff. And then also all of the other things, 332 00:19:01,500 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 3: the emotional and spiritual growth and things like that. And 333 00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:10,830 Speaker 3: it's just, it's really highlighted to me the gaps. And 334 00:19:10,970 --> 00:19:15,669 Speaker 3: so I've been praying more and I've thought about, am 335 00:19:15,750 --> 00:19:18,649 Speaker 3: I just, and I have these conversations with God, like, God, 336 00:19:19,150 --> 00:19:20,449 Speaker 3: are the prayers I'm praying enough? 337 00:19:20,790 --> 00:19:21,950 Speaker 2: Is there more? 338 00:19:22,090 --> 00:19:26,230 Speaker 3: And so what I've come to terms with is that, no, 339 00:19:27,050 --> 00:19:31,140 Speaker 3: it's not enough if I just leave it out there. 340 00:19:31,660 --> 00:19:35,780 Speaker 3: Because what I realize is as I'm praying, God's helping 341 00:19:35,820 --> 00:19:38,910 Speaker 3: me And so it's like, rather than just, okay, God 342 00:19:39,060 --> 00:19:51,170 Speaker 3: help me to be more consistent in our disciplines. of 343 00:19:51,190 --> 00:19:54,450 Speaker 3: homework done and stuff like that. If I only prayed 344 00:19:54,490 --> 00:19:57,740 Speaker 3: about that, like you said, I think with the weight 345 00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:00,980 Speaker 3: loss thing, it could change some of it just by 346 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:02,180 Speaker 3: focusing on it. 347 00:20:02,700 --> 00:20:03,220 Speaker 2: And it has. 348 00:20:03,750 --> 00:20:07,590 Speaker 3: But there are also intentional things that like on the 349 00:20:07,730 --> 00:20:13,129 Speaker 3: practical side that people might label as non-spiritual, like just 350 00:20:13,590 --> 00:20:17,350 Speaker 3: the tangible things of setting a schedule, setting alarms on 351 00:20:17,390 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 3: my phone for what I'm going to do stuff, looking 352 00:20:20,820 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 3: at their screen time, setting limits on their screen time 353 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 3: and making sure that they're not, you know, using their 354 00:20:26,140 --> 00:20:29,180 Speaker 3: screens outside of that so that they have downtime. 355 00:20:28,660 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 2: To do other things. 356 00:20:30,290 --> 00:20:32,729 Speaker 3: Like there are tools that we can use that are 357 00:20:32,830 --> 00:20:36,670 Speaker 3: practical that no one would call spiritual that are good too. 358 00:20:36,690 --> 00:20:39,250 Speaker 2: Yeah. But if I just used. 359 00:20:39,109 --> 00:20:41,630 Speaker 3: Those tools, if you were to give me a choice 360 00:20:41,990 --> 00:20:45,570 Speaker 3: of tools or prayer, I'd pick prayer every time because 361 00:20:45,590 --> 00:20:49,629 Speaker 3: I just think that God has to be part of everything. 362 00:20:49,650 --> 00:20:52,060 Speaker 3: I mean, he has to be the backbone of everything 363 00:20:52,100 --> 00:20:56,620 Speaker 3: that we do. And God can open doors that we can't. 364 00:20:57,140 --> 00:21:04,929 Speaker 3: God can create... circumstances he can orchestrate, you know, like 365 00:21:04,970 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 3: when I'm thinking about just things that I see in 366 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,020 Speaker 3: my kids that I'm like, oh, gotta talk to them 367 00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:13,740 Speaker 3: about that. Or is this becoming an issue? Is this 368 00:21:13,780 --> 00:21:16,780 Speaker 3: something where I need to do something with? I mean, 369 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,419 Speaker 3: if I were to just plan and do everything in 370 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:24,290 Speaker 3: my own strength, I personally don't believe that I would 371 00:21:24,330 --> 00:21:27,590 Speaker 3: get as good a results as doing half the planning 372 00:21:27,830 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 3: with the prayer. I think is more effective than doing 373 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 3: twice the planning without the prayer and probably more of 374 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 3: a delta than that. So I know that was kind 375 00:21:37,140 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 3: of all over the place. Did that make sense at all? 376 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:43,420 Speaker 1: That made sense. The right kind of prayer, and this 377 00:21:43,510 --> 00:21:46,149 Speaker 1: is maybe the very first time that we're even admitting 378 00:21:46,190 --> 00:21:48,010 Speaker 1: that there might be something called the right kind of 379 00:21:48,070 --> 00:21:51,870 Speaker 1: prayer because we've always tried to shy away from that. 380 00:21:52,310 --> 00:21:54,109 Speaker 1: In a case like this, if you are worried that 381 00:21:54,150 --> 00:21:58,550 Speaker 1: your praying is making you fatalistic, I want to submit 382 00:21:58,609 --> 00:22:02,650 Speaker 1: that 99 to 100% of the time, the right kind 383 00:22:02,690 --> 00:22:06,790 Speaker 1: of prayer cannot lead to fatalism. The wrong kind can 384 00:22:06,850 --> 00:22:09,930 