1 00:00:00,180 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: Teach Us to Pray is brought to you by Life 2 00:00:02,210 --> 00:00:05,550 Speaker 1: Audio and is a part of our Faith Toolkit series. 3 00:00:06,730 --> 00:00:12,570 Speaker 1: For more inspirational, faith-affirming podcasts, visit lifeaudio.com. 4 00:00:15,700 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: Hello, friend. You are listening to the Teach Us to 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,900 Speaker 2: Pray podcast with me, Christina Patterson, where we teach believers 6 00:00:23,020 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 2: practical and real-life tips on how to grow your faith 7 00:00:25,860 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 2: and relationship with God through the power of prayer. As 8 00:00:29,980 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 2: much as we've talked about the numerous benefits of prayer 9 00:00:33,970 --> 00:00:36,870 Speaker 2: so far in this podcast, you'd think that it would 10 00:00:36,909 --> 00:00:40,029 Speaker 2: always come easy. But as someone who has walked with 11 00:00:40,090 --> 00:00:42,989 Speaker 2: the Lord for a long time now, I know firsthand 12 00:00:43,430 --> 00:00:46,550 Speaker 2: it's not always that simple. I remember going through a 13 00:00:46,570 --> 00:00:49,949 Speaker 2: particular season in my life where I would feel nervous 14 00:00:50,130 --> 00:00:53,379 Speaker 2: every night before praying. I was struggling with doubt if 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,100 Speaker 2: God really heard my prayers and Really, if I was 16 00:00:57,180 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: worthy to have my prayers heard in the first place. 17 00:00:59,940 --> 00:01:03,100 Speaker 2: This struggle made me not want to pray. I just 18 00:01:03,140 --> 00:01:06,750 Speaker 2: didn't feel like it, even knowing that I needed to pray. 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,550 Speaker 2: One night, I became so overwhelmed, I just did not 20 00:01:10,750 --> 00:01:14,530 Speaker 2: pray at all. I was tired of fighting the feeling 21 00:01:14,590 --> 00:01:18,530 Speaker 2: of not wanting to pray that I just didn't. The 22 00:01:18,569 --> 00:01:22,620 Speaker 2: next day, I paid for it. I felt so off 23 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 2: and not myself. Although I may not have felt like praying, 24 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,140 Speaker 2: it was clear that prayer was a key component in 25 00:01:29,180 --> 00:01:33,990 Speaker 2: my spiritual well-being as, well, we've discussed before. After that, 26 00:01:34,190 --> 00:01:37,590 Speaker 2: I no longer allowed my feelings to lead my decision 27 00:01:37,630 --> 00:01:40,410 Speaker 2: to pray. If I didn't feel like praying, if I 28 00:01:40,450 --> 00:01:43,290 Speaker 2: didn't feel like God heard me, it didn't matter. I 29 00:01:43,370 --> 00:01:46,690 Speaker 2: chose faith over feelings. That even if I didn't feel 30 00:01:46,750 --> 00:01:50,490 Speaker 2: like praying today, God would always honor my prayers in 31 00:01:50,550 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: His own way and His own time, whether I felt 32 00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:56,700 Speaker 2: like it or not. And not being led by our 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 2: feelings is an important lesson for all believers. Because feelings 34 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,790 Speaker 2: come and go, so they don't create a firm foundation 35 00:02:03,870 --> 00:02:06,930 Speaker 2: to set our spiritual growth. Yet, we are all called 36 00:02:06,970 --> 00:02:10,389 Speaker 2: to navigate our feelings well. while still choosing faith even 37 00:02:10,430 --> 00:02:13,130 Speaker 2: when it comes to our prayer life. Prayer, in fact, 38 00:02:13,190 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 2: is an act of faith. We have faith that God 39 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 2: hears us. We have faith that He will answer. We 40 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: have faith that prayer is powerful. And when we have 41 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: this faith, we are then motivated to pray. But sometimes, 42 00:02:24,580 --> 00:02:28,540 Speaker 2: as normal human beings, we face battles between our feelings 43 00:02:29,139 --> 00:02:32,590 Speaker 2: and our faith. Now listen, feelings are not to be ignored. 