When God Speaks: How do you know if it’s God or just your thoughts? - Jonathan Pokluda

Summary

The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast: Episode Summary Episode Title: When God Speaks: How Do You Know If It’s God or Just Your Thoughts?
Guest: Jonathan Pokluda
Release Date: July 8, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast, host Candace Cameron Bure engages in a profound discussion with her guest co-host Jonathan Pokluda and her son Lev Bure. The episode delves into the intricate topic of discerning God's voice from one's own thoughts, exploring personal experiences, the power of prayer, and maintaining spiritual focus amidst life's distractions.

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Memory and Personal Experiences

The conversation begins with a light-hearted discussion about memory and its role in personal and spiritual life. Lev Bure shares his struggles with memorization, contrasting it with Jonathan Pokluda's strong short-term memory.

Lev Bure [04:14]: "I have to work at something and then it gets stuck in there. Like, I still remember... it's like stuck back from like the 10th grade or something."

Candace humorously interjects about her long-term memory of past mistakes, highlighting the human tendency to remember certain aspects more vividly.

Candace Cameron Bure [05:55]: "I'm messing... short-term memory. You get a good long-term memory when it comes to fallen in the past."

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Lev's Influence on His Parents' Marriage Through Prayer

A pivotal moment in the episode centers around Lev Bure's impactful intervention during a challenging period in his parents' marriage. Lev recounts how, amid their marital struggles intensified by the pandemic in 2020, he delivered a heartfelt sermon to his parents, emphasizing grace and reconciliation.

Jonathan Pokluda [15:34]: "Lev preached like a 45-minute sermon on marriage to us... he asked, 'Have you done everything you can? Is there one step of grace you could give?'"

This sincere and mature approach led to a significant turning point, strengthening their relationship and underscoring the profound influence of faith and familial support.

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The Role of Prayer in Healing and Mental Health

The discussion transitions to the significance of prayer in personal healing and mental well-being. Lev shares his personal battle with anxiety and how a non-believing therapist introduced him to prayer as a therapeutic tool, blending spiritual practice with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Lev Bure [33:56]: "He was like, 'Praying will heal you.' There's a difference. The act of praying can actually heal you."

Jonathan reflects on the healing power of prayer, emphasizing that it's not just about seeking answers but also experiencing inner peace through constant communication with God.

Jonathan Pokluda [35:32]: "It's the act of prayer that's healing more than the answer we're gonna get from prayer."

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Techniques and Practices for Effective Prayer

The trio explores various prayer practices aimed at deepening one's spiritual connection and enhancing the efficacy of prayer. Lev introduces the concept of "Chair Time," a dedicated period of solitude and active listening to God.

Lev Bure [22:00]: "Chair Time... sit in a chair with no Bible, no journal, no phone, no device... just you and God for 15 minutes."

Candace adds that modeling prayer after Jesus and utilizing the Lord's Prayer can help those feeling stuck in their prayer life.

Candace Cameron Bure [41:00]: "Look at Jesus and how he modeled prayer... starting with the Lord's Prayer."

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Maintaining Focus on Jesus Amidst Temptations

Addressing the episode's core theme, the discussion highlights strategies to keep one's focus on Jesus amidst the myriad of daily temptations and distractions. Lev uses the metaphor of running a marathon, emphasizing the importance of envisioning supportive figures cheering towards the goal, analogous to fixing one's eyes on Jesus.

Lev Bure [41:48]: "Fixing our eyes on Jesus... like a marathon where the people on the side are cheering you on to keep going."

This approach serves as a deterrent against falling prey to distractions, reinforcing the necessity of a clear mission and unwavering spiritual focus.

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Challenges in Prayer: Listening vs. Speaking

Jonathan and Lev discuss the often-overlooked aspect of prayer: listening. While speaking to God is habitual for many, the act of truly listening requires intentionality and stillness.

Jonathan Pokluda [21:45]: "The listening is the harder part for me."

Lev emphasizes the importance of listening as part of a two-way communication with God, advocating for practices that cultivate this skill.

Lev Bure [22:42]: "Ask him what you want to hear from him... Sit down and try to keep your mind listening to God."

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Listener Challenge and Conclusion

As the episode concludes, Lev presents a challenge to listeners to dedicate 15 minutes daily to "Chair Time," encouraging a transformation in their prayer lives. Candace and Jonathan underscore the profound impact this practice can have on one's spiritual journey.

Lev Bure [45:41]: "Sit for 15 minutes... just you and God. Ask Him what He has for you."

The episode wraps up with an invitation for listeners to share their experiences and a free gift offering a "No Fear Guide," aimed at fostering deeper spiritual conversations.

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Notable Quotes

• Lev Bure [22:00]: "You're cheering for that. God in his kindness is going to provide a way."
• Jonathan Pokluda [35:32]: "It's the act of prayer that's healing more than the answer we're gonna get from prayer."
• Candace Cameron Bure [41:15]: "Look at Jesus and how he modeled prayer... starting with the Lord's Prayer."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast offers listeners an insightful exploration into the discernment of divine guidance versus personal thoughts. Through heartfelt personal stories, practical prayer techniques, and thoughtful discussions, Candace, Jonathan, and Lev provide valuable perspectives on nurturing a meaningful and effective prayer life. Whether you're seeking to deepen your faith, enhance your spiritual practices, or understand the nuances of divine communication, this episode serves as a profound guide.

