WEBVTT - 5 Tips for More Effective Prayer

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<v Speaker 1>Teach Us to Pray is brought to you by Life

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<v Speaker 1>Audio and is a part of our Faith Toolkit series.

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<v Speaker 2>Hello friend, you are listening to the Teach Us to

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<v Speaker 2>Pray podcast with me Christina Patterson, where we teach believers

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<v Speaker 2>practical and real life tips on how to grow your

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<v Speaker 2>faith in relationship with God through the power of prayer.

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<v Speaker 2>If there's one thing we've learned so far on this podcast,

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<v Speaker 2>it is that prayer is powerful. And I will say

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<v Speaker 2>this lightly as some sort of Christian cliche, I say

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<v Speaker 2>it because it's true. Through the power of prayer, I

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<v Speaker 2>have seen lives changed, bodies healed, hearts transformed, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>just in my own life. What I love the most

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<v Speaker 2>about prayer is that it doesn't have to be complicated.

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<v Speaker 2>As we've also learned, the five minute prayer at the

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<v Speaker 2>sink washing the dishes can be just as effective as

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<v Speaker 2>the one hour prayer in your prayer closet. The effectiveness

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<v Speaker 2>of your prayer does not have to do with rituals,

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<v Speaker 2>long limp or big words, as Jesus taught us in

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<v Speaker 2>episode three. However, I have learned a few things that

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<v Speaker 2>will affect the power and effectiveness of your prayer, which

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<v Speaker 2>is what we'll discuss in today's podcast. When I say effectiveness,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean is our prayer producing the results God intends.

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<v Speaker 2>I need to note this here that this is not

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<v Speaker 2>a set of rules to only get what you want.

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<v Speaker 2>We've discussed that prayer is not approaching God like a

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<v Speaker 2>genie in a bottle. Effective prayer is prayer that results

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<v Speaker 2>in God's intention and plan for his glory and our good,

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<v Speaker 2>and there are steps we can take to ensure we

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<v Speaker 2>experience the effectiveness or power of prayer in our lives.

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<v Speaker 2>The first is faith. Prayer and faith go hand in hand.

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<v Speaker 2>We really can't pray without faith. We have faith that

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<v Speaker 2>there is a God to pray to. We have faith

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<v Speaker 2>that not only is there a God, but that He

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<v Speaker 2>actually listens to us. But for a really effective prayer

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<v Speaker 2>that goes beyond listing off our request to God, we

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<v Speaker 2>need to also follow up our prayer with more faith.

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<v Speaker 2>If we're going to pray about something and then go

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<v Speaker 2>worry about it, we defeat the entire purpose of prayer.

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<v Speaker 2>Once we pray about it, we need to let the

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<v Speaker 2>word we go and trust that whatever we prayed about

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<v Speaker 2>is safely in God's hands now. But many times we

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<v Speaker 2>pray and cast our cares to God, as we're instructed

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<v Speaker 2>to do in Psalm fifty five, verse twenty two, cast

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<v Speaker 2>your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you.

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<v Speaker 2>He will never let the righteous be shaken. So when

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<v Speaker 2>we pray, we can cast our cares on God and

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<v Speaker 2>receive the freedom of not carrying those burdens. But sometimes,

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<v Speaker 2>once we finish praying, we get back up and go

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<v Speaker 2>fishing those burdens right out of God's care and make

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<v Speaker 2>them our own again, instead of having the faith to

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<v Speaker 2>completely release the matter to God. Part of prayer is

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<v Speaker 2>connecting to God to receive his peace no matter what

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<v Speaker 2>we are facing. But if we don't approach prayer with faith,

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<v Speaker 2>we will leave our prayer time just as confused and

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<v Speaker 2>overwhelmed as when we came to it. If we want

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<v Speaker 2>our prayers to be effective what we lay down at

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<v Speaker 2>the cross in prayer, we must choose to have faith

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<v Speaker 2>to leave there. The next step we can take towards

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<v Speaker 2>more effective prayer is obedience. James Chapter five, verse sixteen

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<v Speaker 2>tells us the prayer of a righteous person is powerful

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<v Speaker 2>and effective. Effective and powerful prayer is not produced from

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<v Speaker 2>a disobedient life. Our unwillingness to surrender to God, follow

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<v Speaker 2>him and release our will to his impacts our prayer life.

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<v Speaker 2>Effective prayer comes from a righteous person. Now this does

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<v Speaker 2>not mean you need to be perfect. God knows where not.

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<v Speaker 2>But in prayer there should be a heart for God's will,

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<v Speaker 2>and when there is, this is when we'll see the

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<v Speaker 2>power of prayer. Psalm chapter thirty seven, verse four says,

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<v Speaker 2>take delight in the Lord, and he will give you

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<v Speaker 2>the desires of your heart. So many people take this

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<v Speaker 2>verse out of context and think that God will give

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<v Speaker 2>us anything we want. That's an incorrect interpretation of this verse.