44 00:02:32,950 --> 00:02:36,350 Speaker 2: They are indicators as to what's going on deeper within 45 00:02:36,450 --> 00:02:39,470 Speaker 2: us that needs to be addressed. So today, I want 46 00:02:39,510 --> 00:02:42,570 Speaker 2: to discuss some of the feelings that challenge our desire 47 00:02:42,610 --> 00:02:45,010 Speaker 2: to pray so that we can find the faith to 48 00:02:45,070 --> 00:02:55,959 Speaker 2: keep praying anyways. The first feeling I want to discuss 49 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: is sadness. And this is an important emotion to address 50 00:02:59,919 --> 00:03:03,090 Speaker 2: because it reveals that in some area of our life 51 00:03:03,150 --> 00:03:06,669 Speaker 2: we're experiencing some sort of brokenness and thus we are 52 00:03:06,750 --> 00:03:10,310 Speaker 2: in need of healing. Sadness is such a heavy emotion 53 00:03:10,350 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: that we may not feel like doing anything at all, 54 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,389 Speaker 2: even praying. But I want to remind you of this 55 00:03:16,490 --> 00:03:20,950 Speaker 2: truth in Psalm 34 verse 18 when you're feeling down. 56 00:03:21,250 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the 57 00:03:24,740 --> 00:03:28,460 Speaker 2: crushed in spirit. In your feelings of grief and sadness, 58 00:03:28,940 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 2: God is with you. He is not only with you, 59 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 2: the Bible tells us He is close. We can pray 60 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,900 Speaker 2: to Him knowing that He's not far away and He 61 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,839 Speaker 2: desires that we reach out to Him. And if your 62 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: strength is gone due to mourning and sorrow, Know that 63 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: your call doesn't have to be extravagant. A simple, Jesus, 64 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 2: help me today, may be the only prayer you can 65 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:56,220 Speaker 2: muster the strength to say, but God hears and He 66 00:03:56,300 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 2: will answer. When someone is close to you, you don't 67 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:02,900 Speaker 2: have to yell and scream and use all your energy 68 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 2: to get their attention. And when our hearts are broken, 69 00:04:06,100 --> 00:04:08,540 Speaker 2: we don't have all that energy in the first place. 70 00:04:09,130 --> 00:04:12,030 Speaker 2: but we don't need it. God is near, and He 71 00:04:12,070 --> 00:04:14,970 Speaker 2: will hear the gentle whisper of a prayer at night 72 00:04:15,130 --> 00:04:18,350 Speaker 2: in our bed, the soft cry for help while driving 73 00:04:18,670 --> 00:04:21,130 Speaker 2: in our car, or the tears that roll down our 74 00:04:21,190 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 2: faces asking for the help to do what we cannot. 75 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: The next feeling we may experience that can cause us 76 00:04:29,020 --> 00:04:32,820 Speaker 2: to not feel like praying is doubt. When we are 77 00:04:32,860 --> 00:04:35,930 Speaker 2: not sure if God hears us, we really don't feel 78 00:04:35,990 --> 00:04:40,210 Speaker 2: like praying because it feels like a complete failure. Have 79 00:04:40,230 --> 00:04:42,610 Speaker 2: you ever prayed and felt like you were talking to 80 00:04:42,650 --> 00:04:45,950 Speaker 2: the wall? Not a good and motivating feeling that makes 81 00:04:45,990 --> 00:04:48,979 Speaker 2: you want to pray more, right? Our struggle with doubt 82 00:04:49,060 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 2: can many times be rooted in our view of God 83 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: and what we know about Him or what we don't 84 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,980 Speaker 2: know about Him. The truth is the Bible reveals that 85 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,100 Speaker 2: God is with us. He cares for us and He 86 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,550 Speaker 2: does hear our prayers. When I think of someone who 87 00:05:03,750 --> 00:05:06,210 Speaker 2: rejected doubt and chose to pray anyway, I think of 88 00:05:06,250 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 2: someone I think of Daniel. For three weeks, Daniel prayed 89 00:05:09,510 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 2: and fasted for