Transcript

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It's not like, oh, he's just the goon. Like people are like, he has a hard job. Yeah, like it's a hard job to wake up every day and be like, yep, like I'm going to fight someone.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

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[Lev Bure]

Back at it.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

We're back at it again and again.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Baby. Why do I sound like I'm trying to sound cool, but I'm not? I'm dorky.

[Lev Bure]

Mom.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

You're thinking of what you want to talk about, but you're unsure of it.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

She's like, guys, this entire season is all about the banter, and I kind of want a heads up about what we're gonna talk about. And they keep laughing at me. And I think it stresses out JP because he's like, just roll with it. I'm kind of a planner, and I'm.

[Lev Bure]

Like, you've crushed it so far, though.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Thanks.

[Lev Bure]

I feel like you've done. This is amazing job.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Least planned. I've been in 10 seasons, which you're.

[Lev Bure]

Blessed by my prayers. You look back and you're like, that was my favorite series we've done. That's what I'm hoping. Who has been.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I have to admit, though, I've been the most relaxed in this one. I really have.

[Lev Bure]

Come on.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I feel so. I appreciate that. I'm gonna. I. Thanks to both of you. I do feel really comfortable and relaxed. Not that I haven't been comfortable in my other podcast seasons, but I'm on my toes a little bit for some more people. And I, you know, sometimes, like, the performance thing kicks in for me where I'm like, if I'm not on the ball, I'm gonna look like a failure. I'm not gonna, you know, But I'm just relaxed with you guys, and it's nice.

[Lev Bure]

I was thinking about this. I told you, I get emotional when somebody's really good at what they do. And I was thinking about the skill to act. It's. There's like a memorization component and then this, like, embodiment component. And, like, when I preach, I don't want it to be memorized because it can feel. You don't really want preaching to feel like acting.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Right? For sure.

[Lev Bure]

And so it's like you want to maintain the heart and to be sensitive. And a lot of people think preaching is a monologue, but it's really a dialogue because you're. You're responding to those that are listening, and if something happens, you're reacting to it. And sometimes I ask questions and even have them answer, but I was like, you know, there's. There's a different gifting that I bet you have, like, a memory that. That can grab things for a season and, like, let it go. Like, do you still remember scripts from past times?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

No, I have a really good short term memory. Long term memory, not so good.

[Lev Bure]

Right. So that I think that unique gift right there, like to be able to remember something for a short period of time. I don't. I don't have that. I think it's like I have to work at something and then it gets stuck in there. Like, I still remember, but soft with light through yonder window breaks is the east and Juliet sun arrives for sun and kill the envious moon. She already sink compelled with grief that thou her made a far more fair than she'd be not her mason. She's envious. It's like this, like Shakespeare is like stuck back from like the.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

I don't know, 10th grade or something.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So I have a lot of wrongdoings from many years ago that I think you seem to still remember. So I don't know what. That's all wrong.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

What do you mean wrongdoing?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I'm messing. Oh, it's like short term memory. You get a good long term memory when it comes to fallen in the past.

[Lev Bure]

You've kept records.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

[Lev Bure]

I've got a lot of 90s hip hop in my head.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I have that too, stuck in there.

[Lev Bure]

I wish I could replace some of it with Bible.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's insane that you can just retract information like that.

[Lev Bure]

But I don't. But I can't. I struggled like in theater to like, memorize a script. That's hard for me. It's a lot of work.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

But there's also, I think, a testament. And you've said multiple times now in past weeks, I mean, your ability to recite scripture. I think that's even a testament to the amount of work that you put in over time, really studying it, resonating with it and, you know, being in it, which is an incredible thing.

[Lev Bure]

I think back to the Unity episode we did, where I think a lot of times we're just impatient with people who are gifted different than us.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

And so if two people go on vacation and one person's a planner and one person's spontaneous, it's like the spontaneous person thinks the planner's wrong and the planner thinks the spontaneous person's wrong. And there's like joy and beauty in both of those wirings. I mean, there's joy and like, let's just go into this place that we've never heard of or didn't know existed and eat there. But then there's also like, hey, on this day, we're going to do this. And on this day, we're going to do this. And on this day, we're going to do this.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

That's why Papa and I work well together. Val and I work well together because he plans it all out, and I just go with the flow.

[Lev Bure]

Come on. So good.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I love it for you guys.

[Lev Bure]

What. What's your.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, who's the. Yeah, what's the.

[Lev Bure]

Are you more like mom or dad?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It. It go. It goes. Are you planning or is Elliot planning?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

No, no, no. I'm definitely. I'm more of a planner.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And Elliot, like, pretends like she's a planner, but she's not. She loves spontaneity.

[Lev Bure]

So. When I met your dad, I was like, oh, I see a lot of him in you, but I feel like you have, like, the convictions of your mama.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

And I say that because I don't. I haven't had conversation with him as.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Much, but, you know, I feel like people all the time are always like, oh, you seem like your mom. Well, you seem like your dad. And even to me know, you were talking past weeks about your kids. Like, I don't feel like I'm 100% either of them. I think there's qualities of.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Mix of both. But my dad told me that before you did our wedding, he came up to you as a joke and was like, hey, bro, like, don't mess it up.

