Prayer and Fasting with Grant Troutt

Summary

Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt

Episode: “Prayer and Fasting” with Grant Troutt
Date: October 6, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and practical conversation, Madison Prewett Troutt is joined by her husband, Grant Troutt, for a deep dive into the topics of prayer and fasting. They discuss how true intimacy with God is cultivated, why prayer and fasting matter for spiritual breakthrough, the importance of biblical truth amid today’s confusion, and how forgiveness and humility transform not just circumstances, but personal character and relationships. Madison and Grant intersperse their teaching with candid stories from their marriage and spiritual journeys, creating an episode that is encouraging, Biblically-grounded, and actionable for listeners who want to stay true to their faith in a complicated world.

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Main Themes

• What is “truth” and why does it matter?
• The transformative power of prayer and how to practically develop a prayer life.
• Biblical fasting—what it is, why it’s essential, and practical advice for beginners.
• The necessity of forgiveness and the way it impacts spiritual freedom and prayer intimacy.
• Staying true amidst cultural noise, distraction, and subjective “truth”.
• Building a faith-centered home and marriage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction, Book Release, and Context

[02:25–08:28]

• Madison and Grant celebrate the release of Madison’s new book “Dare to Be True.”
• They reflect on the struggles and spiritual attacks during the writing process.
• Madison shares how living out the truths she wrote about became a real-time challenge:
  “This book is for your husband. This book is for your pastor. It’s really powerful, and I’m proud of you.” – Grant [04:54]
• Importance of finding a partner who pushes you toward biblical truth rather than settling.

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The Cultural Crisis of Truth

[09:58–13:19]

• Drawing from John 18, the conversation addresses Pilate’s question: “What is truth?” and how it echoes in today’s culture of subjective reality and confusion, especially with rising AI and redefined values.
• Madison: “When truth becomes based off of personal opinion and experiences... it creates so much bondage and confusion and chaos.” [10:56]
• They note how pursuing truth in Jesus yields peace and freedom not found in relationships, social media, or self-image.

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Prayer and Fasting: Introduction

[15:11–18:52]

• This episode is part of the “Dare to Be True” series, focusing on topics from the new book, with today’s focus on prayer and fasting—described as Madison’s “lifeline” for spiritual intimacy.
• They open with a playful “Truth or Dare” segment (the Whisper Challenge) as a metaphor for how distractions and “noise” can block us from hearing God’s voice, paralleling prayer life.
  “You can’t hear a whisper if you’re talking.” – Grant [21:21]

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Hearing God in the Whisper

[19:24–21:55]

• Drawing from the story of Elijah, they point out that God’s voice often comes as a gentle whisper, discernible only by intentionally tuning out distractions.
  “It requires intimacy to whisper. To hear a whisper, you gotta be close.” – Madison [20:45]
• The spiritual principle: often, God is not in the big, flashy moments but in quiet, persistent, daily connection.

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Developing a Prayer Life—Personal Journeys

[27:03–29:36]

• Grant shares how as a new Christian, he wasn’t expected to have long, “mountaintop” prayer sessions but started by learning God’s Word and writing down prayers in a journal.
  “You wanna know how I learned the voice of God? You gotta learn His Word first and foremost.” – Grant [29:18]
• Madison emphasizes that prayer matures from mere requests to authentic relationship:
  “Prayer is not just something you do, it’s something done to you.” – Madison [26:43]

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Praying Scripture and Spiritual Warfare

[34:26–37:32]

• Madison talks about the practical and spiritual power of praying Scripture out loud, particularly in spiritual warfare.
• Praying the Word fights lies and spiritual attack, shifting prayer from personal agendas to God-centered victory.

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Honesty, Growth, and Intimacy through Prayer

[39:09–42:43]

• Madison shares her personal transformation during “21 Days of Prayer and Fasting” in college.
• She moves from formulaic prayer to authentic connection, describing her breakthrough as marked by repentance, worship, and genuine hunger for God.
• The demand to have both structured “plans” for prayer (using e.g. the Lord’s Prayer) and flexibility for the Spirit to move is highlighted.

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Prayer’s Impact on Marriage and Family

[42:43–44:57]

• Grant describes Madison’s commitment to her prayer closet—and the dramatic impact it’s had on their marriage and family:
  “The biggest target Satan has on Maddie is your prayer life, because it changes the whole flow of our marriage.” – Grant [44:46]
• Shared prayer as a couple produces unity and spiritual covering.

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Forgiveness, Offense, and Intimacy with God

[51:40–61:29]

• Drawing from “The Bait of Satan” (John Bevere), they discuss unforgiveness as a primary block to answered prayer and spiritual effectiveness.
• Grant: “We forgive because God in Christ forgave you.” [54:22]
• Forgiveness is not excusing or forgetting; it’s handing the wound to God and praying blessing over those who hurt us.
• Madison: “Unforgiveness blocks prayers. It blocks your prayer life, it blocks your ability to be intimate with the Lord.” [59:59]
• Practical action: Pray blessings over those who have hurt you, and watch your heart change.

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“Real Talk” — Common Questions About Prayer

[63:02–73:13]

• What is the “right” way to pray? (No required formula—just honest conversation with God.)
• Why pray if God already knows? (Because He designed prayer as the channel for relationship, change, and aligning our hearts with Him.)
• Jesus’ example: early morning secret place, retreating to pray, prioritizing devotion to the Father.
• Practical prayer models: ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), Lord’s Prayer, or simply responding honestly to the Word.

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Fasting: What Is It and Why Do It?

[67:15–77:50]

• Fasting is specifically about abstaining from food—not social media (though digital fasts are helpful too)—to position yourself in dependence on God.
  “Prayer is feeding your spirit, fasting is starving your flesh.” – Madison [66:49]
• Jesus assumed fasting: “WHEN you fast...”
• Grant shares recent experiences of breakthrough, clarity, deliverance, and spiritual authority during periods of fasting:
  “What I’m seeing is breakthrough. What I’m seeing is authority. What I’m seeing is deliverance.” – Grant [68:03]
• Fasting is not just for “the super spiritual”—essential for every believer.

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The World’s Counterfeits vs. Biblical Discipline

[73:13–73:38]

• Madison contrasts cultural meditation, manifestation, and secular fasting—which focus on self—with biblical prayer and fasting, which focus on God, surrender, and transformation:
  “The world’s way is all focused on self. God’s way is self-denial and God-glorifying.” [74:11]

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Towards Practical Application

[80:21–89:16]

• How to start a fasting journey: Start small (e.g., coffee) and graduate to more significant fasts. Involve community for support and accountability.
• Continual prayer: Build it into daily rhythms, not just “quiet time”. “Pray without ceasing”—walkie-talkie with God all day.
• Find your “mountain”—a consistent place for communion with God (closet, porch, walk, etc.).
• Pray the Word: E.g., pick a Psalm or use the Lord’s Prayer as a template, pausing to personalize each line.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On truth in an age of confusion:
  “People are so sick of ‘your truth.’ Gen Z is like, ‘I want to know the truth, because the truth is the most loving thing.’” – Grant [13:31]
• On silence in prayer:
  “You can’t hear a whisper if you’re talking. The most powerful lesson I’ve learned in prayer is: it’s not you just talking to God, it’s more listening.” – Grant [21:21]
• On spiritual warfare:
  “Prayer is your battle plan. It’s warfare.” – Madison [35:02]
• On forgiveness:
  “Forgiveness is not optional. It’s not forgetting, belittling, or throwing it under the rug. It’s saying it and handing it over to God.” – Grant [59:17]
• On the power of prayer:
  “We don’t believe that prayer changes things, because if we did, why would we not pray all the time?” – Grant [86:52]
• Practical discipline:
  “Prayer should be a discipline, and then it becomes a desire and a delight. Rarely do we want to pray... but once we do, we can’t stop.” – Madison [90:06]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction, Book Release, Laying the Groundwork – 02:25–08:28
• What is Truth? The Cultural and Eternal Crisis – 09:58–13:19
• Metaphor for Hearing God (Whisper Challenge) – 15:11–21:55
• Developing a Prayer Life: Personal Stories – 27:03–29:36
• Spiritual Warfare & Praying Scripture – 34:26–37:32
• Marriage and the Power of Praying Together – 42:43–44:57
• Forgiveness and Prayer Blockages – 51:40–61:29
• Fasting: Diving Deeper – 67:15–77:50
• Practical Advice and Q&A Lightning Round – 80:21–89:16

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Natural, Relatable Tone and Advice

Throughout the episode, Madison and Grant keep the tone conversational, honest, and sometimes playfully self-deprecating. They emphasize authenticity over performance, steady faithfulness over overachievement, and community over isolation.

“The Lord doesn’t want the fake you or the perfect prayer. He just wants your heart.” – Madison [90:06]

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Takeaways for Listeners

• True prayer is both speaking and listening; prioritize time with God over seeking outcomes.
• Fasting is a spiritual act, not just a diet; start small and seek God, not your own improvement.
• Forgiveness is non-negotiable for spiritual freedom; ask God to help you release bitterness and start by praying blessing over those who hurt you.
• Praying with and for your spouse can transform your marriage.
• Don’t be discouraged if prayer feels awkward at first—it’s a spiritual discipline that becomes a delight.

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For Further Action

• For practical deep dives, read Madison’s book “Dare to Be True.”
• Try a simple fast (coffee or one meal) this week and use the time to pray and listen.
• Personalize the Lord’s Prayer or a Psalm in your next prayer time.
• Write down the names of those you struggle to forgive and begin to pray blessing over them.

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Stay you. Stay true.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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Data 182025 visit t mobile.com the Lord.

[A]

Was in the whisper.

[B]

You can't hear a whisper if you're talking. Prayer is not you just talking to God.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

It's more of you listening, just showing.

[A]

You like the power of prayer, that it's a weapon. It's a tool that we have to fight against the dark world that we live in.

[B]

Fasting positions you in a place of dependence in that hunger pains. You're going up to your father, who's spiritually strengthening you.

[A]

But what we have control over is our response to other people's sin.

[B]

We forgive because God in Christ forgave you.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

It's not forgetting what's been done to you. It's not belittling it or throwing it under the rug. It's saying it and handing it over to God.

[A]

Prayer is full feeding your spirit while fasting is starving your flesh.

[B]

What I'm seeing is breakthrough. What I'm seeing is authority. What I'm seeing is deliverance. What I'm seeing is clarity. What a beautiful cover. I think it's my favorite cover. Although I love your face.

[A]

The other two had my face on it.

[B]

No, I think Grant.

[A]

What's up, guys? Welcome back to another episode of Stay True podcast. I'm your host, Madison Pruitt Trout, here with Grand Michael Trout.

[B]

It's really good to be here.

[A]

I gave you the middle name.

[B]

Middle name feels right today because why? It's a really big week when this episode comes out.

[A]

It's been a crazy past couple of weeks because the book has been out for over a week. By the time you guys are watching this and listening.

[B]

Dare to be true.

[A]

Dare to be true, baby. Hey, it's out.

[B]

What a beautiful cover. I think it's my favorite cover. Although I love your face.

[A]

The other two had my face on it.

[B]

No, I think. I think it's the boldest book you've ever written.

[A]

It is. It's. It was the hardest book out of the three that I have ever. It's one of the hardest projects that I've ever done.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

I mean, you saw me, I almost walked away multiple times from it. And I was finishing it like super.