God to answer his prayer. And he 90 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,740 Speaker 2: did not stop until he got an answer. In Daniel 91 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: chapter 10, we read that God sent an angel to 92 00:05:17,380 --> 00:05:21,460 Speaker 2: give Daniel understanding about his prayer the first time that 93 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: he prayed. The angel was delayed, however, because of spiritual 94 00:05:25,820 --> 00:05:28,260 Speaker 2: warfare that was going on. But the Bible tells us 95 00:05:28,660 --> 00:05:33,820 Speaker 2: since the first day Daniel prayed, God answered the first day. 96 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 2: How encouraging is it to know that those prayers you've 97 00:05:36,779 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: been praying were heard the very first time? That God 98 00:05:39,620 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 2: started moving in the heavenly realm to answer your prayers 99 00:05:42,750 --> 00:05:45,250 Speaker 2: even when it looked like nothing was happening? When it 100 00:05:45,290 --> 00:05:47,750 Speaker 2: looked like you were waiting beyond your waiting point and 101 00:05:47,790 --> 00:05:49,990 Speaker 2: there was no sign or clue in sight of what 102 00:05:50,050 --> 00:05:52,470 Speaker 2: you've been waiting for? How freeing is it to know 103 00:05:52,510 --> 00:05:55,590 Speaker 2: that God is working on it right now as we speak? 104 00:05:55,790 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 2: But what if Daniel doubted? What if he stopped praying 105 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,500 Speaker 2: the first time because he didn't get an immediate answer? 106 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,740 Speaker 2: Daniel chose to believe beyond what he could see and 107 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,619 Speaker 2: cling to the truth about God. That God is real 108 00:06:08,740 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 2: and he does hear and answer our prayers. If we 109 00:06:11,500 --> 00:06:15,770 Speaker 2: don't believe this, doubt will win. This is what I 110 00:06:15,830 --> 00:06:19,750 Speaker 2: want to challenge you. If you're going to doubt, doubt 111 00:06:20,110 --> 00:06:24,830 Speaker 2: your doubt. Ask yourself, what if God does hear you? 112 00:06:25,130 --> 00:06:28,110 Speaker 2: What if what you want is one prayer away? What 113 00:06:28,170 --> 00:06:30,669 Speaker 2: if Jesus is telling the truth when he says he 114 00:06:30,710 --> 00:06:34,409 Speaker 2: will answer when we call? The next feeling we may 115 00:06:34,450 --> 00:06:36,700 Speaker 2: have to overcome when it comes to our prayer life 116 00:06:37,260 --> 00:06:40,250 Speaker 2: is fear. When we have an incorrect view of God, 117 00:06:40,350 --> 00:06:43,070 Speaker 2: we can start to fear God and not fear as 118 00:06:43,170 --> 00:06:45,830 Speaker 2: in reverence or honor God, which is what the Bible 119 00:06:45,910 --> 00:06:48,590 Speaker 2: instructs us to do when it tells us to fear 120 00:06:48,630 --> 00:06:51,270 Speaker 2: the Lord. But when we fear God as in we're 121 00:06:51,350 --> 00:06:55,419 Speaker 2: scared of him, we're intimidated to approach him because we 122 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,580 Speaker 2: think that he's mad at us. But God is not 123 00:06:57,660 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 2: mad at you. He is mad for you. He desperately 124 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,890 Speaker 2: desires to connect with us so much. that He sent 125 00:07:05,010 --> 00:07:07,230 Speaker 2: His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on 126 00:07:07,270 --> 00:07:10,010 Speaker 2: the cross for our sins. Instead of thinking, I'm too 127 00:07:10,050 --> 00:07:12,330 Speaker 2: bad or I've gone too far to pray, think about 128 00:07:12,420 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: how far God went and the drastic measures He took 129 00:07:15,780 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 2: so that we could pray to Him in the first place. 130 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 2: Romans chapter 8 verse 1 tells us, When we accept 131 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:29,790 Speaker 2: Christ into our lives, we are forgiven of our sin. 132 00:07:29,950 --> 00:07:33,030 Speaker 2: We can then approach God with faith that we are forgiven. 