[Lev Bure]

Oh, yeah, he said something like this.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And he's like, no, I'm just kidding.

[Lev Bure]

No. Yeah, he's. He did. He gave me a hard time. I was like, yes, sir. I'm so sorry, sir. Yeah. So that's why. But he was. He also was like, I think, like, like, cares about style. There was something he said that I got. I'm remembering was like, fixture tie or something. I can't remember really. Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

He does.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

On you for that.

[Lev Bure]

No, no, no, you.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Oh, on me?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, on you. He does.

[Lev Bure]

You gotta have your tie straight or something like that. And I was like, oh, that's where he gets it from. I feel like you're always like.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It always says he's a perfectionist.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Look good, feel good, play good. He is perfectionist. So that's something that, like, I'll tap into a little bit. But I'm definitely not as much of a perfectionist. I'm more, I would say, goal driven, like mom, where, like, I just want to achieve the goal as opposed to doing something perfectly, I guess.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

Did y' all watch a lot of hockey in. In the home.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Oh, yeah. I mean, still do. It's always on.

[Lev Bure]

Okay.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Always on during this, all the time. That's it. Do you watch hockey at all or do you like it or you.

[Lev Bure]

I enjoy.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Not your sport.

[Lev Bure]

Going to the game. The is it games. I'm gonna embarrass myself here, but y. I love going to the games.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I've been to.

[Lev Bure]

I mean, like the Stars and this is where I live. And so Waco used to have a minor league. Minor league hockey team called the Waco Wizards. And it was so fun. In fact, I have. I still have a Wizards puck.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Do you really?

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's crazy.

[Lev Bure]

And so we would go there, but then now I go to Stars games, but I don't keep up with it.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Right.

[Lev Bure]

But I like, watched the other day, the usa, Canada, a little while ago.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Dallas was my favorite city that we. That Val played in.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And it was so brief, though. He was a deadline trade and then got traded for the new season or we went back to Florida after Dallas. But I love Dallas and I still, to this day, every time, no matter where I'm at and singing the national anthem, I have to yell Stars. Like the Star or the Star Spangled Banner. Like, just like they do in Dallas for the Stars.

[Lev Bure]

Were you nervous, like in the fights and stuff?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yes, but Val's not a fighter, so. Not that he didn't get into a few, but he would have defenders that would protect him. That is their job. So, you know, Val's a small guy compared to the rest of the guys on the ice. And so, you know, he would use his stick as a weapon, which you're not really allowed to, but that's what he would use. But as far as fistfights, like, Val didn't get into those. So if someone wanted to do that to him, another defenseman would come in and fight for him.

[Lev Bure]

That's like a thing. Like.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, that's a thing.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

They're called enforcers. Yeah, it's. It's a. It's an art within the game that's dissipating a little bit. You know, the game's transitioning to a high speed, high skill game, but there's still. There's still a place for it, but it's a very respected position. Like, it's not like, oh, he's just the goon. Like, people are like, he has a hard job.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Like, it's a hard job to wake up every day and be like, yep, like, I'm going to fight. Fight someone.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah. I don't understand It's a we. I mean, not weird, but it's. It's interesting that there's a component of this competition that it can be fighting. And it's okay.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

You know, the funny thing about it is it's actually more like based off of reconciliation.

[Lev Bure]

What?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So I'm not even joking. So listen, listen, listen.

[Lev Bure]

Jesus, Jesus, Jew. What just happened?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

So, of course there's times where, hey, our team is down. We have to get the spirits up, the crowd up. I'm going to fight someone to try and make that energy to change the energy of the building, you know? But most fighting occurs when someone accidentally, accidentally, purposefully hit someone in a. In a dirty way. They did something, a cheap shot they weren't supposed to, and they know I have to own up to this mistake. And so that person knows that. That they will have to go and fight the enforcer of the other team to reconcile that mistake that they made. And that's why every time there's a fight, like, if they're mic'd up, you'll hear like, hey, great. Great fight, buddy. Like, good job. Like, thank you. It's. It's like almost this thing of reconciliation. It's crazy, man.

[Lev Bure]

My mind's blown right now. Hockey, I like it more now. Yeah. Starting to understand it.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It's crazy.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I'm still learning the game. So much passion in the game after 30 years. I love that game. But there, we're talking about prayer today, and there were many days that I was praying because it can be a rough game.

[Lev Bure]

Sure.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And, you know, Val's had his fair share of everything. Concussions, surgeries, your skates, on things that were so scary. And I wouldn't even be there, you know, if he was in another city. And I would really just be home praying that he was okay. Well, carton. Carton him off to the hospital.

[Lev Bure]

So that's wild. Let's have, like, the most interesting life ever, I think. Like, what in the world?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Sometimes it feels like it's. Yeah. We've had so many different seasons of life that they just. It feels like, wait, that was actually a part of my life.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right?

[Lev Bure]

That's wild. I mean, like, iconic actress, professional hockey player.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It's amazing.

[Lev Bure]

We're still married, all the believers. Like, what. What am I doing here?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

For the record, that that was them, not me. Like, I was just a blessed one to be born into it, you know? Like, I'm.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I'm just.