[B]

Pregnant, half months pregnant. We gotta show. We should show the picture of you.

[A]

We should do a pop up photo right now. If you guys are watching this on YouTube and do like a pop up photo of what I looked like. My belly was huge.

[B]

She was exploding.

[A]

Her.

[B]

Her tummy was out. Cause her shirt couldn't come down past me.

[A]

I didn't have pregnancy clothes.

[B]

And we were holding your manuscript because we were going through it.

[A]

Yes. My.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

My husband is the best. Because I was like, hey, I would love. I just value his wisdom, his relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit in him. I was like, I want you to go through this whole manuscript and offer me your feedback, your insight, what you think I should add, change, whatever. He went through the whole thing, you guys, and like marked it up. Like I printed out all the pages. He. He marked it up like underlined things. This is really good. Hey, maybe we like think about rephrasing this. Maybe you should add in this story of the time that. And it was just so helpful.

[B]

It was so easy because this book is so incredibly good. And I read the whole thing. I remember I took it down to True food. And I sat there, I got a coffee at like 6pm true food would.

[A]

Dare to be true. You know what I'm saying? True food. It only feels like maybe we should do a class shout out to true.

[B]

And I just remember going through this book and I'm not Just saying this because I'm her husband. This book is going to change so many lives because it's the truth. And the truth sets free in John 8:32. And I'm so proud of you because I know that this came with so much attack and so many discouraging moments, and you push through. And I don't care if one person buys this, that one person is going to experience the truth of Jesus Christ and they're going to be commissioned to walk in that truth. And if they choose to walk in that truth, it sets free.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

And I'm so proud of you. And this is not just for girls. This book is for guys. This book is for your husband. This book is for your pastor. Like, this book is really powerful, and I'm proud of you, and you're an amazing anointed writer.

[A]

Thanks, babe.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Thank you. Yes, well, and I talk about in my. Which I don't even think you've read this yet at this point when we were recording this, but I wrote in my acknowledgement to you just that you have helped me dare to be true. You've helped me stay true. And. And, you know, I talk about this all the time on the podcast. Like, that's why it's so important, ladies, single ladies, dating ladies, to never, ever, ever settle, and to find someone who will continuously push you to the truth, remind you of the truth, strengthen your faith in the truth. And it's just been so cool to see, like, us coming together as one. And the way you've impacted my intimacy with Jesus and my love for the truth, the word of God, Like, I just. I always loved the word, but the way you know the word, so, like, it's just written on your heart, and it just flows so readily, like, from your tongue and is on your lips, like, ready to share with anybody at any time. And I. It's just been such an inspiring thing to me that I'm like, man, I need to, like, be in the truth. And I've. I've been memorizing the book of James, and it has literally changed my life. Like, not just, like a verse or two.

[B]

I think it's been watching actively change your life.

[A]

It is. It's changed your life.

[B]

And if someone's like, how. I don't know how to answer it other than you're just different and you're speaking different, and, like, everything about the way you operate is different right now. And I'm like, keep going.

[A]

And you were talking about this. But, you know, when you stand for truth, when you speak truth when you live truth, when you believe truth. Like, there's going to be attacks and opposition. But it's been cool because our response has been to pray and to get in the word of God. And the only way to defeat lies is to be in the truth and know the truth and speak the truth back to that lie. And, you know, that's just something that we've been having to act on. And that's what's so interesting about this book is, I think the other books that I've written, or at least my last book, the Love Everybody Wants, which was such a passion project of mine as well. It was literally just taking, you know, everybody through my.

[B]

All your exes and stuff. No, but it ends well, right? It ends really good.

[A]

And then you wrote a bonus chapter.

[B]

I did. You wrote a bonus chapter, which. Wow. Have we forgotten about that?

[A]

No, you did. Really?

[B]

The love he wants.

[A]

The love he wants. It was really good.

[B]

So good.

[A]

But what's interesting about this book is that it is something that I am continuously learning and will have to continue to learn for the rest of my life. Like, you never graduate from this book. You know, it's like. Because this book just points you to the book. And it's a book on truth. It's a book on freedom. It's how you defeat the lies that bind you, but how you find and live out the truth that sets you free. And that's something we're literally right here in this moment, like, having to do. It's like, okay, we're feeling the weight of lies both externally coming at us and both internally within us. And we're saying, how do we overcome and defeat these lies? Okay, like, we've gotta be in the word of God. We've gotta know how to study the word of God and meditate on the word of God and memorize the word of God. And that's how we're gonna be able to defeat the lies. We gotta invite in community prayer. So many different things that, you know, I talk about in the book, but we're literally having to live out right now. We're having to dare to be true right now in this very moment that we're recording the podcast. And so it's just cool. It's been one of my favorite projects I've ever worked on because it's just. I believe this is the message that the Lord is.

[B]

I believe you are specifically anointed to give this message right now. Because when you first started writing this book, it was a completely different direction. You had written how many chapters? Eight.

[A]

Yeah. Like six or eight chapters of another book.

[B]

And you are sitting with the Lord. I forget where we were, but I remember that you were like, this is not obedience. This is not the book I'm supposed to write.

[A]

It was so hard. I was like, are you kidding me? Because I had taken a writing retreat.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Which. And I. My schedule was so full that I had only had this one those four or five days to, like, I needed to get through majority of this book, man. And so then I could come home and kind of just like, have a few more chapters to go and, like, touch up. And I spent the whole retreat working on this book. I come home, I feel like the Lord is like, that's not it. That's not the book. And I'm like, no, Lord, no.

[B]

We're going. We're going. We've committed. And. And you had. I mean, we don't need to get into it, but you just had external people that were with you that. It just was hard. There was tension. There was all these different things that made this book feel like, what's the point?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you dug in with the Lord.

[A]

It was.

[B]

And dare to be true. It just feels so right. And when you do it the Lord's way. But as you speak about it right now, it's anointed. It is. And there's such a difference between a gifted communicator that speaks good things and someone that's just speaking what God told them. And that's why I'm seeing, like, hearts literally unfold in this book. I mean, tell us about what Caesar said. Like, where does this originate? When Caesar looked at Pilate? Looked at Jesus.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And just ask the question everybody in the world is asking right now.

[A]

Surprise. I have really exciting news. Stay True podcast is going live. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 8, at Rocket Town in Nashville, Tennessee. It is going to be an incredible night filled with worship, special guests, and, yes, a live recording of the Stay True podcast. Right in the room with you. I have been wanting to do this for so long, and I'm truly so excited to see how the Lord is going to move. This is more than just a podcast event. It is a night to gather, to talk about God's truth, worship, be a part of something bigger than yourself, and dive deep into conversations that matter. I cannot wait to see so many of your faces, meet you in person, and experience this night together. So grab your friends, get your tickets with the link in my bio, and join me in Nashville on November 8th. For Stay True podcast live. I'll see you guys there. What is truth? What is true? What is true about God? What is true about me? What. What is true about eternity? What is true about all these different questions that we're asking? What is real? What can I trust? You know, where does hope come from? Where does purpose come from? Where does satisfaction come from? And you see everyone grasping for that answer, but so often we're trying to find it in the wrong places and then wondering why it doesn't satisfy us and why we're left more confused. And you see this conversation in John, chapter 18 that Pilate's having with Jesus, and he looks at Jesus and he's like, what is truth? Like, what are you talking? Like, Jesus is like, hey, I came to testify to the truth. Testify about the truth, and he is the truth. And Pilot's like, what is truth? And I just see that question, you know, being asked of our generation today and everyone saying, yeah, what is truth? Especially with such a rise in AI and such a rise in, you know, truth becoming subjective and being based on feelings and, you know, all of these different things. It's like we've strayed so far from truth, and we're seeing it create so much bondage and so much confusion and so much chaos. And that's what happens when truth becomes feelings and not reality, not truth. And when truth becomes, you know, based off of personal opinion and experiences. And so it's just. It's something that I have seen literally transform my life when I have made the decision to believe that Jesus is the truth, and when he says, I am the way, the truth, and the life and believing that. That. That is a life that has led to not only eternal life, but life here on this earth. A life of peace, a life of stability, a life of faith, a life of hope, a life of joy. And, you know, when I tried to live life apart from that and try and find truth in relationships with people or in, you know, followers or in what I looked like. I don't know. I just. I felt constantly empty. I felt constantly hopeless. And so I'm just really excited about this. I believe that it's, you know, it's one thing to have one moment of, like, lord, I. I believe you, and I'm. I'm feeling this freedom that you offer. But then it's another thing to continuously walk out that freedom and stay free. It's one thing to get free. It's another thing to stay free. And so what does it look like to stay free? What does it look like to live.

[B]

True, to stay this book and find out, man, I'm telling you. I'm telling you and Maddie, like, I just. People are so sick of people saying, well, your truth, whatever your truth is.

[A]

Yeah. Live your truth.

[B]

People are done with it. At least Gen Z is just like, I want to know the truth. And. Because the truth is the most loving thing.

[A]

And they're over the, like, you know, tiptoeing around, like, just speak it like it is.

[B]

Say it.

[A]

Say it like it is.

[B]

Say what's truth? And the truth is divisive. Yeah. And the truth makes you choose something. It's a fork in the road. It's not all inclusive. It's loving, though. And people want that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's why we got to keep speaking it in love.

[A]

Amen. So good. And we're still in the middle of the Dare to Be True series. For those of you who have been following along the series, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, we are in a Dare to Be True series right now on the podcast and essentially just taking different topics from my book and sitting down with different guests and, and I'm so excited about this topic because this is something I'm so passionate about and something that has changed my life, but really, like, created such a intimacy between me and the Lord and really given me the ability, no matter the season of life that I'm in, no matter the circumstances, no matter the pressures or temptations to stay true, to Dare to Be True. This one topic we're going to be talking about today is been really like my lifeline. And so I'm so excited that we're going to be talking about prayer and also kind of partnering it with fasting. We get. Get a lot of questions about this on our Instagram. Like, everybody wants to know about fasting. Everybody has questions about it and, and, and a prayer life. Like, what does it look like to have a prayer life and a. And what does that look like practically? And what's the importance of it spiritually? And so we're going to be talking all the things prayer. But if you've been following along the Dare to Be True series, you know that we have been starting off our podcast so fun with a little Truth and Dare. Truth or Dare?

[B]

Really? Truth and Dare.

[A]

Truth or Dare. And Grant has not been in the Dare to Be True series yet.

[B]

No. Which I'm not gonna say I'm upset by, but a little bit saddened by.

[A]

Okay. But does it make you feel better that I'm like, out of anybody, I could have to talk about prayer and fasting.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Who better than my husband?

[B]

Okay. That is an honor.

[A]

Yeah. I think it brings it back.

[B]

Okay. I'm so nervous. There's headphones involved. What are we doing?

[A]

Oh, yeah, we have a fun little game if you choose dare. So I'm gonna ask you, Grant Trout, truth or dare?

[B]

Who am I to choose? Truth. Dare, of course.

[A]

Except we just literally talked about how important truth was for about 40 minutes.

[B]

Dare me.

[A]

Dare me.

[B]

What's the dare?

[A]

So the reason we're doing truth or dare is we talk about, in my book, the importance of. It's not just about knowing the truth and finding the truth, but it's all about daring to live the truth. It's daring to live out that truth every single day. And, you know, and memorizing. James, I'm learning all about how faith is one thing, but it's faith and action. You know, faith without action is meaningless.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

So that's why we do true. The dare. So you chose dare. So I'm gonna explain the game, and it's gonna be a good time. The dare is play the whisper challenge game.

