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Episode 14 - Prayer Changes Us, Too
28 Plays2 months ago
In episode 2, we looked at how prayer changes them, the people you are praying for. But, it also can changes us. What changes? How does that happen?
What questions or thoughts do you have about prayer? What would be a helpful topic for you in your spiritual life with God? Send an email to: pray@coyfc.org
Pray and See is a ministry of Central Ohio Youth for Christ.
Central Ohio Youth for Christ: www.coyfc.org
Gracehaven: www.gracehavenohio.org
WellSpring Counseling: www.wellspringcolumbus.org
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Transcript
Introduction to Prayer and Podcast Motivation
00:00:11
Speaker
I'm Brian Brooks, and on the podcast, we're looking at the privilege and opportunity we have as followers of Jesus to pray and see God move. If you're just joining us, go back and listen to episode one to find out why we launched the podcast.
00:00:27
Speaker
Recently, I've been hearing stories of how these episodes have helped other people to connect with God and to participate in what God is doing. They've really benefited me too. The question is, does God really answer prayer?
00:00:41
Speaker
If he does, this should be the most important thing that we do. And we're sharing stories of answers to prayer on the podcast to show who God is and to remind us, look at truth from the Bible, to learn how praying to God works so that our life actually changes.
Connecting with God and Overcoming Shame
00:00:59
Speaker
And I'm glad you're here. I'm inviting you to learn with us and to take a next step, whatever that might be. It might be if you're curious about connecting with God or what it means to have a relationship with him,
00:01:11
Speaker
to accept God's forgiveness and love through Jesus Christ. Most people think of relating to God and immediately feelings of shame and guilt come up over who they are, what they've done, how they've screwed things up.
00:01:26
Speaker
That doesn't have to be the end of the story. The Bible says, if you openly declare Jesus Lord, if you believe in your heart, God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It's by believing in your heart, you're made right with God, by openly declaring your faith that you're saved.
00:01:43
Speaker
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This offer is for everyone, even you.
Praying for Community and Personal Growth
00:01:50
Speaker
After you have this relationship with God, start praying for the people that you know, for your family, for your kids, if you have them, for your relatives.
00:02:00
Speaker
Pray for young people in your communities. You could get connected with one of our ministry teams here at Youth for Christ, serving young people to pray for them. You could join a prayer group.
00:02:12
Speaker
Why would you want to do any of this? Well, because it's a reminder that God is doing things. He's changing the world. He's changing people's lives. We're going to try some in-person gatherings here are coming up pretty soon in August and in the fall.
00:02:27
Speaker
You should come. I want to invite you to come and experience that with us. it's going to be a load of fun. For now, let's pray and see what God does. Pray along with me. God, I thank you for giving me peace yesterday when I sat down to pray. It was a real struggle to pause and interact with you.
00:02:46
Speaker
My thoughts were pretty confused, but you settled me down and helped me to pray. Lord, I pray for anyone who's listening to this now that if they're in a similar position, that you would help them to calm down and to really genuinely connect with you.
00:03:03
Speaker
Thank you that you can do that and that you love us. Amen.
00:03:08
Speaker
Today's point is that prayer changes us too. Way back in episode two, we focused on how prayer changes them or the people that we're praying for. Because when we see change in the lives of people that we're praying for, it says something to us.
Personal Stories and Experiences with Prayer
00:03:25
Speaker
It's proof, it's evidence that God is doing something, that this personal God in the Bible is changing people's lives. It's super faith building. But prayer also changes us.
00:03:38
Speaker
Prayer can give you peace when you didn't have it before. Prayer can give you confidence to do what God has put in front of you to do. You can pray and get motivation to show up and care for someone else when you don't feel like it.
00:03:54
Speaker
And like I just said, prayer opens our eyes to seeing change in the lives of people around us. If we pray specifically, like in episode one, we pay closer attention to what happens because we're looking for it.
00:04:09
Speaker
You're expecting. And it's important to pray for other people because when we see God act, builds our faith. In our ministry at Youth for Christ at the end of June, we took students on a high school mission trip.
00:04:24
Speaker
We do this every year. We take students from multiple sites to work on people's houses in a small town about an hour north of Columbus to study the Bible together. We saw tons of answers to prayer this ah past trip that were very specific, very cool, students' lives changing, God changing the hearts and minds, even of adult leaders who came, and a few students met Jesus for the first time.
00:04:49
Speaker
Awesome. I got to go for the whole trip. I was sick the entire time with a sinus infection. It was my second week of being sick. God provided, and i was able to get up and participate in our morning prayer meeting.