[Lev Bure]

I'm just showing up. You play, you. You are a hockey player and you've got the. You're you're very cultured. I feel like you understand a lot about a lot. Like, if you bring up a topic, you're like, oh, let me tell you about that. And you know everything about that thing. I'm like, whether it's a car, a watch, a bottle of wine, style, a brand.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Well, thank you. Thank you.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I want to brag on Lev for a little bit, because you, Lev, played one of the most pivotal roles. I don't know if you know this, I've shared this a little bit on the podcast, but Val and I went through a really, really rough season in our marriage in 2020. And that's when the pandemic hit and it was going south quickly. And we were like, I don't know if. Don't think this is gonna. We're gonna make it through. And so there were a lot of things that we talked about in a series of events, but at one point, Lev, Max and Natasha, but Lev was the one leading the charge. He came up to us and he said, we'd like to talk to you guys. And he, Val and I sat down and Lev preached like a 45 minute sermon on marriage to us. Just had his Bible open on the couch and just, just talked about it. And I'll never forget because he said, you know, I know I haven't been married and I'm just a young kid, and so it's probably hard to take marriage advice from someone this young. Never experienced it before, but I don't need to be married to know what the word of God says.

[Lev Bure]

Wow.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And he was just such a calm voice that had so much wisdom behind it. And he looked us, you know, straight in the eye and individually asked me and then asked Valley, have you done everything you can? Is there one step of grace? Is there just. Just some bit of more grace you could give Val? And Val, is there any more grace you can give Mom? Is there one more act of kindness, one more gesture, one more ounce of kindness, goodness in you that you could give to try to reconcile? And it was like, I mean, we walked away from that and, you know, Val and I were like, huh, we, we raised some pretty good kids. You know, it was so in our face. But that, that was like the pivotal moment. It really changed for us after that talk. And there, there was a lot, a lot more to it. But, you know, it's a whole different scenario when your kids sit you down to have a talk and go, are you being as mature as you can be? And, and what God says. So, so grateful to Lev and Max and Natasha, I mean, they were so supportive of everything, but I, I never thought there would be a day I'd listen to like an 18 year old kid or a 20 year old kid.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah. You know, were you nervous about that?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Not. Not really.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

I think it came from, you know, a point of love. And even when my siblings and I talked about it, it was like, man, we might want more than anything for our parents to be together, but like, let's get to the matter of fact, like, it's only going to happen through Jesus.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And so that was all we could point them to.

[Lev Bure]

Man.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, that was good.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It was me emotional.

[Lev Bure]

This is gonna be the first podcast I cry in. If we'll ask me if I'd ever cried on a pod, I'm like, that's good. I didn't know that. I didn't know any of that. Kudos to both of you. Just. Wow.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

And thanks for sharing that.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

You're welcome. Well, let's talk about prayer, because you know that I've had several episodes on prayer throughout the seasons with my different guests, co hosts. And I love talking about it, especially wrapping up a season. This is in our last episode, but because it's such an important part of our spiritual walk. And so I would love to hear some of your perspective on prayer and kind of get into the nitty gritty and the nuances of prayer as well.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, I just want to piggyback off that story, if that's okay. And just, I'm a simple guy. I mean, I really am. I'm. I've got, like I said in past episodes, I've got a two year degree in art from a technical college you've never heard of. And I think there's a God. I believe there's a God. I've kind of bet the farm there's a creator of the heavens and the earth and he has a desire. And so it's like, as you think about that situation, you probably go into that and you just think, is there a chance that God is in heaven? Saying, these two, I don't want them to be together anymore. That's what I'm cheering for. I'm cheering that they would just, they'd call it quits, you know? No, there's somebody cheering for that. You know, there, there's a team of supernatural beings cheering for that, but it's not God. And God is saying, what? What, what I've brought together. Let no one separate. And I'm not. Listen, both my parents were married and divorced and then got married and had me. I'm the product of divorce. I have a lot of, I have a lot of compassion and grace. I'm not trying to speak condemnation on someone, if that's a part of your story, but I think sometimes most situations in life can be simplified down to what is God cheering for? And if you want to know, ask him. And so, and because if he's cheering for you and Val to remain together, God in his kindness is going to provide a way to that. And so sometimes it's just a matter of man, we've got to hold on and look around. And he would provide, you know, this 20 year old to walk into the room with a Bible and to say, hey, let me speak over you. The will of God. Let's go. Ephesians 5, Colossians 3, 1st Peter 5. Let's talk about Matthew 19, you know, and he, as he, as he speaks out that quote unquote sermon that you said, right. It, you know, there's something there that's like a turning point. And so for the believers listening, I would say there's somebody out there that you are the answer to their prayer right now. I mean, they're asking God for something and he want. God wants to answer their prayers through you.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right.