[B]

What?

[A]

So you're gonna put on headphones. We're gonna take a turn wearing headphones. And while. Wait, no, listen, let me put them on first.

[B]

I got the game. I'm just gonna put them on.

[A]

And while the other person is wearing the headphones, the other person is going to be saying a phrase or saying something, and there's going to be music blasting in your ears while I'm saying this phrase, and you have to try and interpret what I'm saying.

[B]

Okay, so, like, do you want me to say it live? So as you start to read, am I like. Or do you want me to wait for the sentence?

[A]

Yeah, I think it's live, so I think it's funnier.

[B]

Great.

[A]

Okay. So you can put on your headphones and.

[B]

What. Who's controlling.

[A]

I'm not seeing these either, so I don't know what's on your.

[B]

Who's playing my songs?

[A]

Oh, you know, we have some friends in the back.

[B]

Oh, these are noise cancel. These are legit. Yeah. Oh, my goodness.

[A]

Is the song playing?

[B]

Not too crazy loud.

[A]

Oh, let's turn it up. Let's get the noise blaring.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Grand Trout, can you hear what I'm saying?

[B]

This is. This is.

[A]

I don't think you.

[B]

Hold on. Are you going?

[A]

No, it's good. I was testing you.

[B]

Just so y' all know, this is Troy Bolton. High School Musical 1. Get your head in the game. I'm vibing right now.

[A]

He's not going to want to take the headphones off. This is, like, one of his favorite moments of the. The movie. Okay. Are you ready? Jesus loves you.

[B]

Do it again.

[A]

Jesus loves you.

[B]

Jesus loves you.

[A]

But I'm his favorite. I love this phrase.

[B]

Whoever came, get your head in the game.

[A]

Okay, you've got the first part.

[B]

It's blaring.

[A]

He can't understand what I'm saying. Okay, I'm going.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Jesus loves you.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But I'm his favorite.

[B]

But I'm his favorite.

[A]

Yeah. Wow. Okay, now say the whole thing. Oh, he can't hear me. You can stop.

[B]

Take him off. All right, all right.

[A]

Now say the whole thing.

[B]

Jesus loves you. But I'm his favorite.

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[B]

Golly. Okay.

[A]

No, you did good.

[B]

Yeah, no, it's. It's.

[A]

I'm nervous.

[B]

It's a little disorienting.

[A]

You. You did, like, really good. I'm so interested to see what. Wow. Yeah. I can't even hear myself.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. I. This phrase. This phrase. All right. I snoozed.

[A]

What?

[B]

I snoozed my. I snoozed my alarm.

[A]

I snoozed my alarm. At first, I thought you said, I toot.

[B]

No, no. For my quiet time.

[A]

For my quiet time.

[B]

Wow. Great job. Great job.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

It's not as difficult as you would actually think doing that, but, boy, I can hear that music.

[A]

Could you hear it in the.

[B]

I think so.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

High School Musical. What a good, you know, High School Musical. You shouldn't.

[A]

You shouldn't have reset it, because the first time I did not.

[B]

You had no idea. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

I was like, I snooze my alarm.

[B]

For my quiet time.

[A]

I toot. I think you said. Did you say I snooze?

[B]

I snooze. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. It sounded like. Or it looked like you said, I toot.

[B]

It's a good game, man.

[A]

Okay, so why do you think we played that game? What do you think that has anything to do with the topic today? Because I feel like it translates pretty well.

[B]

You're saying with prayer?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, I think it's such a picture of us with the Lord, where there's so many noises and distractions and things blocking the clarity of his voice. And so I think the thing of, like, I can't hear God. Why can't I hear God? It's just like, he's probably like, oh, just take the headphones off. You know, take all that off, and you can hear me clearly. So I think what's interesting, though, is, like, you and I could still kind of, like, hear it out, but it's because we could read each other's lips, and with God, it's not like you're sitting there with him and you see his lips. So it's such a. Like, you have to take it off to hear him in the quiet.

[A]

Well, and we were just talking about this right before the podcast, but there's a story in Scripture with the prophet Elijah, and he's having this moment with God, and he thought he was gonna hear God and all these really big things. And so there was, like, an earthquake. There was, like, the wind. There was all these things. And it kept saying, like, in this passage, it's like, and God was not in the wind, and God was not in the earthquake. And then at the very end of it, it's like. And then there was a gentle whisper, and it says in the Lord, like, that. The Lord was in the whisper. And I think so often we don't hear the Lord, and we're like, God, what are you saying? What are you speaking? I want to be closer to you. But the reason we don't hear him is we're looking for him in these really, really big things. And we're in the personal, quiet, intimate moments. We're not tuning out, like, the distractions like you're talking about. And so it's preventing us from being able to hear from him and being able to know him in a personal way. It requires intimacy to whisper. To hear a whisper, you gotta be close. Like, you gotta be in close proximity. And so in order for us to, you know, hear the Lord and feel that closeness to him, we have to position ourself to be close to him.

[B]

And not be talking and not be.

[A]

Talking, which is the hardest part for me, I think.

[B]

You can't hear a whisper if you're talking. And that's, like, the most powerful lesson I've learned in prayer lately is prayer is not you just talking to God.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

It's more of you listening. And the question is, who knows most about what you're talking about? You should listen to him and bring your request to him. Ask him, pray about it. But the majority of that time is listening to that whisper. And it's a whisper of the soul. It's a whisper of the soul that you must quiet it long enough. And typically, it takes me about 20 minutes to still the chaos of my soul before I even begin to hear.

[A]

All the Things that you're like, oh, I need to do that.

[B]

That email, that text, that thing, him, her. All of that takes about 15 to 20.

[A]

You know, when I think back on childhood, the best learning moments never felt like school at all. They were the times I got to create something new with my hands, use my imagination, and just have fun. And that's exactly what I want for Hosanna as she grows up. She's almost nine months old now, and it has been six. Such a joy watching her little mind discover new things every single day. We've been exploring Kiwico's panda crate, which is designed for babies and toddlers, and it's been such a sweet experience. Every crate is built with expertise to meet her developmental stage. So it's not just toys. It's real learning through play. I'll never forget the look on her face when she figured out how to use one of those sensory toys. It was this mix of curiosity and pure delight. And I thought, this is the kind of foundation I want her to have. Learning through wonder, creativity, and play. And as she grows, Kiwico has crates for every age that combines science, engineering, art, culture, you name it. They do all the legwork so I can just enjoy those special moments with her. And honestly, it feels so good to know we're building memories together while she's also building skills. So if you're looking for a gift that's not a screen or just a way to spend meaningful time with your kids, fuel their imagination with Kiwico, Tinker. Create and innovate with Kiwico. Get up to 50 off your first crate at kiwico.com promo code Stay true. That's up to 50 off your first crate@k-I w I c o.com promo code Stay true. I cannot wait to tell you about this coffee brand my husband Grant and I are absolutely hooked on. It's called seven Weeks Coffee, and it has quickly become the only coffee we drink in our house. But it's not just about the taste. This coffee stands for something we deeply believe in. Seven Weeks Coffee is America's Pro Life coffee company on the mission to fund the Pro Life Movement 1 cup of coffee at a time. Why are they called seven Weeks? Because at seven weeks, a baby is the size of a coffee bean. And it's the same time a heartbeat is clearly detected on an ultrasound. As a mom, that just hits differently. They've built their business around saving lives by donating 10% of every sale to pregnancy centers and pro Life organizations nationwide. They've now raised over $1 million and saved thousands of lives. Now let me tell you about the coffee because I'm very picky about what I put into my body. It's mold free, pesticide free, shade grown and low acid and it's organically farmed. It truly checks all the boxes. So go to 7weekscoffee.com and SA15 off forever when you subscribe. Plus get a free gift with your order and exclusively for my listeners. Use code STAY TRUE for an extra 10 off your first order. That's a 25 off total savings on your first order plus a free gift. Just use code STAY TRUE at checkout. Whenever I need to send roses that are guaranteed to make someone's day, the only place I trust is 1-800-flowers.com with 1-800-flowers. My friends and family always receive stunning, high quality bouquets that they absolutely love. Right now, when you buy a dozen multicolored roses, 1-800-flowers will double your bouquet to two dozen roses. To claim this special double roses offer, go to 1-800-flowers.com podcast. That's 1-800-flowers.Com podcast. Yeah, no, it's so true. And we were actually talking about this with friends the other day and I'd love to just jump into like your experience and story with prayer and what that's been like for you and just like where you are today with it. Because it ha. It is a journey. I think a lot of times when you, you know, are newer to the faith or maybe you haven't been taught how to pray and that hasn't been modeled for you. Or maybe you go to a really conservative church and prayer is like only something you do in a very, very formal way or something you do. Maybe you go into a very laid back. You go to a very laid back ch. Or your family, you were raised in a family where you only pray before meals or before bed. And so it's like a lot of times people's experiences and environment shapes like their view of prayer and they don't really know maybe how to pray or why it's important. And so I'd love to just jump into our personal stories and experiences with prayer. And I do love that you said you were talking about why it's so important that when we're praying, we're not just talking. Because I talk about in the book, I'm like, prayer is not just something that you do, it's something done to you. Because it should be like prayer should be a conversation where you're speaking and listening and it should be something that you're not just coming in with a laundry list of God of like, hey, here's all the things that I want to do and that I need from you. And it's also. Yeah, it's a. It's a back and forth conversation. But it took me, I feel like, a while to where I felt comfortable and compared, like, confident in my prayer life. And I'm still, like, we're both still on the journey, especially entering in this new season of motherhood for me. Like, I feel like I'm still trying to figure out. Yeah. What my prayer time looks like right now. But what was your. Okay, so you became like a strong believer in 2018.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That was like your. Your moment with Jesus where you got radically saved, but it was still like a sanctifying process. You would say like a year or so of just like the Lord. Yeah, well, yeah, we're being sanctified daily, but it was like a year of still, like, being stuck in some sin.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

And not knowing how to get free from it. But what. So what would you say that first year of when you decided to go all in with Jesus like that year? What did your prayer life look like?

[B]

Totally.

[A]

It.

[B]

It. So John 10 talks about how his sheep begin to learn the shepherd's voice. And what is so interesting is that sheep don't immediately learn their shepherd's voice and just know it. It takes so long. It takes time. And so I think for the first year of life, or the first year of Christian life, I remember all I knew to do was, I'm gonna learn His Word. Yeah, I didn't even really. I mean, I'm sure I had little five minute. Dear God, thank you fors. Dear God, will you. All I knew to do was, here's where his clear voice and word is. It's in His Word. I'm just gonna learn His Word. And I remember grabbing this Bible, going to Barnes and Noble or Starbucks, and I had no idea what I was doing. And I started in the book of John and I just was like, I'm gonna read the Gospels and learn about who Jesus is. And I had this little journal, and I would just write out Dear God, comma, and whatever would come out. It would be hilarious to read some of these because I have no idea what was coming out. But all I knew to do was I could learn his concrete voice through His Word. And so he wrote these love letters to us. He wrote these guides to us. He wrote the game plan, life to us. That's how you learn His Word.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So when you're. When you're in that early stage of believer, we're not asking you to go sit on a mountain with God for 60 minutes and just listen. That's overwhelming. That. That is. That is like, oh, I can't even begin to think about doing that. But you know what you can do? You can open up that word and just read the book of Matthew or John and who is Jesus?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That began to transform my life. And then any verse that stuck out to me, I would grab a note card, write it down, open it back up, write the verse down, and just go, I'm gonna memorize this.

