Podcast Summary

Podcast: Victory Church: Paul Daugherty
Episode: Ladies Pop-Up Coffee and Convos | A Pop-Up Convo All About Prayer
Date: September 23, 2025
Guests: Pastor Ashley (Host), Iman Markland, Debbie Barker, Angela

Episode Overview

This episode of Victory Church's podcast features a "Ladies Pop-Up Coffee and Convos" conversation centered on prayer. Pastor Ashley, alongside prayer leaders Iman Markland, Debbie Barker, and Angela, engages in a deeply practical and encouraging discussion aimed at demystifying prayer—moving beyond routines into powerful, spirit-led engagement with God. They share personal testimonies, biblical insights, and practical habits for cultivating a life of prayer, especially focusing on the integration of daily prayer, spiritual warfare, praying scripture, praying in the Spirit, and how to process unanswered prayers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Journey from Prayer to Intercession

Angela shares her personal "prayer testimony," highlighting how her relationship to prayer shifted when she began seeing it as spiritual "work" and spiritual battle rather than something effortless or passive.

• Habit Stacking for Prayer: She incorporates prayer into daily routines, like praying for family members while folding laundry or praying at stop signs in her neighborhood.

  • Quote (Angela, 02:41):
    "If I have to fold laundry, I'm gonna go, okay, I'm gonna pray now. So when I fold my husband's shirts, I'm praying over my husband. When I fold my kids shirts, I'm praying over my kids."

• Practical Application (03:36): Host prompts listeners to consider a habitual action (e.g. starting the car) they can "stack" prayer onto.

2. The Power of Prayer as a Spiritual Weapon

Iman Markland discusses why prayer is an effective weapon against darkness, referencing the necessity of having a spiritual "history with God" and praying according to God's Word.

• Faith as Light Against Darkness:
  • Quote (Iman, 05:20):
    "When we pray according to God's word... we know that when we pray according to his will, he hears us. And we also know that light overcomes darkness... as long as we’re praying His Word... we can trust that His Word will have the final say."

3. Praying Scripture versus Spontaneous Prayer

Panelists emphasize praying scripture as a way of aligning with God's will, but also acknowledge the validity and necessity of raw, desperate, or emotional prayers.

• Value of Praying Scripture:

  • Quote (Iman, 08:36):
    "If you're not sure what to pray, pray the Word of God. Pray what His Word says. But you have to know His Word in order to pray His Word."
  • Quote (Debbie, 11:25):
    "When we know we’re praying according to God’s will, then we know he hears us and he will answer our prayer... The Word of God is alive. It’s not going to fall dead. It’s going to perform."

• Prayer in Moments of Desperation:

  • Quote (Angela, 13:03):
    "The Word says that when we don't know what to pray, that the Spirit himself intercedes for us... There are times when we truly don't know what to pray... and that assurance that he is interceding for us on our behalf..."

• Integrating Both Approaches:

  • Quote (Host, 14:14):
    "Our prayer life needs to look like scriptured and it needs to have the scriptures. It needs to have the structure... and then, through the structured scriptured prayer... that moves into a raw personalization of a scripture."

4. Praying in the Spirit & Personal Prayer Language

Debbie Barker and others explain the difference between being filled with the Holy Spirit (Spirit within all believers) and utilizing the gift of tongues as a personal prayer language.

• Scriptural Basis: (Romans 8:26-27)

  • Quote (Debbie, 23:24, 24:13):
    "When I received my prayer language, that is the manifestation... the evidence is speaking in tongues... when I pray in the spirit, it's not just a mindless... it is of the spirit... plugging in by faith, stirring up the power of your spirit in me."

• Benefits of Praying in the Spirit:

  • Praying out God's perfect will, building spiritual strength (Jude 20), and receiving revelation for specific needs.

  • Quote (Iman, 28:04):
    "Praying in the Holy Spirit... building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Spirit. The more you're praying in the Spirit, you're building that muscle."

5. Relationship with God: Listening as Part of Prayer

Panelists stress that prayer is meant to be a two-way conversation, not just requests but also attentive listening.

• Making Space to Listen:

  • Quote (Iman, 29:42):
    "Prayer doesn't just have to be in the war room with the scriptures and the sticky notes... What if you withdraw and go for a walk and pray and just talk to God?"

  • Quote (Debbie, 30:21):
    "I always have a prayer journal. But I would write out my prayers and he would say, okay, now I want you to get quiet and I want you to listen... and it was that in that intimate time that I gave him time."

  • Memorable moment (30:21):
    After not hearing anything and preparing to leave, Debbie hears God say, "Why didn't you wait for me?"—a profound reminder to make space for God’s voice.

6. Processing Unanswered Prayers

Host leads into discussion about unanswered prayers and the importance of a heavenly perspective to avoid resentment.

• Faith Beyond Outcomes:

  • Quote (Host, 31:13):
    "It is a real thing. There are specific prayers that we pray that don't get answered the way that we want them to get answered... Maybe some of those prayers answered are not going to be answered till eternity... how we respond to disappointment... is huge in our relationships with God."

• Pursuing God Over Answers:

  • Reference to Bill Johnson’s teaching:
    "God, more than I want my answered prayer, I want you." (32:45)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Insight | |-----------|-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:41 | Angela | "Every time I fold laundry, I pray. Every time I pass the stop sign in our neighborhood, I stop and I pray." | | 05:20 | Iman | "Light overcomes darkness. Darkness doesn’t overcome light." | | 08:36 | Iman | "If you're not sure what to pray, pray the Word of God... you have to know His Word in order to pray His Word." | | 11:25 | Debbie | "When we know we’re praying according to God’s will, then... he will answer our prayer." | | 13:03 | Angela | "The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." | | 23:24 | Debbie | "When I received my prayer language, that is the manifestation, the evidence... is speaking in tongues." | | 28:04 | Iman | "Praying in the Holy Spirit... building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Spirit." | | 29:42 | Iman | "Prayer doesn't just have to be in the war room... What if you withdraw and go for a walk and pray and just talk to God?" | | 30:21 | Debbie | "Why didn’t you wait for me?" | | 31:13 | Host | "There are specific prayers that we pray that don't get answered the way that we want... how we respond... is huge." | | 32:45 | Bill Johnson (quoted) | "God, more than I want my answered prayer, I want you." |

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:40 – Angela shares her prayer journey and practical "habit stacking".
• 04:43 – Iman discusses prayer as a weapon; drawing on spiritual history and praying God’s Word.
• 07:03 – Debbie on the authority of believers and praying with boldness.
• 08:23 – Conversation on the role of scripture in specific prayers.
• 13:03 – Angela and Host on raw, emotional, and Spirit-led prayers.
• 23:24 – Debbie explains praying in the Spirit, the gift of tongues.
• 28:04 – Iman and Debbie on building spiritual strength and the give-and-take of prayer (listening).
• 31:13 – Host invites discussion on unanswered prayers and faith beyond outcomes.

Takeaways

• Build prayer into daily life: Find ways to incorporate prayer into routines with "habit stacking".
• Pray with scriptural authority but also with emotional authenticity: Both are valid and powerful.
• Spiritual gifts, like a prayer language, are to be used and practiced regularly: They empower and guide believers.
• Listening is as important as speaking in prayer: Intimacy and relationship with God grow in stillness and waiting.
• Faith is tested and deepened by how we respond to unanswered prayers: Seek God’s presence and will above desired outcomes.

This conversation is rich with both practical tips and spiritual encouragement, making it an accessible and inspiring resource for women—and anyone—seeking to deepen their prayer life.