[Lev Bure]

And there's others of us that are needing God to show up in really profound ways. And I'm. And it's amazing how sometimes we're like, hey, will you pray for me? Hey, pray for me. Asking others to pray for us, but we're so slow to pray ourselves.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

And we talked about in that episode of Distraction, the enemy does not want us praying in that episode. Another episode where we talked about that, you know, that deliverance moment with that guy in that country club in Utah. The enemy did not want that guy praying. And I'm telling you, Satan, the devil does not want us talking to our creator. And the scripture tells us that we're to pray without ceasing. So I'm not really talking about these, you know, sitting down and working through an acronym like acts like adoration, confession, Thanksgiving, supplication. Those are great. That's great. But I'm talking about a constant, you know, never ending, like walking into places, talking to God, asking him what he wants.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

A constant dialogue.

[Lev Bure]

Constant dialogue. Yeah, that's right. Of asking or, or speaking and listening. Speaking and listening. Speaking and listening.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

The listening is the harder part for me.

[Lev Bure]

For a lot of people.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah, I'd love to hear. You guys have to think about listening. I feel like it's a missed part of.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, so often, man. I let our staff through this exercise for a season called Chair Time, where you literally sit in a chair with no Bible, no journal, no phone, no device, no technology, just you, your person in a chair for 15 minutes. And you just ask the Lord, Lord, would you speak to me? And I'm just. And you just sit there and you listen. And it really is the practice of bringing your thoughts back to. Okay, I just want to think about God. What is it that. That he has for me? And just listening and sitting still. That 15 minutes at the beginning, I mean, felt like two hours. I'm sure towards the end you begin, you know, you begin to crave it.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right?

[Lev Bure]

You know, And. And then once you begin to hear from him, it really is.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

So what are you asking when you're listening?

[Lev Bure]

It could be anything, but really just, Lord, speak to me, speak to me. What is it that you want me to hear right now?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Okay.

[Lev Bure]

What is it that you want me to know right now? Would you give me supernatural wisdom? Would you. Would you illuminate the things that you have in my life right now?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And do you find when you do that, that. I have no doubt that you do hear something significant, but is it processed sometimes where it's just your own thoughts of what's going on in my life and where do I want to hear?

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, I'm not like the biggest God said guy. I mean, you kind of talked about my spiritual background, so I'm not one of these guys. It's like God said, God told me this. Left, right, whatnot. I do believe he speaks to us. In fact, in two episodes ago, we looked at First Timothy 4, and it says, the Spirit clearly says, in the last days. And so right there, he just. Paul writes clearly, hey, the Spirit says he still speaks to us. And so I'm not a cessationist in a sense that I think God stopped speaking and miracles stopped happening. But I'm also not like, you know, God told me to eat at Burger king instead of McDonald's. And yeah, when, when I. When God called me to ministry, I was. I was sitting at my desk at AT&T, and I was researching some scripture, and. And I heard this voice say, you're going to come work for me. And I was like, what was that? And. And I shut my laptop, put it in my briefcase, went to the elevator, went downstairs, got my car, called a friend. He said, you got to meet me at the house. And he was like, why? What's up? And I was like, I Was like, man, I want to talk to you face to face. His name is Bo. He meets me there at the house. And I said, man, I think I was just called into vocational ministry. I never had considered working for the church because I was raised Catholic. So to work for the church, you go to seminary for a number of years and whatnot. So that never even crossed my mind. But I thought, you know what? I'll raise money and give it away. And so I was going to get an attorney, hire an attorney to start a 501c3 nonprofit. And Bo goes, hey, why don't you pray about this? I pray. So I start praying for five days. God, put me where you want me. Help me find contentment there. Put me where you want me. Help me find contentment there. And on the fifth day, the church I was attending called, and he said, hey, we have a job we want you to consider. And I said. I said, what do you. I said, I'll serve anywhere. Tell me where to be in. No, no, like a job. Like, to interview for. Wait, how did you know? Did you know five days ago? He's like, I had no idea. I said, you talked to Bo? Yeah. I goes, bo who? And he said, wait, that's crazy. So that's how I. That was my transition from corporate America to ministry.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Wow.

[Lev Bure]

So it's like the Lord does speak to us, but. And I have those stories, but I don't have them every day.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Right.

[Lev Bure]

And so I think we listen, but. But also, you know, life's really busy right now, and I feel like I'm in a season where I'm listening less, and that's really convicting to me, even telling this story. It's like I need to make sure that I'm postured and positioned to listen more.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, yeah, that same. That's what I'm trying to do in this season and be really intentional about it, because I feel like I haven't been listening as well as I have in the past. Like so many of you, I have seasons where stress, low energy, and feeling off balance start to take a toll physically and emotionally. That's why it's important to find real, effective support for your health. I found it through new ethics, and it's making a huge difference in my life. Lately, I've been loving a few supplements from newethics. I've been taking court ease every day for the last seven months. It's helped me manage stress in a healthy way and stay centered throughout the day. New D3K2 supports my immune system and bone health, both things we want to stay on top of as we get older. And they also make a great greens product called Gourmet Greens that tastes delicious because it doesn't taste like bitter greens. There's an espresso flavor, but I'm not a coffee drinker so I got the berry blend and you can taste the blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. It's fruity, but it's not too sweet. It's packed with antioxidants and digestive support. New Ethic screens are designed to promote natural energy and overall wellness. Taking care of my health is a top priority. I think you know that. I want to be proactive in finding supplements that support my body in a clean, honest way that I feel good about. And I know you do too. Visit newethics.com the link is in the Show Notes and don't forget to use my code Candice for a special discount at checkout Grand Canyon University, a private Christian university in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona, believes that we're endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. GCU equips you to serve others in ways that promote human flourishing and create a ripple effect of transformation for generations to come. First Peter 4:10 says, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. By honoring your career calling, you impact your family, your friends and your community. Whether your pursuit involves a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree, GCU's online on campus and hybrid learning environments are designed to help you achieve your unique academic, professional and personal goals. Find your purpose at Grand Canyon University. Private christian affordable visit gcu.edu it's here my book 100 days of joy and Strength is now available in stores nationwide. I know that life can feel overwhelming at times. This devotional is filled with daily encouragement, scripture and prayer prompts to help you stay rooted in faith and hopefully no matter what life throws your way. There's also a full companion video course Are you ready to begin this 100 day journey with me? You can grab your copy at Target or tap the link in the Show Notes to order right now. Do either of you I mean, I'd love to hear from both of you. Can you tell me a time when God really answered a prayer and maybe it was the answer you were looking for? Maybe it was a different answer, but it was a clear answer to prayer, man. I mean, you just gave one. J.P. i know that, but I'm assuming you you have Some other ones, man.