[A]

And that's how he still has these note cards, you guys.

[B]

I have them. I have them, and they're my lifeline.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you wanna know how I learned the voice of God? You gotta learn his word first and foremost. I believe that is first and foremost for believers today is you. He's like, hey, before you try and learn my voice without my word, why don't you learn my voice without in my Word? Because then you're going to be able to dictate what my voice sounds like.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So you remember when Adam Donye called me recently on a fake number from Google?

[A]

Yeah, y', all, this was crazy.

[B]

So I'm. I'm in the car with this is his mentor, and we just had, like, a sketchy moment with someone. So I was already weirdly on edge.

[A]

Like, we were out at lunch or something, and there was, like, this dude who was, like, being a little, I don't know, sketchy around, like, looking at us and coming near us anyways, and.

[B]

Like, Jose's in the car, so we're just a little weird. And all of a sudden, I get this phone call from, like, a 903 whatever, and I answer it, and he goes, yo, what's going on? Like, immediately into it, I was like, who is this? Like, super dry, like, super short with him? He's like, gee, what's going on, man? And by that second, gee, what's going on, man? I knew exactly who it was. He goes, who do you think this is? And I was like, adam Dunye. He's like, that was my point in the sermon I'm preaching Sunday. I wanted an illustration that because of our proximity and how close we are, even if I show up in ways you don't expect, it doesn't take long for you to know my voice.

[A]

That's good.

[B]

I came in a package you didn't necessarily expect. It didn't come with Adam Dunye. But you knew my voice the same way. Before you try and learn his voice without the Bible, you gotta learn his voice in the Bible. You gotta know exactly how he speaks, why he would say that, what's his character? That's how you start. And I would say that took me about two to three years to devour the Word. And then this whole new. I mean, the Bible talks about spiritual maturity. So when you're a baby, we're not feeding Hosanna a steak right now, we're feeding her milk. And we're about to start, I think, like in a few days. Avocados, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I would say the same is for prayer with believers, is that you don't start off with this like, cut up filet mignon. You start off with the milk. And the milk doesn't mean it's less than or less important. It's just what you can digest and handle. So you got to just start with the Word. And as you read the Word, the Holy Spirit in you begins to fan you begin to mature in your relationship with Christ. And all of a sudden you see there's deeper waters with Jesus. It doesn't mean there's varsity and junior varsity. It just means the more you walk with him, the more he's like inviting you into more of Him. But if he started with that, it's overwhelming and you wouldn't be able to digest it.

[A]

And when you approach it from a posture of humility and repentance, like the Holy Spirit works with that and begins to reveal things to you and speak things to you, I think if we approach it from a self righteous standpoint, Scripture talks so much about that of like, he, he, he opposes the proud, like the Lord is literally in opposition with a prideful heart. And so whenever we come before God and we're like, hey, I expect this from you, I want this from you so that I can use it for my own gain. The Lord's like, I can't work with that. Like, you're coming at it from a prideful heart so that you can use it how you want to use it for your own selfish gain. And I. And so I think that's such an important aspect to it too. But I love that you're talking about the importance of the Word and being able to discern the voice of God because so many people were like, how do I know God's voice? How do I know this is God? And I love that you're just like bringing it back to the simplicity of like, well, what is His Word? Say what is he saying in his word?

[B]

Because that. That is his chosen instrument to reveal who he is.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

And if we neglect that and just want the, like, supernatural moments, he's like, no, this is where you got to start.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I think it's really powerful, Maddie, what you're saying, which is, is prayer ultimately to get something or be with someone. And that's how I've matured in my faith. And how you have too, is it starts with man. I think prayer can get me something too. I think prayer can get me with someone. And when you get to that level, it's when Psalm 37. Four, you delight yourself in God. He gives you the desires of your heart. And I recently heard this, I think JP Said this, but I think it was from John Bevere. I always thought, okay, he gives you the desires of your heart. How cool is that? No, he gives you the desires in your heart. He gives you what to desire. He gives you the desires of your heart. Meaning, like he's gonna put in you desires that are from him.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And how beautiful is that?

[A]

That's so good.

[B]

That when you delight yourself in him and think about delighting. Like when I delight in you, Maddie, it's when we're dying, laughing on the couch after a date night, we got our ice cream, and I'm simply just laughing at the quirkiest things you do. And you know, that's delighting. It's not quick hitters. It's lengthy times when you delight yourself in God. You're not just these quick five minute prayers and you're out. It's the five minute prayer into God. What do you think about that?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And as you walk, you see this blue jay, and you're like, look at that blue jay. God, you made that blue jay.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What? That's your blue jay. The Bible says, you know, when that blue jay died, like you care about that. And now all of a sudden, I'm just. I'm just, I'm delighting. And at the. In the moment, it doesn't feel like I'm being exploding with new revelation, but over time, that makes you this person of just depth with God. And you know him.

[A]

It's so good. And I think to even just go a step further off of what you're talking about, the importance of being in the word of God, specifically when it comes to prayer, praying the word of God, praying the word of God out loud, that it has changed my life. Like I'm memorizing James right now. And even this morning, I'm in James 4, and it says, submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you. In that moment, I'm literally like, lord, I submit myself to you. I humble myself before you, and I say, you are God. I am not. I need you. I'm desperate for you. You are the leader. You are the master. I'm here to follow you. And then I'm like, and I resist you, Satan, and you have to flee from me. It's a promise by. Go. You have to flee. You can't touch me. You can't have me. You can't have my mind. You can't have my husband. You can't have my body. You can't have my family. And I just, like, I begin to pray scripture, and you begin to feel the presence of the Lord. You begin to feel empowered by the spirit he's put inside of you. And that's why it talks about in James, like, prayer is powerful and effective. It's not just like, you're frolicking in the fields. For sure, there's those moments where you have this, like, sweet time with the Lord, but then there's also the moments where you're like. You're fighting. You know, it's like. It's your battle plan. It's warfare. I just. I literally. We were talking about this yesterday. You were going to the high school ministry that you helped lead here in Nashville. And I was even just, like, encouraging. Or maybe this is right when you got home, but I was just encouraging you. As I was studying. In 2 Corinthians 10, it says, we do not fight with the weapons of this world. We don't fight like the world fights. We fight with spiritual weapons. We fight with weapons that demolish strongholds, that we demolish. Lies. Strongholds just mean lies. We demolish strongholds and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of Christ. Everything that's not true, everything that pretends to be true, but it's not true, we demolish it. And then it says, we take captive every thought and make it obedient unto the truth. And so, for me, that has looked like practically. It's like every time I'm believing a lie, hearing a lie, feeling something that I'm like, I don't think this is from the Lord. I take a second and either I'll, like, look at a verse and then pray it, or I'll just, like, sit there and just, like, pray. And I'm like, lord, help my mind. I submit my mind to you. Like, I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind right now. And I just like take a second and I pray and then oftentimes, most of the time I'll text you or I'll text a friend and say, hey, will you pray for me? Like I'm feeling, you know, down right now. I'm believing some lies right now. And so again, it's just showing you like the power of prayer, that it's a weapon, it's a tool that we have to fight against the dark world that we live in and the lies that are coming against us to take us out. And just to share a little bit of my story, like I grew up in a strong, you know, faith based, spirit filled family, loved Jesus, had a powerful prayer life, honestly from a very young age. Experienced a lot of really cool, miraculous, supernatural things from a young age. But then I think in middle school it was like I had the headphones on. Yeah, it was like I was, it was a lot of noise and I cared a lot about the noise.

[B]

Didn't mean you weren't saved. Yeah, just means like there was something blocking.

[A]

I was caught up in some things, you know, I mean I was caught up in secret hind. Biggest flirt. I was the biggest flirt. Hey, don't judge. You were the biggest flirt.

[B]

I was too, man.

[A]

We both got voted biggest time.

[B]

I'll tell you. How dangerous is that?

[A]

That is dangerous. But the Lord has sanctified.

[B]

He does that.

[A]

Yes. And I, I, yeah, I was just like, I was caught up in worldly things. Like I was just so focused on like the temporary, the right here, right now. What do you think about me? Do you accept me? Am I good enough? Where's my place in the world? Where do I fit in? And that was constantly on the forefront of my mind. Me, me, me, me, me. Like, what can I get? What do they think about me? Everything was selfish, everything was self focused. And because of that, I lost that intimacy with the Lord. I lost that being able to really like hear from the Lord and be used by the Lord in the way that I believe he could have. Season of my life. And it wasn't until college when I started going to this church and I started getting super plugged into small groups. I started diving into my word. And then I joined this thing that they were doing called 21 Days of Prayer and fasting. And you guys, this like changed my life. For 21 days straight, this church had a gathering. Everyone would come together at 6am in the morning and for one hour straight you would pray. And the last like 15 minutes would be corporate Prayer and meaning that the pastor, the local pastor would come up and would pray, and we would all, like, pray together. Usually he was just, like, praying over the congregation. But I started this journey for the first time, and I was like, I don't know what to pray for an hour. Like, an hour. That's a really long time.

[B]

That's a long time.

[A]

I'm like. I got, like, five minutes in me, you know, and then it's like, well, I ran through all the things. Lord, I don't know what else to pray and, you know, and to be honest, like, the first few days, it was awkward. Like, I was like, I don't. I don't know what to pray to you. Everybody else seems, like, real confident in their prayer life.

[B]

They don't have enough time.

[A]

Yeah, they need more time. And I don't gotta, like, it's too long for me. And I felt really uncomfortable. I felt really awkward. I didn't know how to talk to God. You know, I was coming at it with all the, like, formalities. It's like, you know, you are thou greatest God, and I am thou lowest of lows. I'm just, like, hitting at it from, like, you know, this what I. I think I'm supposed to say, what I think I'm supposed to pray and wondering why I just, like, still didn't feel, you know, connected. And I just remember a few days in, there just was this breakthrough moment where I just began to, like, cry and just be broken over my sin and just be like, lord, I'm so sorry of, you know, these things that I've been entangled in and these lies that I've been believing, and I just begin to repent. And then I just began to, like, worship him. And I was just like, God, you are so good. You are. I am so undeserving of your grace. I'm so undeserv. Deserving of your forgiveness. Like, I can't believe you would forgive someone like me, let alone, like, want to be my father, let alone want to use me for your kingdom purposes. Like, I'm just, like, having this moment of being blown away by his goodness. And then all of a sudden, like, the hour ends, and I'm like, wait, wait. I just went like, that whole time, and I could have kept going, and I just fell so in love with it. And it was like, as I continued to show up, that by the end of 21 Days of Prayer, it was like I didn't have enough time. I wanted three hours. I wanted five hours. And I just Fell so in love with prayer. Not because I was, like, doing this formula and treating it as a formality, but because I saw that it was like, this connection with Jesus, with the Lord in such a way that I was desperate for, in such a way that we were created for. And, man, it just. It changed everything for me. And just since that moment, I have. Have been so in love with prayer, and I've just saw it as such. It's probably, like, one of my favorite ways to connect with the Lord and specifically to pray scripture out loud, like we were just talking about. And. And so I. I fully believe in having, like, a plan, you know, and have. And having an intentional plan when you go into prayer. And that's not like, again, that sounds like, contradictory because I just said don't have a formula. But I think there's some times where prayer is just like. Like, you're just saying what's on your heart. You're repenting, you're asking for forgiveness. You're just worshiping. You're just, like, singing to the Lord. And then I think that there's other times where it's really helpful to have a plan where you're coming at it, where, like, the Lord gave us in. What is it? Is it Luke 11, the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. And it's like the Lord's Prayer. And it's taking you through, like, you know, a good kind of, like, format of what you can. Of what you can pray. And I think that's helpful to where you can take the Lord's Prayer and you can still kind of make it your own where it's still meaningful for you. But that's something that I like to do. I'm not gonna say daily, but I like to do often of just like, okay, our Father who is in heaven. So then I just, like, take a beat and I'm like, okay, you are my father. I'm your child. Like, you have adopted me into your family, Lord, thank you that you have adopted me, that I'm not a slave, but I'm a daughter. And then I just, like, take each of those little phrases and I just make it like my own. But prayer has just been, like, my favorite thing. And you have encouraged me in it so much of just like, hey, you can't stop prayer.