133 00:07:33,270 --> 00:07:36,100 Speaker 2: And if you haven't accepted Christ, you can do so 134 00:07:36,180 --> 00:07:39,220 Speaker 2: right now to receive the forgiveness you need to set 135 00:07:39,260 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 2: your soul free of the guilt and shame that robs 136 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,620 Speaker 2: you of the opportunity to come confidently to God in prayer. 137 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,110 Speaker 2: When we feel guilty, the last thing we need to 138 00:07:49,170 --> 00:07:51,830 Speaker 2: do is run from God. When we feel guilty, that 139 00:07:51,890 --> 00:07:53,950 Speaker 2: is the time we need to run to God to 140 00:07:54,030 --> 00:07:58,550 Speaker 2: receive the grace and forgiveness our soul's desperately need. God 141 00:07:58,790 --> 00:08:01,250 Speaker 2: is not this mean God in heaven waiting for us 142 00:08:01,290 --> 00:08:03,739 Speaker 2: to pray so he can then condemn us. The Bible 143 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,780 Speaker 2: tells us in Psalm chapter 103 verses 8 through 10, 144 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 2: the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and 145 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,370 Speaker 2: abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, 146 00:08:15,750 --> 00:08:18,710 Speaker 2: nor will he keep his anger forever. He has not 147 00:08:18,830 --> 00:08:22,090 Speaker 2: dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us 148 00:08:22,230 --> 00:08:28,250 Speaker 2: according to our iniquities. Merciful, gracious, loving. These are not 149 00:08:28,510 --> 00:08:33,550 Speaker 2: qualities of what God is like. This is who He is. 150 00:08:34,230 --> 00:08:37,459 Speaker 2: When we can address our feelings and align our thoughts 151 00:08:37,510 --> 00:08:40,420 Speaker 2: with the truth of God about who He is and 152 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 2: what He's done for us, we have no reason not 153 00:08:43,300 --> 00:08:45,900 Speaker 2: to approach Him in prayer. I want to leave you 154 00:08:46,020 --> 00:08:51,540 Speaker 2: with Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16 that says, come boldly 155 00:08:51,780 --> 00:08:54,220 Speaker 2: to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy 156 00:08:54,340 --> 00:08:56,990 Speaker 2: and find grace to help in our time of need. 157 00:08:57,210 --> 00:09:00,250 Speaker 2: I pray that today's episode has added some light to 158 00:09:00,270 --> 00:09:03,390 Speaker 2: the feelings you may have and truth to encourage you 159 00:09:03,429 --> 00:09:06,750 Speaker 2: to keep praying anyways and that you are more encouraged 160 00:09:07,070 --> 00:09:11,069 Speaker 2: to pray boldly no matter how you feel. We have 161 00:09:11,150 --> 00:09:12,790 Speaker 2: so much more to talk about when it comes to 162 00:09:12,830 --> 00:09:14,950 Speaker 2: prayer so I hope that if you were encouraged by 163 00:09:15,010 --> 00:09:18,290 Speaker 2: today's episode you'll share with a friend and subscribe so 164 00:09:18,330 --> 00:09:21,610 Speaker 2: that you won't miss any future episodes of the teach 165 00:09:21,650 --> 00:09:24,630 Speaker 2: us to pray podcast where we will continue to learn 166 00:09:24,929 --> 00:09:28,740 Speaker 2: how just like breathing prayer can become a natural consistent 167 00:09:28,820 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 2: and life-giving part of our everyday lives until then be 168 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 2: sure to connect with me christina patterson at belovedwomen.org and 169 00:09:37,580 --> 00:09:40,339 Speaker 2: check out the show notes in today's episode to download 170 00:09:40,380 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: my free five-day prayer guide to help you put into 171 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,660 Speaker 2: practice the powerful habit of prayer. Thank you so much 172 00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:50,230 Speaker 2: for taking time to listen today. God bless you, and 173 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:57,510 Speaker 2: I'll talk to you in the next episode. Be sure to. 174 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:24,010 Speaker 1: Check out her fantastic site belovedwomen.org. A special thanks to 175 00:10:24,150 --> 00:10:28,740 Speaker 1: Kelly Givens, Stephen Sanders, and Stephen McGarvey for their production 176 00:10:28,770 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: and editing on this episode. You can find more podcasts 177 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: like this over at lifeaudio.com.