[Lev Bure]

My, my friend Tara Lee Cobble was.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I love Tara Lee.

[Lev Bure]

Terry Lee was on a podcast once, and I saw it, and I was like, man, Lord, I want to be on this podcast. Would you, would you create a way for me to be on that podcast? And so I'm sitting right now in an answered prayer.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Stop it.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

It took her that long to get.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It.

[Lev Bure]

100% true, though.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

I just reeled me in.

[Lev Bure]

But that is one true.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

No, I believe it.

[Lev Bure]

Like, that's absolutely true. So I was just like, I, I, I mean, every single thing I just said. I remember Terrily on a podcast. I said, man, that's amazing. I would love to be on that podcast. And, and I was like, lord, if, if you would ever, if that, if you would allow that, that would be fun for you to open that door. And, and so I say that that's true. I say that to say all the time, God is answering prayers, like, and, and you know what I will say to your listeners and viewers? Every prayer you ever pray will be answered by God. Sometimes the answer is no.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

But he's going to answer all of the prayers, and we can trust him in that. And I just think, I think so often we approach prayer like room service, like, you're at the all inclusive resort, and it's like, hey, I'd love a chocolate cake at midnight, you know? Right. Like the concierge prayer. But I think we have to pray more. Wartime prayers. Like, we have walkie talkies, and we're talking to our commander in chief and was like, we're going into this place. What would you have me do? Who would you have me share with? You know, what do I need to stop doing? How, how do I, you know, grow deeper in my relationship with you and just constant communication with him?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

If you, if you understand the spiritual war, you'll pray more, I promise.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

No, it reminds me of second Timothy 2. 4, that the soldier doesn't get entangled in civilian affairs, but tries to please his commanding officer. And I know that can be used for a lot of things, but that actually changed my whole mind on prayer, specifically, because it just convicted me of, like, who am I talking to? Yeah, like, who am I using my time energy to have a dialogue with? Who do I go to? And that's something that actually I feel like might not always be referenced towards prayer, but for me, changed my perspective.

[Lev Bure]

I think we were made for it. Yeah. Like, I mean, quite literally designed for it. I. In 2017, I hit a wall at 100 miles an hour. And what I mean by that is I had preached on anxiety, but I. I realized I was really preaching on worry because anxiety jumped on me out of nowhere, and I started, like, panic attacks. I would. I would wake up in the middle of the night, like I was struck by lightning. I would jump out of bed. My heart started skipping beats. I would just feel like my nerves were shot. I just written a book, and I was just caring too much, honestly. And I. My. I started cutting corners on my quiet time and just getting busier and busier and busier. Just starting the day, hitting the ground running. And. And so I end up. I'm just like, man, I don't know what to do. I end up in this therapist's office. And that, for me, was, like, such a big step where I just. I felt crazy. And he looked like. And I'm not trying to poke fun just to paint the picture. Like, he kind of looked like Albert Einstein. He had these round glasses and this kind of big gray fro. I mean, he looked like he was playing a therapist in a movie. And so I felt crazy. I'm like, I'm crazy that I'm here. And now I feel more crazy. And he wasn't a believer. He wasn't a Christian, but he knew I was. And he sat down, and he starts to talk to me about cognitive behavioral therapy. And he starts to talk to me about meditation, and I'm not really tracking, and I don't feel great about. I'm like, meditation? What do you mean? And he was like, you know, you're a Christian. Like, talk to your God. And I was like, do you mean pray? He's like, yeah. And he literally prescribes prayer.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Wow.

[Lev Bure]

And he's not like, pray for healing. Okay. He's like, praying will heal you. There's a difference.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Oh, wow.