[B]

Yeah, let me just speak to that. Because we were first six months of marriage in Waco. It's hard. It was a new city, new job, new town, new house, new marriage exposed.

[A]

A lot of stress.

[B]

Six out of the ten top stressors in life. We were living in real time. And I remember you just made a decision one day. You were like, I am taking back my prayer life. And you went upstairs. We had this little closet that we didn't even know existed. JP Found it. He's like, what is this? And it was a closet that we just turned into a sanctuary. And I remember going up weeks later, and that closet was filled on the wall with these handwritten prayers by Maddie. And I remember just seeing me on one. And it was not change him. It was not help him. It was God almighty, protect him, bless him, elevate, give him what he needs. Make me the wife that I need to be for him. And you started going up there. And that is when our marriage shifted into what it is now. And I heard a stat last night. You know, on average, statistically, married couples get divorced just as much as people that aren't believers. But it says couples that pray out loud together almost have a 1000 to 1 ratio of staying together.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

It's nearly impossible, they're saying, statistically, for couples that pray out loud together. And I think you asked me one night, grant, will you start praying over us every single night? And so every single night in bed, I don't care how good or bad we are, in that state it is, you'll throw your hand over, and I'll start praying.

[A]

We'll be in a fight. And I'm like, pray, yes.

[B]

And that changed our life. And I've always told you this, Maddie, you cannot let. There is the biggest target on your prayer life. Satan's biggest target on Maddie is not to come at her with comments. It's not to come at her looks. It's not to come at all that stuff. The biggest target Satan has on you is your prayer life, because that changes the whole flow of our marriage. It changes the whole flow of who you are, how I operate. It's really powerful. And your prayer closet, I just want to honor you. Has so changed the Trout family, because I just know I'm covered and prayer matters. And I'm really proud and honored that I have a wife that prays like you do.

[A]

I've always believed your bedroom should be more than just where you sleep. It should be a place of rest, a space that actually feels peaceful and refreshing. But for the longest time, that wasn't my reality. I would toss and turn, wake up with a sore back, and honestly never felt fully rested. I'd start my mornings already behind, and I knew something had to change. That's why switching to Helix Mattress has been a game changer. Helix makes it so simple. They've got this quick sleep quiz that matches you with the mattress designed exactly for how you sleep arrived. I was so surprised at how quickly I noticed the difference. The first week I realized I wasn't waking up as much in the middle of the night. My back pain started to ease and I woke up actually feeling refreshed, like my nights were finally doing what they were supposed to do. Reset me for the day ahead. And it's not just me saying this. 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Well, with the Name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] progressive casualty insurance company and affiliate price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. Emoji moment from Tara, who writes for years all my doctor said was eat less and move more, which never worked. But you know what does? The simple eating tips from my nutritionist at Mochi. And after losing over 30 pounds, I can say you're not just another GLP1 source. You're a life source. Thanks, Tara. I'm Mayra and founder of Mochi Health. To find your mochi moment, visit joinmochi.com Tara is a mochi member, compensated for her story well. And I'm thankful that I have a husband that leads and that I'm able to come under your leadership because I know you're being led by him. And that's what's so cool is when I. When I'm asking you to pray over us every night, it's like, it's what we were just talking about at the beginning of this podcast. It's like so many verses and scriptures are just like, flowing out. You're just praying God's promises and God's truth over us, over me, over our marriage, over Hosanna. And it's because you're meditating on the Word. It's because you're taking your relationship with Jesus seriously. It's because you're not just talking the talk, you're living it out. You're submitted to him. And it just is so evident in how you lead our family and how you pray over us. But that is. It is true. Like, that season in my life, it was. It's so funny how I started that time when I was like, lord, change them, Lord, fix them, Lord, do everything. We need help. And then it was like, like, I don't even know. A few days into that, the Lord I started getting so convicted of, like, no, no, I need to change you. Like, you. You have sin in your heart. You have pride in your heart. You have offense in your heart. You have unforgiveness in your heart. And I'm trying to come before the Lord, asking him, you know, for something to change in my external environment and in what I'm faced with around me. And yet he's like, like, I need to change what's on the inside because you have some unforgiveness and hurt and offense that you're harboring and that you're carrying. And as James 3 says, it's demonic, it's unspiritual, it's Earthly. It keeps me separated from him, and it keeps me from loving people well. And so it. It took that moment of me realizing, man, I have junk to work through. And so my prayer went from, lord, change him to, lord, change me and help me to be the wife you've called me to be. And it began to change our marriage. It began to change my life. Because I realized, like man, I can't control narratives and control circumstances and control people. But what I can do is I can submit myself to God. I can humble myself before the Lord. I can say, lord, tame my tongue. Help me to speak life over my husband. Lord, give me eyes that see with a faith perspective and not a fault perspective, looking for faults, looking for ways to get offended and angry. Lord, help me to have a heart to serve and not be served. And I began to, like, pray in this way, and it started changing my life. It changed the way that I viewed marriage. It changed the way that I viewed love. It changed everything. And that is what prayer does, is it's not. It's not just something you do so that God will change your circumstances. Prayer is something done to you to change you. Like the Lord, if you let him, will begin to. To convict you and refine you and purify you and, you know, build you up to be the instrument that he's called you to be for his kingdom purposes. And it takes that humility of coming before the Lord in prayer and in praying for the Lord's will to be done, not your will to be done. I think so often it's like, we just want to get things from God. We're just like, oh, yeah, you're a good giver, God. So I'm coming here, like, wanting you to be a good giver, and I want you to give me a lot of good gifts. And the Lord's like, you're kind of missing the point. I'm the point. I'm the whole point. And it is really easy to just want things from God instead of just want to be with God.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

And you touched on it at the beginning, and I'd love to, like, even touch on. I just talked about this very briefly, and I didn't know if we would go into this, but I actually think it's really powerful. Cause it's something we've been talking about a lot lately. Because you're reading a book by John Bevere called the Bait of Satan. And it's all about unforgiveness and offense. And you know what's so interesting is that in the Lord's Prayer, right?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It says, forgive me as. What does it say? Wait, I have to say the whole thing. Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven, gives us today our daily bread.

[B]

So relational, Maddie.

[A]

And forgive us.

[B]

Not formulaic.

[A]

And forgive us of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Us. And that is so. It's so interesting that it's, like, contingent that our forgiveness from our Father is contingent upon our forgiveness towards one another. And it talks about that a lot in Scripture. But how often are we carrying unforgiveness in our heart, but yet demanding God and expecting God to do all of these things for us? And so I'd love to just talk about. Because the Lord's been teaching you and you've been sharing a lot of it with me, just how important forgiveness is in our prayer life and in our intimacy with God and in our ability to be used mightily by God.

[B]

Yeah, it's like Jesus gives one clause after the Lord's Prayer. He gives one little, like, excerpt, and he says. He's like, if you don't forgive each other, your heavenly Father will not forgive you. And we're like, that's not that. I don't really. Yeah, I don't really, like, believe that. And Jesus says that multiple times. If you don't forgive your brother or sister, I will not forgive you. How crazy is that? And how many people are walking around with offense and unforgiveness in their heart? That's like, oh, that. That really matters to Jesus. And I think if we talk about lust and pride and cussing and drinking, unforgiveness is, like, down here.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, let's deal with this stuff.

[A]

It's not seen as bad of a sin.

[B]

Oh, my gosh. That is going to absolutely destroy the Christian. So what I've been learning, Maddie, is we don't think we have unforgiveness in our heart. We don't think we have offense in our heart. It's everywhere. It's everywhere. If you can think about someone and the initial feeling is not, I want the best for them. I love them, and if I were to see them, I would receive them with joy. There's something in you the Lord wants to deal with. And I think what the Lord's also been showing me is the Bible says we forgive not because they deserve it, not because they've earned it, not because they're gonna respond in a specific way. We forgive because God in Christ forgave you.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

We forgive because we remember what put Jesus on the cross. And the further you get from that is the closer you get to this holding on to bitterness. And Jesus tells this parable. He says, I forgave you. Equivalent of $14 billion. He says, there's this king and this servant who owes him $14 billion. And he says, you better pay that back. And the guy goes, I can't. He goes, you know what? Your debt is free. That servant that just got $14 billion free goes and finds another servant of the king who owes him $4,000. And he says, I'm going to put you in jail unless you pay me that right now. He's like, I can't. He's like, then go to jail. The king hears about it, brings that servant who he just cleared $14 billion from and says, how. How could you? He says, you're going into prison. Well, you will be tortured until you pay back the last penny. And John Bevere unpacks that on if you forget what you've been forgiven from, then you can't Even forgive the 4,000. You've forgotten the 14 billion you were forgiven from. And that's so many believers as you've been so far removed from the cross that you're like, I can't believe they whispered that about me. And Jesus is like, like, your sin nailed me to the cross. Yeah, there's so much there.

[A]

And there's. And there's some things that have been done that are unimaginable, that are really hard, extremely painful that some of you have walked through. And nothing we're saying is in a heart posture of trying to take that lightly or overlook that. But at the same time, the unfortunate thing is, is we live in a very sinful, broken world. And there's going to be people who do things against us or to us or say things about us or hurt us in deep, deep ways. Family members, friends, people you don't know, and you can't control that. But what we have control over is our response to other people's sin. And it's just as much of. It's just as much of a sin for us to hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness as whatever they did to us. Which sounds crazy and hard for our minds to comprehend, but it's. You know, there's that thing about, like, forgiveness that it's like. It's like giving someone else drinking poison. What is it like?

[B]

Yeah, drinking poison and expecting that, hoping.