Speaker 1: if you're using prayer as the excuse to avoid something, 385 00:22:11,050 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: or if you're using, oh, I'll pray for that person 386 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: to get saved so that I don't have to have 387 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,639 Speaker 1: an awkward conversation, but you're actually not going into that 388 00:22:19,700 --> 00:22:22,660 Speaker 1: prayer closet, you're not letting it become that prayer burden 389 00:22:23,220 --> 00:22:28,020 Speaker 1: inside you, then that will lead to fatalism. You can say, 390 00:22:29,330 --> 00:22:33,890 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I'm seeing this issue coming up in my kid, God, 391 00:22:34,450 --> 00:22:38,500 Speaker 1: please take care of it. But you're not engaging with 392 00:22:38,580 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 1: that prayer, then it's just using prayer as the back 393 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: burner that you're never going to address. But if you 394 00:22:48,380 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: are taking that prayer and you are incorporating it into 395 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:55,770 Speaker 1: your entire psyche and spiritual life, and it becomes a 396 00:22:55,850 --> 00:22:59,660 Speaker 1: prayer that you feel and you breathe and you interact 397 00:22:59,700 --> 00:23:03,310 Speaker 1: with and wrestle with, I don't believe that that kind 398 00:23:03,350 --> 00:23:07,550 Speaker 1: of prayer can lead to a fatalistic outcome. I believe 399 00:23:07,570 --> 00:23:12,709 Speaker 1: that that kind of prayer either will supernaturally change the 400 00:23:12,830 --> 00:23:17,070 Speaker 1: outcome or it will change you to the point where, oh, 401 00:23:18,030 --> 00:23:22,689 Speaker 1: my brain remembered where my hearing aid fell, right? And 402 00:23:22,810 --> 00:23:26,010 Speaker 1: so for the very first time, we have just made 403 00:23:26,190 --> 00:23:28,510 Speaker 1: praying Christian women history, I think, You know what, we're 404 00:23:28,530 --> 00:23:31,629 Speaker 1: close to 500 episodes, so happy anniversary or whatever you 405 00:23:31,650 --> 00:23:35,550 Speaker 1: want to call it. We have just admitted that maybe 406 00:23:35,590 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: there is a wrong way to pray. And that is 407 00:23:38,190 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: when you are only using prayer as the post-it note 408 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,939 Speaker 1: so that you don't have to think about something that 409 00:23:45,980 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: you throw away the second you've written it. 410 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm just looking. This is episode 499. That's crazy. 411 00:23:51,220 --> 00:23:51,420 Speaker 3: So, yeah. 412 00:23:57,780 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 2: Well, is there anything else you wanted. 413 00:23:59,460 --> 00:24:05,350 Speaker 3: To highlight or any other words of wisdom for our 414 00:24:05,410 --> 00:24:06,330 Speaker 3: listener question? 415 00:24:06,930 --> 00:24:10,830 Speaker 1: Yes. I believe that prayer as an excuse can lead 416 00:24:10,990 --> 00:24:14,430 Speaker 1: to fatalism or another word, I hate laziness. I do 417 00:24:14,470 --> 00:24:17,379 Speaker 1: believe that. But I believe that the kind of person 418 00:24:17,420 --> 00:24:20,140 Speaker 1: who would ask this question and worry about this question 419 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: is the kind of person who is going to be 420 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: praying in the way that doesn't lead to fatalism. 421 00:24:26,140 --> 00:24:26,220 Speaker 3: Yeah. 422 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 423 00:24:28,140 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: With that, I actually forgot to grab my blessings in 424 00:24:31,020 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: front of me, but do you want to close this 425 00:24:32,340 --> 00:24:33,139 Speaker 1: with the benediction? 426 00:24:33,740 --> 00:24:40,810 Speaker 3: Yes. Our benediction is Romans chapter 11, verses 33 and 36. Oh, 427 00:24:40,830 --> 00:24:43,710 Speaker 3: the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. 428 00:24:44,230 --> 00:24:48,070 Speaker 3: How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. 429 00:24:48,750 --> 00:24:51,629 Speaker 3: For from him and through him and to him are 430 00:24:51,730 --> 00:24:58,770 Speaker 3: all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. We'd like 431 00:24:58,810 --> 00:25:00,630 Speaker 3: to take just a quick second to thank the team 432 00:25:00,670 --> 00:25:03,619 Speaker 3: at Life Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast. 433 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,179 Speaker 3: If you go to lifeaudio.com, you will find dozens of 434 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,790 Speaker 3: other faith-centered podcasts in their network. They've got shows about prayer, 435 00:25:11,070 --> 00:25:13,570 Speaker 3: Bible study, parenting, and so much more. 436 00:25:14,109 --> 00:25:15,130 Speaker 2: That's lifeaudio.com.