[Lev Bure]

He's not like, hey, ask God to heal you.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

He's like, no. As you talk to God and you move to this deep contemplative state, your brain, your. Your. The serotonin levels of your brain, the pathways in your brain, it will begin to heal your brain, and you're going to begin to experience peace. And I thought about a scripture. Philippians 4 says, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So think about what Paul writes. He says, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, that's prayer. With thanksgiving. That's prayer. Present your request to God. That's prayer.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. Regard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. He says, don't be anxious about anything, but pray, pray, pray, and pray some more. And I was like, oh, this guy is prescribing something that's 4,000 years old. When David said, I meditate on your law day and night, you know, he's like. He's like, oh, this scientist, he. He pioneered. He actually brought cognitive behavioral therapy to. To Texas, is my understanding. And he's prescribing this ancient tradition that God told us to do. It's like, no wonder I'm anxious. I've been shortchanging my prayers.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

So it's the act of prayer that's healing more than the answer we're gonna get from prayer.

[Lev Bure]

It could be both. But I just thought it was really interesting that this scientist was telling me, pay the act of praying can actually heal you. Like, that was fascinating to me.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's great. Is that why I feel even right now, there's a huge surge of like, hey, you should meditate. Right? Believer or not believer, you're like, you should spend time meditating. You should spend time, you know, thinking about literally your own thoughts. I know there's even this, like. Like. Like manifestation stuff, but really what you're saying is like. Like, God designed that first.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, that's absolutely what I'm saying. We were talking recently about, you know, I think you. Candace, it's clear, like, as I've spent a little more time with you, it's so clear to me that God put you where he has you on purpose for his purpose, and you're one of very few. And I was trying to think, like, who are people that play in that space with a real, true, sincere faith? Not a, oh, I believe in a higher power, but I actually have a relationship with Jesus, and I want to do what his word says kind of thing. And I've seen a transition recently in a guy named Russell Brand. No. You guys know that name.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It's incredible.

[Lev Bure]

And so he went from. Meditating was always a part of his spirituality.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

So he went from just, like, meditating, you know, which in Eastern philosophy can be kind of emptying the mind. I don't know the practice that he did, but now he has a relationship with Jesus, and there's an. There's an object to his meditation, or dare I say a person.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Right.

[Lev Bure]

To his meditation, where he's actually reflecting on the personhood of God and his. In building his relationship with God. And you. You see it on him. And I know there's always a risk when you talk about a celebrity's, you know, faith, and you listen. If. If Russell Brand's faith is not authentic, my faith is not shaken because my faith is not rooted in Russell Brand, but in the person and character of Jesus. But I think that's what Russell Brand's faith is rooted in also. And I know that's who your faith is rooted in.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

And. And so as we meditate, we're not just emptying our brain, we're actually filling our brain with the truth of God, the reality of God. We go back to last week's last episode on, you know, the. The Armor of God. We're kind of thinking through those components. The truth, righteousness, the gospel, salvation.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Do you think that's how, like, Romans 12 is playing itself?

[Lev Bure]

I do, practically, yeah. Renew. Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of. Of your mind. Do you have any. Just best practices around prayer? Like, any things that you've learned along the way, Any kind of formulas that you follow, any resources that you've seen on this? Like, just as you think through prayer?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Not anything formal. I've heard the. The different acronyms to use, but I usually. I mean, I usually just start with thanks.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And. And then recognizing what Jesus has done.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

For me. And then I present my requests.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

And sometimes it's like a laundry list. And sometimes it's just. If I'm sitting there, people just come to mind. And, you know, I. It means a lot. It's important for me when someone asks me to pray for them, that I actually pray for them. Because it can be. You might. You might get a text and it's like, hey, can you pray for me? And you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you're in the middle of something, right. And you forget to pray. So that part is really important to me. I always want to be a woman in my word. And when I say I'm going to pray for you, I want to pray for you. So I always want to bring those people to mind and be specific and give that time, whether, you know, it's two minutes or 10 minutes, whatever. But I just. Honestly, I talk to God throughout the day. It is an ongoing conversation for me. And so what I want to do more when I feel convicted is to spend more time being still and listening.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Because I think I do a lot of Talking right now to God. And I love that part. I love that he listens to me. I don't doubt that he listens. And I don't think I bother him by talking to him all day long.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

But I want to be a better listener for God.

[Lev Bure]

My wife's a prayer warrior, and she just does this amazing thing when any. When anyone says, hey, will you pray? She's like, just always like, let's pray right now. Yeah, let's pray right now. I'm gonna pray right now. And she's, you know, it frustrates me because I'll be running late for something, you know, and I'm trying to get out the door, and she's like, let me. Let me pray with you. And I, you know, it's like, I'm gonna feel bad if I walk out on the prayer.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

But she doesn't pray short prayers either. She's like, it's going. And as we're sitting there. But I'm choosing problems. I like the problems I've chosen in her.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah. What about you? Do you have any best practices for prayer?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Love, I would say, in addition to what you both have already mentioned, I don't know if some of the listeners ever feel stuck. Like, where do I even start? And when I feel like I'm in that place, what's helpful. Helpful for me is to look what Jesus, what, how he modeled prayer, and even, you know, the Lord's Prayer and, you know, starting there and kind of, you know, letting the spirit move from his words.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Is a place where I get. When I get stuck is.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, yeah.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Just looking at Jesus and what he modeled. That's his prayer life.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Well, let's take a listener question.

[Lev Bure]

I hope it's an out of the ordinary name.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Come on. I kind of miss them.

[Lev Bure]

I'm chilling. I'm cheering for more. Odd name.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Amy.