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<v Speaker 2>We can't ignore the fact that to receive the desires

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<v Speaker 2>of our heart, we must first delight in God. When

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<v Speaker 2>our hearts are aligned with God and his will, it's

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<v Speaker 2>then that we receive the desires because they are God's

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<v Speaker 2>desires anyway. And when we find our hearts at odd

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<v Speaker 2>with God's, we can pray about that too, because it

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<v Speaker 2>is God's desire to transform our hearts and minds to

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<v Speaker 2>be more like Christ. God's standard and his will is

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<v Speaker 2>for our good. He's not just making up rules and

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<v Speaker 2>commandments just because He does it to grant us a

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<v Speaker 2>path towards life, peace and joy in him. But when

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<v Speaker 2>we get off that path, we lose the power that

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<v Speaker 2>comes from being safe in His will. The next step

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<v Speaker 2>to take toward more effective prayer is focus. Now this

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<v Speaker 2>is huge because we have more distractions than ever before,

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<v Speaker 2>with any type of entertainment and social connection at the

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<v Speaker 2>tip of our fingers. We are constantly tempted to lose focus,

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<v Speaker 2>and this is something we just simply cannot afford to

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<v Speaker 2>do during our prayer time. We also have one hundred

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<v Speaker 2>things running through our mind at one time. More times

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<v Speaker 2>than I'd like to admit, I've been in prayer and

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<v Speaker 2>my mind slipped to thoughts about what's going to happen

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<v Speaker 2>tomorrow or what I should have said in an earlier

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<v Speaker 2>conversation with a friend. Distractions are everywhere, and they are

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<v Speaker 2>hindering our beings still enough to hear from God, So

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<v Speaker 2>how can we stay focused during our prayer time? I

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<v Speaker 2>like to remind myself that all the to do's, obligations

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<v Speaker 2>and unfinished conversations will be right there waiting for me

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<v Speaker 2>when my prayer time is over. I resist the pressure

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<v Speaker 2>to make something else more important than this time with God.

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<v Speaker 2>A lack of focus prevents us from praying, and we

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<v Speaker 2>can't have effective prayer if we're too distracted to pray. Now, listen,

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<v Speaker 2>I understand staying focused during prayer is a serious and

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<v Speaker 2>challenging issue for many sincere believers who do want to

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<v Speaker 2>pray but have a difficult time staying focused, which is

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<v Speaker 2>why in our next episode, I'll be giving grace filled

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<v Speaker 2>tips and encouragement on how to stay focused when you pray.

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<v Speaker 2>The next step that we can take to more effective

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<v Speaker 2>prayer is to always be praying first. Thessalonians, chapter five,

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<v Speaker 2>verse seventeen tells us to pray without ceasing. Now that's

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<v Speaker 2>the English Standard version, and the more Living translation says,

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<v Speaker 2>never stop praying. We don't have to wait until bedtime

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<v Speaker 2>before dinner to pray. We can pray while driving to work,

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<v Speaker 2>washing our hair, or walking the dog. One of my

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<v Speaker 2>favorite places to pray is at my kitchen sink. When

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<v Speaker 2>we don't place limits on when we should pray, it

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<v Speaker 2>becomes a natural rhythm in our lifestyle and it becomes

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<v Speaker 2>less likely that we'll skip this powerful discipline. This is

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<v Speaker 2>important because we can't experien effective prayer if we are

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<v Speaker 2>not praying, prayer closets and war rooms are great. I

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<v Speaker 2>have a special place in my house that I've designated

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<v Speaker 2>for prayer, but we can't always access those places when

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<v Speaker 2>we need to pray. But the beauty of God's omnipresence

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<v Speaker 2>is that He is everywhere, so we can pray anywhere.

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<v Speaker 2>As I stated before, effective prayer goes beyond only asking

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<v Speaker 2>God for what we want. Real change occurs when prayer

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<v Speaker 2>is also about focusing on God and what He wants.

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<v Speaker 2>So one of the best ways I found to do

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<v Speaker 2>this is through worship before I pray. I love playing

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<v Speaker 2>worship music and getting my mind in soul ready to

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<v Speaker 2>commune with God. Starting prayer with a focus on God

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<v Speaker 2>and not myself helps me to accomplish one of the

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<v Speaker 2>most important and effective goals of prayer, realizing that God

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<v Speaker 2>is bigger than all my problems. Effective prayer is not

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<v Speaker 2>dependent on us being perfect and getting it all right.

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<v Speaker 2>It simply starts with a heart willing to pray. I

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<v Speaker 2>hope today's tips and rich your prayer life greatly and

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<v Speaker 2>that you are beyond blessed because of it. We have

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<v Speaker 2>so much more to talk about when it comes to prayer,

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<v Speaker 2>So I hope that if you were encouraged by today's episode,

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<v Speaker 2>you'll be sure to share it with the friend and

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<v Speaker 2>subscribe so that you don't miss any future episodes of

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<v Speaker 2>the Teach Us to Pray podcast, where we'll continue to

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<v Speaker 2>learn how, just like breathing, prayer can become a natural, consistent,

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<v Speaker 2>and life giving part of our everyday lives. Until then,

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<v Speaker 2>be sure to connect with me Christina Patterson at Belovedwomen

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<v Speaker 2>dot org and check out the show notes in today's

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<v Speaker 2>episode to download my free five day prayer guide to

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<v Speaker 2>help you put into practice the powerful habit of prayer.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you so much for taking time to listen today.

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<v Speaker 2>God bless you and I'll talk to you in the

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<v Speaker 2>next episode.

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<v Speaker 3>Key Just to Pray is a production of Life Audio

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<v Speaker 1>It really does help more people like you find the

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<v Speaker 1>podcast To hear more from Christina Patterson. Be sure to

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<v Speaker 1>check out her fantastic site, Belovedwomen dot org. A special

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<v Speaker 1>thanks to Kelly Gibbons, Stephen Sanders, and Stephen McGarvey for

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<v Speaker 1>their production and editing on this episode. You can find

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts like this over at life audio dot com.