00:05:05
Speaker
Every morning we would meet, drink a crazy amount of coffee, share stories of what happened the day before, answers to prayer, and pray together. And it was great. I was frankly really edified and built up and nourished in my soul because I got to be there and see answers to prayer.
Transformative Power of Prayer
00:05:23
Speaker
That's some of how prayer changes us. But the other story I wanted to share with you is yesterday, i you know came into work, had a real lack of focus, feeling pretty fried, thoughts were jumbled.
00:05:36
Speaker
We had just experienced a loss in my family where my grandmother passed away ah few days ago. i knew mentally that sitting down to pray and journal would be good, but I could not get myself there.
00:05:52
Speaker
I had to ask God for help to literally sit down and turn to him in prayer. God's word says in 1 Peter 5, verse communicates that there's real sense that God cares, got experience that also am following plan reading the Psalms.
00:06:05
Speaker
this verse communicates that there's a real sense that god cares but i got to experience that yesterday also and following my plan and reading the psalms I read Psalm 148, but I missed a few days, so I went back and read 147 too.
00:06:24
Speaker
I talked a little bit about this plan in episode six, using the Psalms as a tool to help us to pray. Go back and check that out if you haven't. It's been really helpful for me.
00:06:36
Speaker
I read 147 verse three that God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. This directly applied to me.
00:06:48
Speaker
I was a broken hearted person yesterday, still kind of am today. But I got to ask God, would you heal me? That I'm broken hearted. Would you heal me?
00:07:01
Speaker
This verse says you bind up my wounds. Can you do that? Can you do that for the people in my family? It made me think of a former coworker who also is going through a loss this week as well.
00:07:12
Speaker
And I got to share that verse in a card that some of us wrote and signed for her. So today's point is that prayer changes us.
00:07:23
Speaker
But what changes in us? What is it that prayer changes? You may be wondering, you know, why don't I have peace in my life? A verse we've looked at before is Philippians 4, 6, and 7. Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
00:07:46
Speaker
Tell God what's on your mind, even in your worry and anxiety. But here's what happens, it continues. And then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
00:08:03
Speaker
You can experience this type of exchange. I experienced what Peter writes in 1 Peter 5, that when we cast our anxieties and worries and concerns on God, he cares for us.
00:08:16
Speaker
Maybe you have a lack of confidence or certainty in what you're doing. on what God's put in front of you to do. In Colossians 4, Paul writes that one of his buddies, Epaphras, was praying for the people that they would stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
00:08:37
Speaker
That fully assured. God wants to give you that. You can ask him for it in prayer, and God will give it to you. He will change you. Maybe you have a lack of motivation to serve and care for other people.
00:08:50
Speaker
Paul prays in 2 Thessalonians again. Isn't it great that he writes down examples of his prayers so we can learn from it? He says, to this end, we always pray for you that God would make you worthy of his calling and fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power.
00:09:09
Speaker
God can do that for us. You may be wondering, why don't I see a change in the lives of people around me? In 2 Corinthians 13, Paul says, your restoration is what we pray for, to be restored and healed.
00:09:23
Speaker
That's what he's praying for. We can pray that for other people and see it. When we pray that, God changes them. Yeah, that's awesome and praiseworthy, but it benefits us. It changes us because we see proof of God answering prayer and we see people's lives change.
00:09:42
Speaker
As God changes us, it can affect what we pray about for other people too. And it builds on itself. That's why connecting with God and being a part of his work and his mission and showing people love and forgiveness and praying for them is so awesome.
Engaging with Prayer Needs and Community
00:10:00
Speaker
Today's challenge about prayer changes us is think about what need you currently have. Are you not seeing a change in the lives of people around you?
00:10:11
Speaker
Are you not feeling it when it comes to serving and caring for other people like you don't wanna show up? you know Should you wait until you feel like going to serve people and care for them?
00:10:23
Speaker
Or just ask God for motivation. Are you lacking confidence to do what God's put in front of you to do? Ask him for confidence. Are you someone who like me often does not have peace and can be racked with concern and anxiety?
00:10:41
Speaker
give those thoughts and requests to God. He cares about you. He wants to trade your anxiety for his peace. You also might be in a spot where all of this just sounds really foreign, that prayer never really worked for you.
00:10:57
Speaker
You've never seen God move. I've been there before. I know what that feels like. It's not a good place to be. i want to encourage you to hang in there with the Lord. Keep asking him The story does not have to end where you're at right now. God wants to show you his love and he wants to grow you and draw you close to him.
00:11:17
Speaker
Well, if you want to connect and learn more about starting a prayer group for one of our ministries, shoot an email to pray at C-O-Y-F-C dot org. Grateful for you listening.
00:11:28
Speaker
Also drop us a line if you have suggestions for content ideas. We'll see you next time.