[Lev Bure]

Okay.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It's from Amy.

[Lev Bure]

Hey, Amy.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That was like a. Oh, okay.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

We're glad you wrote in Amy.

[Lev Bure]

Shout out Amy.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

This. She asks, what is the best way to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus when temptations are all around.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, it's good.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It is. It's kind of a good. We're going to be talking about this next week, actually.

[Lev Bure]

That's right.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It's a precursor to the bigger conversation next week.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah. Because. Ever been to a midway, like, at the carnival, you know, like where you, like, walk through the.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

No.

[Lev Bure]

Where the games are. Did you call it midways?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

No.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Arcade?

[Lev Bure]

No. Like. Like, like where they, like, you shoot the basketball and you win Like a jersey.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.

[Lev Bure]

There's the guys that are there, and they're like, hey, come here. Hey.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yes, yes, of course. Didn't know that's what it was called.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah, Maybe that's a Texas thing. I don't know. But it's just like, you. You go through there, and they're just like, come. Hey, big man, come here. You know, and everybody's trying to get you to come over to their game to. To, you know, spend $20 on throwing a baseball at some bottles or a dart at some balloons or shooting a basketball. And. And you. You kind of, you know, you got to go in with the game plan of, like, all right, how do I. How do I stay focused? How do I not get. Get pulled off course? And I think that the way that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus is following Jesus's model that he, you know, he kept his eyes fixed on the cross, it says who? For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning his shame. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. And so I think about if you've ever run a marathon or done. Done something really challenging, the. Well, I'll say run a marathon, specifically. Like, the people on the side of the road, they're not like, hey, come play our game. Come. Hey, get out. Get out of the race. Hey, stop. Just give up. They're like, you can do it. Keep going. Keep going. You know, they're handing you a glass of water, like, keep going. You can finish, Lev. You can do this. And so I just think about that great cloud of witnesses, like, cheering me on, like, hey, don't get pulled off. Of course there's too much. There's too much at stake. And like, I. Because of my own story, I talk to a lot of people about the dangers of pornography. And I'll tell you, I'll give you a great reason not to look at porn. There's no time. You know, people are going to hell. You know, like, life is short. There's a lot. There's a lot at stake, and we've got to stay focused on the task that God has for us. And so I don't like the reason I'm not going to stop to, you know, you know, throw a dart at a balloon or to throw a ball at the bottles or. Or to play some game or to get pulled off courses because I'm on mission. I'm going somewhere. I'm fixed on where I'm headed. So, like, let's get there. Let's get to where we're going. And I want to envision these people around me saying, you can do it. Keep going. Don't. Yeah, don't get pulled off course, but you have to know what your mission is and stay focused on it.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah, that's really good. It somehow convicted me about my scrolling time on Instagram because it's just one of the biggest distractions in my world that I love.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah. Why is it so addictive?

[Jonathan Pakluda]

It is. Does it release endorphins?

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Is it like, like there's serious psychology behind.

[Lev Bure]

Oh, yeah.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah.

[Lev Bure]

It's like, I mean, I don't know why. I will watch a reel that I've seen before. I know how it ends, you know, and it sucks me in. And I'm like, ok, want to see this again? How they put, you know, this five minute craft or whatever it is.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Hey, before we, we end this episode, I do want to leave every one of you listening and watching with a challenge that over the next week, you sit for 15 minutes in that chair.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

That's good.

[Lev Bure]

It'll change your life.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

No device, no books, no nothing around. Just you and God. Sit for 15 minutes, listen and ask him what he wants. You ask him what you want to hear from him.

[Lev Bure]

Yeah. What do you have for me, God? Yeah, I mean, sit down. What do you have for me, Lord? I want to hear whatever it is that you want to tell me. And you just sit still and try to keep your mind listening to God. 15 minutes.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Yeah. So do that and then comment on this episode and tell us how it changed your prayer life. We would love to hear it. Our free gift for you this season is called the no Fear Guide. Talking about spiritual stuff, it can be scary for people, but it doesn't have to be. Go to Candice.com to download the guide and to ask us questions there. Until next time, be grateful. All day, every day. Candy Rock Entertainment. All rights reserved. Don't miss Blinds.com's 4th of July mega sale. Happening now. Save up to 50% plus get a free professional measure. Blinds.com invented a better way to shop for window treatments with upfront pricing, no showroom markups, and no salespeople in your home. Choose from classic shutters to outdoor shades and more, all backed by our 100% satisfactory guarantee. Don't miss blinds.com's 4th of July mega sale. Save up to 50% plus get a free measure. Rules and restrictions may apply at the UPS store. We want to make this summer. The Summer of Shipping Summer Shipalooza. So you can start crossing items off your must ship list, like the vintage film camera your college kid needs for.

[Candace Cameron Bure]

Class or the vase you told your.

[Jonathan Pakluda]

Mom you would send her ages ago. And with our Pack and Ship guarantee, your items arrive safe or we reimburse you. So stop by your local store today for everything you need to be unstoppable. Visit theupsstore. Com Guarantee for full details. Available at participating locations. Most locations are independently owned. Products, services, pricing, and hours of operation may vary. See center for details. The UPS Store Be Unstoppable.