[A]

The other person dies. It's like drinking poison, hoping the other person dies is what holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness does to you. Like, it's only killing you. It's only hurting you. It's hurting your intimacy with Jesus. It's hurting your prayer life. It's hurting your purpose. It's hurting your intimacy with. With godly community and friendship. And so it's so important. Like, the reason I bring that up is because the Lord's Prayer is such a model for us. Not only what to pray, but how. But how to pray. The posture of prayer that we should have, you know, having a posture of humility, having a posture of surrender, having a posture of forgiveness. Not just receiving forgiveness, but giving forgiveness to our brothers and sisters. And I just thought that that was so powerful to touch on because it talks about it so much in Scripture. It says in Matthew 5, leave the altar. Like, it's literally like, don't. Don't be at the altar offering all these sacrifices. If you're holding on to bitterness or you're holding on to something that your brother did against you, your brother, sister did against you, it's like, no, no, leave the altar. Go and make things right with that person, and then come back into my presence. And I think that that is such a. A picture of, like, so often we're trying to just be like, I'll just, like, take this up with God, but I'll, like, keep holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness. And even sometimes we'll pin it on. Like, it's spiritual warfare. Like, there. There's like, you know, the enemy is after me, and he's like, there's all these attacks against me when it's really just our own sinful self holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness, and it's hurting our intimacy with the Lord. And so I just think that that's. It's such a picture of, like, forgiveness is not optional. It's not an option.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

It's not optional. And. And it's so much weightier and heavier than we realize.

[B]

And it's crazy. There's no clause on that. It's not like. But I know some of you have been through some really hard things, so I know it's going to be a little bit harder for you. It's like, if you don't forgive, you will not be forgiven. And that is what everyone needs to hear, no matter what you've been through. Because what you've been through, even though it's crazy, does not compare to what you've done to God. Everybody. Yeah, no one is exist. It's not like that's for some people. Everybody owes the 14 billion and the 4,000 has been done to you.

[A]

That's so good.

[B]

And you have to forgive because he forgave you. So I think that is so important for people right now. It is the bait of Satan. Paul says so that we may not be unaware of the schemes of the devil. And he was talking about forgiving one another. He's like, the schemes of the devil are to hold on to offense and be disunified from your brothers. Because Jesus said, how's the world going to know that you're my disciples, that you're one? And we have to forgive.

[A]

It's so good.

[B]

It's really. And forgiveness, we probably need to unpack that a little bit. It's not forgetting what's been done to you. It's not belittling it or throwing it under the rug. It's saying it and handing it over to God. And whether that's a note to that person, a moment with that person, or just you and God, you write a letter and you burn it. It is giving it to God probably more times than once, until you get to a position where you're just like, hey, I don't have to be friends or even talk to that person, but I forgive them. And God, would you bless them? God, would you give them a good life? Would you save them if they're not saved? That's the important stuff. And Jesus is like, that really matters to me.

[A]

It's so easy in my mind to go to justice, defense, you know, defend self, hold onto that God, how could they do that? You, you know, I'm holding on to this bitter bitterness and this anger. And the reality is, is that unforgiveness blocks prayers. It just does. It blocks your prayer. It blocks your ability to be intimate with the Lord, but it also blocks your ability to pray for that person to get to know the Lord. And so for me, I've had to literally do what you're saying, which is like, lord, bless them. Bless those who persecute me. Bless those who are saying all of these offensive, hurtful, mean things against me and my family. Bless them, save them. Draw near to them, Lord, I pray your hand be upon them. You're favored that you reveal yourself to them, that they see that you are the way, the truth and the life. And just having that mindset, it totally takes away like gratitude, worship and praying for people takes away that, like anger, self righteousness, pride, Forgiveness, proving it. Just like, I mean, I'm not saying it's always easy, but like, it overrides it. And so for me, in those moments, every time, time I feel an angry thought or a defensive thought, if I don't have the strength to have that mindset to pray, like, I'll text a friend and be like, hey, will you pray? Because, like, right now I'm like really frustrated and angry. And so we pray for me and pray for them.

[B]

I do think that's a practical step is to write down the name or names of people that you really struggle with and begin praying for them. Blessing, favor.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

God's mercy on them, like genuinely praying and it changes you.

[A]

Right.

[B]

One thing, last thing I want to say on this, Jesus's last prayer on earth. Do you know that most scholars believe it was this ten word prayer? That is why the thief on the cross went from reviling Jesus to saying, please remember me.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Because Jesus was being nailed to a cross. He was bleeding out. And you know, the Bible says that both thieves were coming at Jesus.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then only one gospel records that one, somewhere in the midst of that time went from reviling him to saying, you're the Savior, will you save me? It was because Jesus said, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Jesus forgave the people killing him from a genuine place. That thief saw that and said, I want you, you're my Savior. How much more will the world see us who have been wronged, wrongfully hated, talked about online and from a genuine place where like, lord, would you bless them, please? Peace. And they're like, oh, I want whoever you worship as savior, I want that. That is really powerful. Forgiveness shows that like, hey, you're not my God, you're not my ruler. I serve someone that has forgiven me of a lot. So I'm not going to hold that against you.

[A]

That's so good. That's crazy that his. I mean, yeah. Like, I've not thought about it even in that sense of. Just like Jesus's last prayer on the cross was one of forgiveness, forgiving those that.

[B]

That were wronging him.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

For something he didn't do.

[A]

Yeah. That he was dying on the cross for, man. It's just. That is. That's crazy.

[B]

Hey, I want to address this. Let's kind of get practical because the questions that are in my head right now if I'm watching this are a couple things that we can address. What is prayer? Is it, do I fold my hands alone? Are my eyes closed? Do I Have to be on my knees.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What is prayer? Another one is, if God is all knowing, all powerful, in control of everything, why pray? Like, why pray if what's gonna happen is just gonna happen?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then I think some last ones we can tackle that I think are on your phone. But I think it's just, like, why pray? And then what's the example that Jesus led with this? Like, if we're to follow Jesus, how did he do it?

[A]

Yeah, well, it talks a lot about that in. In the Gospels of, like, Jesus would rise up early in the morning while it was still dark. He would go to a secret place, and he would. And I just. I mean, I believe prayer is just communion with God. It's just. It's. It's communion and continuance of, like, a relationship with the Lord and setting aside, like, quiet, secret place, time and moments. So for me, it doesn't just look like praying before a meal with family or, you know, praying at church amongst a bunch of other people, but having set aside quiet time, which Jesus showed us, who didn't even have to do that because he is God in the flesh, but he showed us and modeled for us, hey, I am going to retreat and get away to the secret place to commune with my heavenly Father. And so I believe that's what prayer is. It's. It's retreating to the secret place. It's. It's just communion. It's relationship. It's relational. I love that you talked about. It's both speaking and listening. You're. You're. You're worshiping him, you're thanking him. And I always like to start my prayers just saying, like, thank you for who you are and for what you've done. Like, you are the one who was the one who is, and the one who is to come and thank you that you set me free from my sins. I didn't deserve to be forgiven by you. I didn't deserve to receive your grace, but you chose to give it to me anyways while I was still sinning against you. You loved me, you forgave me. And. And so I think, like, for me, it's. It's having that kind of posture and mindset. And then from there, you know, there's just, like, moments where you just, like, stop and you listen and you just pause or you just, like, look out at creation and you just are like, lord, speak to me. I'm listening. Speak to your servant. I'm listening. And you just, like, stop and you listen. And there's all kinds of different ways to do it. But I, I believe that prayer is, is, is what keeps you connected to the power source. Like he is the source. Like he is, he is the one that you want to stay connected to. And I'd love to just like for a second explain what fasting is and just like touch on that before we start getting really practical about like how to pray, what to pray. And we're obviously not going to be able to touch on all the things, which is why I wrote a chapter of it in my book. And so I get really practical in my book of just. It's kind of in the second part of my book where it's very, very practical, focused, action driven of like here, here are things that you can practically apply to your life. And I have a whole chapter on prayer because it's changed my life and I believe that it can change all of our lives. But, but the things that we can touch on today. I'd love to get into fasting really quick, why it's important and why it's so often linked to prayer, like why it's so often coupled with prayer. And so fasting is just starving your flesh. It's dying to yourself. And I believe that why it's so beautifully put with prayer is that prayer is feeding your spirit while fasting is starving your flesh. And so it's a, both and of I'm resisting the world, I'm resisting my own fleshly. Like flesh just means like, you know, physical like sinful desires and cravings, like the things that you want that you, you know, are not of God. It's dying to that, resisting that. But then also feeding your spirit, spending time in the word of God, spending time on your knees worshiping him, praying to him is why I believe it's so powerfully put together. And there's like stories, I mean we've been talking about it recently, the passage in scripture that's like if you want to get us into it about fasting and prayer together.

[B]

Yeah, it's I. Fasting is the most powerful weapon.

[A]

You've seen it change your life.

[B]

Recently I have blown off for so many years that I am accessing in a whole new way right now. And fasting is not optional. Jesus said, when you fast, don't look gloomy, don't make sure everyone knows about it. Anoint your head, AKA just look clean, look like you're eating all day. Fasting in America specifically positions you in a place of dependence. That's why it's partnered with prayer. And in that hunger pains in that, oh, my gosh, this is really hard. You're going up to your father, who's spiritually strengthening you. And I just believe fasting and prayer, the most powerful weapons the Christian is offered. I believe that with my whole heart right now. Because what I'm seeing is breakthrough. What I'm seeing is authority. What I'm seeing is deliverance. What I'm seeing is clarity, healing. I mean, Jesus didn't do that just to make it miserable. He's not like, just be miserable for a day. That'll prove your love for me. He knows the benefits of it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How unbelievable is that? He did 40 days, and I'm trying to do half a day. 40 days. And Jesus, it said he was full of power in the spirit after he did that. And I am witnessing that real time right now. I believe we have kind of dumbed fasting down to, like, you can be off social media. That's fasting. That's not biblical. Biblical fasting is food.

[A]

It's food because that is a level of dependency.

[B]

Do not eat food. It could be partial foods, like Daniel fast. It could be all food, like Jesus and Moses and kind of every other fast we see in the Bible. Now. Caveat. There's a lot of people that maybe need to really pray and say, God, is this the type of fast you would have for me to do?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So if you struggle with eating, if you struggle with all that stuff, there's caveats in there. It's like, hey, hey, pray about that. Invite community into that. If there is a struggle, invite some people into that. Hey, this would be a struggle. Or, I want to fast, but it's really just like a food discipline. I just want to, like, get thinner. I just want to, like, not eat because it's going to make me healthier.

[A]

Just want to lose weight.

[B]

And you can waste the spiritual power that actually does come through fasting.

[A]

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[B]

And the thing is, they're true.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Which is what's, which is why God knew.

[A]

Hilarious. Science is just, just backing what Bible already says.

[B]

God programmed our bodies to go through normal fast periods because he knows that it replenishes us and it heals us. Science is saying that. The difference is don't waste the spiritual aspect of it by just focusing on those because the, the whole point is to draw you up to God and giving you that intimacy with him.

