Street Preachers Podcast – Live from Charlotte

Hosts: Philip Anthony Mitchell & Tim Timberlake
Episode: Street Preachers Podcast Tour – Charlotte (Nov 25, 2025)

Episode Overview

From a spirited live session in Charlotte, NC, Tim Timberlake and Philip Anthony Mitchell dive deep into the theme of intimacy with God through prayer. With their signature unfiltered honesty and biblical grounding, the pastors strip down misconceptions about prayer, address obstacles like pride and shame, and share personal daily routines designed to foster divine connection and revival. The episode isn’t just about teaching on prayer – it's a passionate call to make intimacy with God the wellspring of every area of life.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Father’s Attentive Ear

(00:19 – 03:30)

• Tim opens with Psalm 116, emphasizing God's attentiveness—“The Holy Spirit will arrest whatever is trying to arrest you… The Father listens with great intention.”
• Tim Timberlake:

  "When we read this word 'inclined', it paints a picture as a father with a child on his lap, leaning in to hear every word that that child is speaking..." (02:00)

Prayer in the Midst of Human Struggle

(03:30 – 06:51)

• Philip underscores life’s inevitability of problems—“Life is a conveyor belt of problems and challenges... You will be good in one season. And a battle is around the corner.”
• The tendency to turn to everything but God:

  “We run to all these other places other than God—he’s last on the list. We make prayer the last resort instead of the first resort.” – Philip Anthony Mitchell (05:34)

• The awe of divine attentiveness despite our brokenness.

Turning Worry into Prayer

(06:51 – 10:47)

• Tim encourages using every negative emotion as fuel for communion with God:

  "I've trained myself to do, and I want to encourage you to do, is every time you face a problem in life... carry it to the presence of God.” (07:56)

• Highlights idols (social media, people, substances) that distract from prayer.
• Memorable advice:

  “Make prayer your new vice.” (09:29)

Obstacles to Intimacy: Pride, Shame, Success, and Talent

(10:47 – 15:18)

• Pride and shame keep us from seeking God:

  "We don't take things to God that we think we can answer ourselves… instead of developing a relationship of intimacy, we develop a transactional relationship." – Philip Anthony Mitchell (11:14)

• Tim expands: shame makes us undervalue the blood of Jesus; insecurities convince us we're unworthy.
• The unique danger for the “talented and gifted” to become self-reliant and prayerless.

Personal Routines of Prayer

(15:18 – 22:00)

• Both pastors describe their “secret place” and prayer habits:
  • Tim: 4am prayer in his basement, envisioning Christ present, using music and stillness, pouring out emotions, interceding for others, and just being with God.

    "For me, it’s a room in the basement… I anticipate to meet him there. Sometimes I go in there and it’s hard for me to come out." (16:01 – 17:42)

  • Philip: Prayer and communion at his dinner table, enacting spiritual “blood transfusion” for renewal after giving to others all day.

    "When I take of his body, I exchange this earthen vessel… And then I take of the cup, every night... it is my time to get poured back into." (22:13 – 24:29)

Struggling with Sin and the Purpose of Suffering

(25:37 – 32:07)

• Tim addresses feelings of unworthiness, reminding listeners that even Paul struggled:

  "The thing I don’t want to do, I do… The worst place to be is when you can sin and sleep." (26:52 – 27:54)

• Discusses the Western prosperity gospel’s false promise of pain-free living; real gospel expects suffering, which “untethers us from this life and makes us long for heaven.”

Ongoing, Intimate Dialogue

(32:07 – 37:42)

• Prayer isn’t just a morning ritual—it’s “like breathing” (Tim):

  “Prayer should be like breathing. It should be this ongoing dialogue we’re having with God all the time.” (33:20)

• Continuous intimacy transforms all aspects of life: marriage, parenting, leadership, and discernment.

The Transformative Power of Intimacy

(37:42 – 41:55)

• Intimacy with God is the source for every relationship and decision.
• It increases discernment, sensitivity, courage, and grace:

  "When you have intimacy with God, it will increase your discernment…" (39:49)

Notable Audience Engagements and Memorable Metaphors

• The pastors frequently ask for audience participation—raising hands, standing, agreeing together—as a tangible step toward deeper connection.
• Powerful, memorable lines:
  • "Carry it back to his feet." (43:26)
  • "Make prayer your new vice." (09:29)
  • "If Paul wrote we should pray without ceasing, then prayer should be like breathing." (33:20)
• The "altar" metaphor—doing nothing of consequence in life without first coming to God.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Tim Timberlake:

  “God will never create for you a life that makes him unnecessary.” (03:57)

• Philip Anthony Mitchell:

  “When I take of his body, I exchange this earthen vessel for the one person that can renew it and breathe into it.” (22:55)

• Tim Timberlake:

  "Sometimes the prayer is not, Lord, get me out. But what are you teaching me while I'm here?" (32:50)

• Philip Anthony Mitchell:

  "The most dangerous leader is an empty one." (24:36)

• Tim Timberlake:

  "Intimacy with God… It’ll change your ministry. Change your health." (40:53)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening and context/prayer theme: 00:19 – 03:30
• Obstacles to prayer and how to overcome: 10:47 – 15:18
• Personal prayer routines: 15:18 – 22:00 (Tim at 16:01, Philip at 21:55)
• Struggle with sin, suffering’s purpose: 25:37 – 32:07
• Ongoing dialogue/“praying without ceasing”: 32:07 – 37:42
• Transformation through intimacy/altar metaphor: 37:42 – 41:55
• Ministry moment and closing prayer: 44:56 – 47:52

Episode Tone and Language

The conversation is raw, genuine, and full of passionate “preaching”—equal parts pastoral wisdom and confessional vulnerability. Both hosts use vivid word pictures (e.g., spiritual blood transfusion, breaking alabaster boxes), encourage honest self-reflection, and address the listener directly as part of their “street team,” reinforcing intimacy and community.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a powerful call to return to the feet of Jesus, turning every trouble and triumph into an opportunity for prayer and intimacy with God. The hosts’ vulnerable sharing, theological depth, and practical advice create space for listeners to reevaluate their own walk—challenging pride, shame, and self-reliance in favor of an all-consuming, everyday relationship with God. The message: Don’t just pray—become prayerful. Let intimacy fuel everything.