Jesus People Podcast - Episode 46: How to Talk to God, Grief, and Meekness

Guest: Megan Fate Marshman
Host: Ryan Miller
Release Date: November 24, 2025

Episode Overview

In this soul-stirring episode, Ryan Miller sits down with Bible teacher, author, and speaker Megan Fate Marshman to unpack themes of authentic faith, practical relational spirituality, grief and loss, spiritual formation, and the paradoxical power of meekness. Megan vulnerably shares her journey through profound loss, the shifting of her spiritual focus from achievement to openness, how to commune honestly with God, and why true spiritual change starts with relational honesty — not performance. The conversation is packed with honest stories, actionable spiritual practices, memorable metaphors, and gentle challenges for listeners seeking a deeper connection with God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Presence, Grief, and Re-prioritizing What Matters

• Grief as a Superpower: Megan opens up about losing her husband four and a half years ago and how grief fundamentally reordered her values.
  • “Suddenly you just don't care about the things that don't matter anymore, and you care a whole lot about the things that do... when you have heaven on your mind, suddenly when you're looking at life, you just realize people are the point.”
    (Megan, 01:47 - 03:16)
• People and God as the Point: Grief clarifies priorities; relationships and loving others become central.

2. Formation by Openness, Not Accomplishment

• Let, Don’t Make: Megan reflects on her formation journey, highlighting the shift from striving to accomplish spiritual growth to opening up to God’s transformative work.

  • “The way we become more like Jesus is more about opening to his work in us instead of accomplishing it on our own, which has changed everything for me.”
    (Megan, 03:49 - 03:55)

• Double Imputation (Identity Exchange):

  • She explains the theological idea of double imputation: Christ takes our sin, and we receive his righteousness.
  • “Any non-anxious presence... is not my effort to be more like Jesus. It's understanding He's in and so opening to it.”
    (Megan, 05:48 - 06:27)

3. Remembering Identity: Practical Rhythms

• Onion Metaphor for Identity: Every morning, Megan visualizes peeling away external identities to remind herself she's in Christ at the core, then “puts the layers back on” intentionally.

  • “At the core, core, core of who you are is that you're in Christ as He's in you.”
    (Megan, 08:45 - 09:11)

• Automatic Triggers to Remind: Linking habits (coffee button, stop signs, elevators) to intentional moments with God.

4. Success and Stewardship in a Kingdom Mindset

• Redefining Daily Success:

  • Ryan shifts his goals from productivity to intentional presence: communing with God and serving someone with no expectation of return.
  • “Did I just commune with Him, was I just with Him with no agenda...”
    (Ryan, 10:14 - 10:49)

• Time Is to Be Stewarded, Not Owned:

  • After experiencing Ugandan culture, Megan reflects: “America has all the money in the world, but no time. Time. And I was like, I just have to think about that for a while.”
    (Megan, 15:26 - 15:48)
  • She links American productivity obsession to chronic anxiety.

5. The Gift and Power of Meekness

• Meekness as Tamed Strength:
  • Ryan shares his journey through “the wilderness,” learning that true meekness is “to tame a wild mustang” (Greek: ‘praus’), not weakness.
  • “The meek will inherit the earth. It's talking about... war horses who have fully lost their lives, who have fully put it on the altar and said, everything's Yours. And then he goes, those who lose their life will find it.”
    (Ryan, 23:56 - 24:16)

6. Wrestling with Grief, Anger, and Prayer

• Anger as a Cover for Grief:

  • Megan talks about Psalm 139, how anger often masks grief, and the importance of bringing every raw emotion into God's presence.
  • “Nothing's off limits with God... when's the last time you got with God and went, I'm angry, I'm so sad.”
    (Megan, 35:13 - 36:46)

• God Grieves Too:

  • “He grieves too. Like, he is not okay with the world as it should be. And he just starts with us joining him in the making of all things new.”
    (Megan, 39:55 - 40:26)

7. How to Talk to God: Genuine Conversation & Confession

• Wandering Minds in Prayer:

  • Rather than shaming ourselves for distraction, Megan suggests viewing a wandering mind as a window into the heart: “A wandering mind in prayer is a gift because where's your mind wandering to? Likely it's the very place that has your heart.”
    (Megan, 41:36 - 41:51)

• Confession Brings Intimacy:

  • Megan shares a story of confession with friends, discovering that “if the way that you respond to the worst about me is with love... then give me a spatula. Search me.”
    (Megan, 47:24 - 48:37)

• Praying Instead of Thinking:

  • Ryan illustrates the practical shift: “Are you thinking or are you praying? Because you can think those thoughts or you can pray those thoughts.”
    (Ryan, 52:16 - 52:22)

• Everyday Candidness with God:

  • Ryan: “I called Him ‘dude’ yesterday... I think that's where he wants us... I talked to him like a friend.”
    (Ryan, 53:44 - 54:12)

8. Habit-Stacking Prayer & Everyday Spiritual Practices

• Stacking Prayer Habits:

  • Megan shares ways to “stack” prayer into daily routines (flossing, stop signs, elevators, bedtime routines, brushing teeth).
  • “I live in California. I do something really radical... I stop at stop signs... a breath, I look at my rearview mirror, and thank God for my kids.”
    (Megan, 54:45 - 55:01)

• Tell Him Everything:

  • The simplest, repeated advice: whatever you desire or struggle with, tell God; speak it aloud.

9. Experiencing the Power of God

• Pray for the Unexplainable:
  • Megan’s closing desire: “I want to see the power of God at work in the next season of my life. And I want to see it in undeniable ways... that they would glorify God in response.”
    (Megan, 61:32 - 62:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You cannot and will not and have not out sinned the cross. It can't.”
  (Megan, 05:16)

• “Christ in you, the hope of glory. What does that mean?... All of that has so much weightiness, the weight of His glory is in me that it pushes every other identity to the side.”
  (Megan, 06:47 - 07:31)

• “I always pray... Romans 12, offer my body as a living sacrifice, because I want to remember, use me here, use me here.”
  (Megan, 55:13 - 55:24)

• “Confession is not ... you should. It's I agree, I'm not as I should be. And you already know it.”
  (Megan, 46:11 - 46:19)

• “If your mind wanders in prayer, good. Talk to Him about the fact that you think your friend is mad at you.”
  (Megan, 39:47 - 40:00)

• “The kingdom's here. And what's the kingdom? It's his presence. It's where he's made King.”
  (Ryan, 49:11 - 49:18)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:00 – 03:16: Grief, heavenward perspective, and the irrelevance of trivial concerns
• 04:00 – 06:47: Opening to God’s transformation; double imputation explained
• 08:30 – 10:13: Onion metaphor: daily spiritual identity practice
• 10:14 – 15:48: Busyness vs. communion, redefining daily success
• 18:13 – 24:16: Stewarding time, struggles with productivity, and learning meekness
• 31:39 – 40:26: Grief, anger, and bringing raw emotions to God; Psalm 139
• 41:07 – 43:51: Wandering in prayer, practical confession, praying vs. thinking
• 53:44 – 54:12: Talking to God like a friend (“I called Him ‘dude’ yesterday”)
• 54:46 – 59:29: Stacking prayer habits onto daily life
• 61:32 – 64:57: Megan’s prayer for God’s unmistakable power to be seen

Practical Spiritual Takeaways

• Bring Everything (Grief, Anger, Wandering, Pride, Shame) to God: The gospel means you can be utterly honest and find not condemnation, but love and transformation.
• Stack Prayer Practice: Anchor prayer to routines — coffee time, commute, flossing, transition moments.
• Rethink Success: Aim for presence with God and service to the overlooked, not just productivity.
• Let, Don’t Make: Surrender your formation to God’s initiative, practicing openness rather than performance.
• Use Confession as Freedom: See confession as engaging God’s love, not adding to your shame.

Closing Prayer Highlights (Megan, 64:08 – 66:14)

Megan prays for listeners to trust God with all their hearts, to honestly tell God their truest feelings, and for the Spirit to help them redefine success as finding God’s work around and within them. She invites everyone to give God access to their grief, anger, questions, and desires.

Connect with Megan Fate Marshman

• Latest book: Relaxed: Walking with the One Who’s Not Worried About a Thing
• [Link in show notes]

In summary: This episode invites listeners into an honest, moment-by-moment relationship with God, one not built on spiritual performance but on continual openness and vulnerability — especially in the realities of grief, anger, and uncertainty. Both Megan and Ryan model practical ways to commune with God as you are, wherever you are, and invite listeners to discover God’s power in ordinary life.