[A]

Totally. Yeah. And, and so fasting, the world's way is all focused on self, Love, love. Meditation, the world's way is all focused on self and fixing your eyes on yourself. What can I manifest? What can I, what can I bring for myself? Self, empowerment, self. Like, what can I control and make happen? I want to control the narrative. I'm going to make this happen for myself. So I'm going to, like, manifest these things. And it's like, no, no. Prayer is again, humbling yourself before the Lord. It says, the Lord opposes those who are proud. So it's literally saying, I, I am nothing but you, and I am coming under your authority. I am submitting myself to you. And I'm saying, lord, let your will be done. Prayer is not saying, I want my will to be done. Prayer is saying, lord, I want your will to be done. Here are some things that are on my heart that I would love to see come to pass. I would love to see come to fruition. But Lord, not, not my will. Your will be done. And even Jesus said those very words, which again, is another model of how we can pray when maybe we have these expectations, we have these desires. Lord, I really want to Be married. Lord, I really want to have kids. Lord, I really want to want these things. And it's like, okay, you don't have to feel guilty about those desires, but just take them to the Lord and say, I submit these to you. Let your will be done. And I think that's so important when we're talking about prayer because again, the world's way of prayer and fasting is so focused on self. God's way of prayer and fasting is focused on God. It's dying to self, it's self getting out of the way. It's self denial and God, God glorifying. And so that's so important for us to address because you just see that. I mean, the world has just so twisted everything that was so meant to be about God and pure and holy and beautiful and to really like. You know, you say often reminding us of Ecclesiastes 3:11, that God has put eternity on every man's heart. So there are things that the world preaches is like, will satisfy you, but it only makes you more broken and empty before. But when we do things the way that God commands us to do, when we follow God's commands, when we. We live obedient to his Word, doesn't mean we're gonna have a happy, prosperous life. But we will feel inwardly peaceful, hopeful, joyful, loving, like we will have these inward gifts and blessings that the rest of the world who may have these external things are desperate for, because we're finding it in the Source, the only one who can give us those things. And so that's important about, you know, fasting. I love that you touched on, you know, season of love life. It's different for some people, I think for majority of people like we for sure should be having a continual fasting, whether that's once a week, once a month, you know, for a week straight or 21 days straight, a quarter or a couple times a year. I have in the past always done two times a year, you know, the 21 days of prayer and fasting, that's what my church did was in January and August. And so I would for those 21 days, whether it was the Daniel fast or whether it was, you know, certain foods would do that. And in this season of, you know, breastfeeding, I can't do food, so that's not a part of it, but I can choose certain foods. So again, it might depend on your certain season of life, but the whole heart of it and posture of it is again, to die to yourself, to starve your flesh and to feed your spirit and depend on God and get closer to God.

[B]

And you're missing out if you.

[A]

I mean, you're not.

[B]

I'm telling you, Jesus looked me at this demon possessed family, and he's just like, this kind only comes out with prayer and fasting. And I'm telling you he meant that because I've seen it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That there are things that you are just praying for and not incorporating fasting in that will not come out without fasting.

[A]

And when you hear the word demon, I don't want you to think, like, literally this, like, scary, scary thing. It's like a demonic oppression, a demonic stronghold.

[B]

It could be a thought pattern. It could be a generational thing.

[A]

Y. A lot of times we're trying to fight the physical with physical. And it's like, we have to realize we have to fight it spiritually. We. We may live in a physical world, but we're fighting a spiritual battle.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Our struggle is not against what we just see. There is a spiritual war being waged over our soul, over our mind, over our bodies, over our relationships. So therefore, we have to fight it spiritually in order to have the authority, in order to have. Have the victory that we want to have. The only way we're gonna be able to overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony, and by staying in that constant, you know, posture with prayer and with godly community. And so I love that you're talking about that, because so often we're just focused on the fruit, but we're never getting to the root, because we're just focused on the physical thing that we see, but not the spiritual thing that's underneath. And so it just continues to be this, like, cycle and this pattern that we can't break until it's like you partner prayer with fasting and you begin to see some things loose, some things break, some things shift, some things get delivered, some areas where you get free because you're like, man, scripture is so clear. Like, this kind can only come out through prayer and fasting.

[B]

So where do I start? I would start no coffee. And I would ask God, is that a day? Is that two days? I just start with, hey, we're gonna go. No coffee or energy drinks. Cause I think caffeine grips people. And so if you don't feel comfortable with the day of food, just go, no coffee. And what you're gonna do is you're starving your flesh. You'll run into the headache. You'll run into irritability. And when you feel those, you're like, God, I need you. God, I need you. Let it draw you up and then begin to pray. Should it be food? Should it be social media? I'm a year off of social media right now because I just want to make sure. I'm always checking, does anything have me? And so, so powerful.

[A]

Because what you were saying is like scripture. It's specifically talking about food. But I also would add to that, like, we live in a culture where, again, headphones, there's so much noise. It's distractions, dilutes, and it distracts and keeps you from being intimate, on fire, used by God. And so it's like, okay, some of the ways that, for me, that I always like to include in fast, even when I was doing food, even when I was doing the Daniel fast and canceling out a lot of food in my diet or doing just water, you know, doing three days of just water only. Even when I did that, I would also get off social media, only listen to Christian music, not watch secular shows or movies, because I was like, what's the point if I'm gonna keep, like, feeding parts of my flesh but starve other parts of it? Like, I wanted the. I wanted the whole experience. You know what I'm saying? And I think that that can also be a part of it. And so, yeah, I mean, and I think there. There sometimes is. It's really helpful and powerful to do it in community. Like, I know sometimes, like, you grab a couple of your boys and you're like, hey, hey, let's. Let's pray and fast together.

[B]

It's the most powerful.

[A]

It's the most powerful. And, like, that's. That's, for me, like, how I started with prayer and fasting. I had never done it before. My experience with my church, my local church of doing 21 days of prayer and fasting, and it was so helpful, even from just an accountability standpoint of, like, oh, I've said I'm. I've committed to this. So, like, now I got to keep showing up, and I got to, like, stay true to my word, and they're going to hold me accountable in it. And together for 21 days, like, I. I'm gonna seek the face of God. I'm gonna starve my flesh. I'm gonna, like, choose not to feed my flesh, but instead feed my spirit. And it is transformational. The Lord has spoken the most that the Lord spoke to me to go on, on. Like, that's where I felt called to Go on. The Bachelor was during 21 days of prayer and fasting. Like, I have had the most beautiful, radical, transformative moments with the Lord when I was in the middle of prayer and fasting. And so we just believe that it you will experience deliverance and freedom and healing. And then we also just believe if you know, you choose to do prayer and fasting, that you'll experience new levels of intimacy with the Lord, that you'll go deeper in faith, that you'll go deeper in understanding that you will be given a new level of just wisdom and insight and knowing him more. And so that is what we have seen in our own personal lives. Lives. And I'd love to just end this podcast, just going practical for a second. Again, we're not going to be able to cover everything I talk about it in my book, and I think it would be helpful or obviously just open up the word of God and study it yourself. A lot of obviously what we're talking about, it just can be found in scripture. But just practically speaking, what are ways that you stay in a posture of praying continuously? Because I think it's one thing to maybe have a moment at the beginning of your day and be like, lord, I love you, I need you. And then all throughout your day, you forget and you just like, don't keep praying.

[B]

Yeah, okay. Jesus is our example and our model. So when you read the Word like we said, you just start to learn. Okay. Jesus often went away and would pray. And so I'm learning that from my teacher. That, okay, that's very important. The one thing the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.

[A]

How do I pray?

[B]

Not how to preach, not how to heal, not how to give sermons, how to pray. That's something so powerful. I see you do Jesus, will you teach me? And then he gives us the Lord's Prayer. But prayer is simply. It's that relationship. It's walkie talkie. It's constantly communing. It's saying, I'm about to walk in this meeting. God, will you give me the strength right now? It's when I'm in a convo with somebody at coffee and I'm staring into their eyes, yet I'm up in heaven with God going, what would you have me say right now? I don't even know.

[A]

How can I encourage them?

[B]

How can I encourage them? Constantly talking. So Paul says, always be on walkie talkie with God. Pray without ceasing. And that's not always, like on the knees. I would say, Jesus had his mountain. So Jesus would always go to the mountain. So where's your mountain? You gotta get your mountain. That is the purposeful, set aside time with God to pray. That is my back porch. That was your prayer closet. Find your space. Find your mountain. Number two. It's. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Sometimes it's just thanking God for everything you can think of. And thank you for this bed, thank you for this air conditioning, these clothes. Thank you. And you kind of get lost in that. Just get lost in thanking him. Other times, go really slow through the Lord's Prayer like you talked about. I love that it's so powerful just to pray. And then I would have a few verses in my head that I'm memorizing that I'm just, like, praying those. God, I struggle with approval of man. So first Thessalonians 2. 4 says, I've been approved by you, so I'm gonna speak not to please man, but to please God. That's that verse that changes me. I'm headed to Wago to preach. Okay. I'm gonna please God, not man. Galatians 1:10 is another verse on approval of man. You just have those verses. So you're praying scripture. And then here's what I love is Jesus taught twice on prayer. Luke 11 and Luke 18, both different stories, same goal and mission of the story, which was, keep coming to me, keep coming back. The persistent widow was Luke 18, and that's about this girl that needed a case of justice. She kept coming to the judge. Please, please. And the judge was like, fine. I mean, you keep coming to me. Sure. And Jesus says, how much more will the righteous judge answer those that come to him night and day.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The start of that parable says, jesus told this parable so that his disciples would always be in prayer night and day and not lose heart.

[A]

That's so good.

[B]

So what he's saying is, keep coming. Yeah, keep coming. So God will always answer your prayer. Yes. No, not yet.

[A]

Amen.

[B]

Yes. No, not yet. And the no's are always for our good, so keep coming. And then Luke 11 is about knocking and don't stop knocking. So I think Jesus is saying, annoy me with your prayers. Bother me with them. Keep knocking till the point where you're like, am I bothering God? It's what the story says. And he loves to answer those prayers. So I have these note cards that I write my prayers on, and I pray them almost every single day, the same stuff. And now I've got all my stacks of. Of my answered prayers. Check Check, man. He hasn't answered that. I'm gonna keep praying. That one.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Oh, that was a no.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

Thank you for answering that. No. God.

[A]

Yeah. I heard the phrase, push pray until something happens. And I just have held on to that for so many years. I think it's really easy to give up when you don't see it happen as quickly as you wanted it to. And so for me, it's like, I'm gonna keep praying until I see something happen. I'm gonna plead with the Lord. I'm gonna beg him. I'm gonna beg on behalf of my sister's, you know, intimacy with the Lord and salvation. And I did. When Mary to figure out her life, you know, I literally was begging God for years. And now she's walking so faithfully and intimately with him. And Mallory, too, like, praise Jesus. Both my sisters love the Lord. I pleaded with the Lord for their salvation and. And. And so many different situations that I've done that. But praying until something happens, like, it's what you're saying, like, never stop, Never, never give up. It says it so much in scripture. Pray continuously. Never stop praying. And in James 5, it's talking about, you know, when do I pray? Oh, every circumstance. Are you joyful? Sing praises to God? Are you in need? Pray and ask God, do you need healing? Go before others and have them lay hands on you and pray. Like, prayer is powerful and it's effective. It changes things.

[B]

And we don't believe it, and we.

[A]

Don'T always believe it.

[B]

We don't believe that prayer changes things because if we did believe that, when I pray, God in heaven hears me and things change. Why would we not pray all the time?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The real reason is we don't actually think it's going to change much. And everything in scripture says you do not have because you do not ask. Ask and you'll receive. Seek and you'll find. Knock and it will be open to you. Everything. If you believe what you ask for in prayer, it will be yours. Jesus constantly taught that. And why do we pray? Jesus commanded us to pray.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

How do we pray? Just start talking to God. God. Another format is acts. It's adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication. Supplication is just kind of asking the Acts form of prayer. And there's so many different little models you can go through. But just start. Just start. Test God, that if you pray for something, watch him answer it. God, will you give me a Lamborghini? Okay, son, I know you think that's what you need. And want that will actually, actually destroy you. Here's what I am going to give you. I'm going to give you an opportunity to share the gospel with this person. It's just like he knows what we need.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Before we ask him. Maddie Rose.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I'm telling you, as you know, prayer is so powerful.

[A]

It's so powerful.

[B]

And if we could just understand.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What it does.

[A]

Totally. And again, we have to. We have to end this because this podcast has been going and we honestly could be going for much longer. I want to. Just really quickly, and I'm talking, like 30 second answers. There were a few of you guys who sent in questions about prayer, and I'm talking, like, quick hitter answers. Some of these we've already addressed. But if I say a prayer in my head, will God hear me?

[B]

For sure. Nehemiah prayed in his head on his way to the king that he give him favor. God heard it, answered his prayer, and sent Nehemiah back to Israel to rebuild the temple. Totally. That. That woman that Samuel saw praying at the altar, thought she was drunk. She was praying in her head, just mouthing it. God hears prayers.

[A]

It's so powerful. But I also would say we've seen it to be transformational, to pray out loud. I think sometimes it can be easy to, like, get sidetracked when you're just praying in your head. But absolutely, he can read your thoughts. He knows how many hairs are on your head. So of course he can hear you pray in your head.

[B]

If you're in your head or if you're in private, public, pray. But if you have an opportunity to pray out loud, pray loud.

[A]

Amen. Y. Okay. Is it normal to feel like you're talking to nothing? Sometimes I pray and I don't feel God's presence. Someone asked, yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I believe it's a discipline, and I believe there's a. There's a. There's a breakthrough moment in prayer that you've got to linger. True prayer. It's. It's this breakthrough moment that you pass through that wall and also. And you're with God. So I'd say it's a discipline, like anything.

[A]

Yeah. Spiritual discipline. And then it becomes like a spiritual desire and devotion. You just fall in love with it. You're like, I can't stop praying. I need more. That happens to me more often than not. More often than not, I start my prayer life because I'm like, I know I need this. I know I'm called to do this. And so, Lord, I'm gonna get on my knees, and I start praying, and then it's like I'm fired up, and I come back in the house, and I'm like, great. I just had the best prayer time with the Lord, and I'm so excited. We started as a discipline.

[B]

Rarely do we want to pray. Yeah, rarely.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, so what are some ways I can remember to pray throughout my day? And this is where I actually talk a little bit about. In my book, I think I give even more than this, but a plan, a posture, and a place. You kind of alluded to some of those things. You talked about how important it is to find your mountain. And so, like, finding your place, your secret place, where can you get away and retreat with the Lord? That's really, really important. For me, it was my prayer closet. I'm still trying to figure it out in this new season of life, but find your place. Posture. Like, are you sitting? Are you walking? Are you standing? Are you kneeling? But also the posture of your heart, like a posture of gratitude, a posture of, you know, like, maybe you really are in need and you're asking God for healing for your grandma or whatever it may be. Finding your posture and then plan is. Come at it with a plan. Like, maybe you want to pray through the Lord's Prayer. Maybe you want to pray through Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. And then you take a beat, and you take a pause, and you're like, okay, Lord, you are my shepherd. So you're leading me. You're guiding me. You're in control. I submit myself to you. You are shepherd. I am sheep. I am following you. And when I have you, I have everything. I lack nothing. And so, Lord, thank you that you are more than enough. And you just. You see how it kind of just like, it begins to flow. You start with, like, a scripture or a verse, and then you just make it your own. And you. And you pray from your heart. The Lord doesn't want the fake you or the perfect prayer. He just wants your heart. He just wants you to, like, come before him and just, like, spend time with him and give him. Give him your heart and. And then pray like his. His love letter to you over you and out loud is so important. And so, again, this wasn't long enough. We could talk about this. This is one of my favorite topics to talk about. Truly, you guys. And so let us know, you know, what spoke to you and what you implement that we talked about from this episode and how it begins to change your life, how your prayer life begins to grow. How your intimacy with the Lord begins to grow to to grow. We want to know. And we want to know how we can be praying for you. So be sure to DM us and follow us on Instagram dms. Let us know. Thank you so much for coming.

[B]

Thanks for having me. It's amazing.

[A]

I learned so much from you every time and I'm so grateful for you.

[B]

Thankful.

[A]

Well, as always guys, be sure to stay you and stay true. We love Chapter One Truth About Feeling Bound I nearly blew up our house. Let me rewind. I married my best friend, Grant Trout, a few years ago. Our wedding day was dreamy and our honeymoon was, shall I say steamy. Well, if you don't count the food poisoning incident. But that's a story for later. After our blissful honeymoon, we packed our bags and moved into our first home together in Waco, Texas. Texas. Neither of us had owned a home before. This will be so fun, we said. We were super excited and super clueless. There were so many things we didn't know. We didn't know how to change the water filter on our fridge or the filters on the air conditioning unit, how to set up auto pay for utilities, or what to do with our terrifying bug problem. Maybe you're judging us right now, now. And that's okay. I own it. We were ignorant. Or maybe everyone's first home situation is challenging. I don't know. Regardless, it seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong. We had massive spiders in our house and mice in our garage. The pest control team informed us the spiders were brown recluse spiders. I'm sorry, sir, what? The ones that can kill you? We had mold in our shower that refused to go away, our drains stopped working and our shower flooded the bathroom. There were cracks in our ceiling. The water was so bad it gave us sensitive teeth and corroded our silverware. One house problem outweighed them all, and even though we couldn't figure out the cause, it was majorly affecting our health. Grant's symptoms were dizziness, memory loss, fatigue, headaches, and brain fog. I had it easier with nausea and a mild headache, but those were no picnic either. We were newlyweds, new to the city, starting a new job and managing a new home. So when we told folks what was happening, several joked, welcome to marriage. This was not what we wanted to hear. Grant suggested we move into a hotel for a few days because every time we were home, we would feel sick. But as soon as we left the house, we would feel better. We decided to book a few nights at a local hotel so we could think clearly and figure out what to do. Excellent idea. It was like our honeymoon all over again, minus the food poisoning. But as soon as we went back to the house, we felt sick again. A place that was supposed to be our sanctuary had become a danger zone. It seemed to be sucking the life right out of us. We'd been in our house for six months and had been visited by a seemingly endless parade of service providers. A water specialist, mold specialist, H Vac repairman, and appliance repairman. Then Grant suggested we call a plumber. I thought, how could a clogged toilet be creating all our health problems? But since that was the only type of repairman we hadn't yet consulted, I made the call. The plumber arrived wearing a fully loaded tool belt. He walked around holding an electronic device I'd never seen before. It was like a scene out of National Treasure. Grant was on speakerphone since he was at work, and I kept him in the loop on what was happening by asking the plumber questions. What is that beeper thing doing, sir? I asked. Checking for gas leaks, he said, cryptic quickly. So far, so good. A steady, reassuring beep sounded from the plumber's tool. Then he got into our living room and the beeping increased in intensity. What does that mean? I asked. There's a gas leak in here somewhere, he said. When he got to the fireplace, the beeper screamed. He turned to me. Where's your fireplace walkie? He asked. There's a remote with an off button. Button? Is that what you mean? No. That remote turns off the flame. He ran his hand along the mantle until he picked up a brass tool. This key turns off the gas. He demonstrated with a swift turn. If you don't turn the key, the gas just keeps going. Going where? Into the air of your house. My mouth fell open. When did you last use the key to turn on the fireplace? When we moved in six months ago. His eyebrows shot up. And you haven't turned it off since then? Good thing you didn't light a candle. Could have blown the whole house up. I had indeed lit a candle. Multiple candles, multiple times. But I kept that part to myself. How had we not known gas was poisoning us for six months? I asked. Shouldn't we have been able to smell it? Methane gas is odorless, he explained. I looked up methane gas poisoning online as he drove away. Symptoms include brain fog, headaches, nausea, long term memory loss, and death. I told Grant what Google said. Good thing you called that plumber. It's kind of A funny story. Now, we caught it before any long term harm could be done. The headaches and nausea did go away and I'm glad the chronic unease, misery and stress of it all is behind us. Now. Grant still won't turn on the fireplace, but here's the thing. Because we had ongoing sickness symptoms, Grant and I knew something wasn't right in our house. Our bodies needed oxygen, but we were getting toxic fumes instead. Where we were supposed to feel free and safe. We felt sick and stuck and it wouldn't have been enough to medicate our symptoms or spend the rest of our lives treating them. We needed to be free from the toxicity. We needed to kill what was killing us. And so do you. Our entire generation is experiencing ongoing symptoms of sickness. It might not be methane gas related, but we do wrestle with anxiety, work pressure, mental health struggles, family and relational tension, self doubt, self hatred, depression, suicidal ideation, body shame, loneliness, chronic stress, identity and gender confusion and hopelessness. And then to cope and numb, we often turn to vices like alcohol, vaping under or overeating, social media, binge, watching shows, alone, busyness and overworking, shopping, pornography, masturbation and sex. The problem is that we often can't identify what is making us sick. We feel bound and powerless, but we don't know why. Just like how with this gas leak, Grant and I felt the symptoms and the weight of it, but couldn't identify the problem. Maybe you can relate. You feel stuck. You feel like a shell of yourself. You are living with something that is slowly sucking the life right out of you and you just want to be free. That's toxic. Maybe you can't yet identify the underlying problem you're dealing with, but you can identify symptoms like anxiety, hopelessness, lack of purpose, stress and overwhelm, apathy, depression or loneliness. Maybe that's what drew you to this book. We often read books like this because we know God has more for us and we need change. But deep down we feel like we don't have what it takes. Maybe the reason you chose this book is because you feel bound, broken, confused or stuck. Maybe you are dissatisfied and defeated, but you know there is more for your life. Maybe you are listening to this book because you are searching for truth and answers. Wherever you find yourself right now, I want you to know that you were made for a life of joy, peace, purpose and freedom. You can break free from what has been breaking you. Maybe you have made decisions you deeply regret and you live in deep shame. You feel unclean. Maybe you were taken advantage of by someone you trusted. Maybe you gave your purity to someone you thought would love you. Maybe you had an abortion or you have been addicted to pornography, impure thoughts and fantasies and masturbation. Maybe you have shared naked pictures digitally, or you have hooked up with someone of the same gender, or you have had thoughts about it. Maybe you hate what you see when you look in the mirror mirror. Maybe you deal with fear and comparison. I pray that in this book you will feel safe and seen and that you will realize, if you don't already know, there is a better way to live. We don't have to keep living with toxicity. There is a way that leads to hope, confidence, joy, purpose and freedom. A way that leads to a deeper relationship with Jesus us. There is a way that leads to deeper friendships and connections with those you love. A way that leads to greater respect, satisfaction and love for yourself. If that way hasn't been part of your story up until this point, I pray it's your story by the time you finish the last chapter. With all the mixed messaging, misinformation and AI induced deception in the world today, you may wonder what is truth anyway? What is real anymore? What can I even trust? I don't blame you for wondering. I've felt the same way. My aim in writing this is not to paint false realities or confusing messages that appear to be true and loving, but that only leave you in bondage and deep shame. My goal is to point you to the truth. The truth that leads to a freer you.

[B]

Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

[A]

Jeff Bridges, why are you still living above our garage?

[B]

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[A]

Oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system. Wow, impressive. Let me try.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.

[A]

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[A]

Dude, my work here is done.

[B]

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