Whether praying is a part of your daily routine or just something you do when your back is against the wall, I bet you’ve wondered, at least once, “Does prayer actually work?”

I’m not talking about doubting faith here, but often prayer can feel more like a duty than a delight. It can be tempting to think it doesn’t make a difference or we’re too busy to do it properly. Well, friends, J.D. Greear is joining me today to help us make sense of our relationship with prayer. 

J.D. is the pastor of The Summit Church, with locations in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, and the Southern Baptist Convention president. And he’s got a new book coming out later this summer called Just Ask where he shares practical tips for including prayer in everyday life. And not just prayer, but confident, bold, patient, relentless, shameless, dependent, grateful, powerful, expectant prayer. 

Together, JD and I discuss the idea of how God works through our prayers to accomplish His will and what’s at risk when we don’t pray. 

JD also shares practical advice on praying so that it’s a natural part of our relationship with our Heavenly Father, not an obligation. 

Listen in to learn:

1. Why JD wrote Just Ask and how God spoke to his heart throughout the process
2. What happens when we pray and how it impacts the work God is doing 
3. Practical advice on praying so that it becomes a natural part of our relationship with God instead of an obligation.

Favorite quotes:

1. One of the encouragements that I gathered from my reading and study of prayer in the bible is how much the bible is written to deal with the problem of unanswered prayer or that feeling that God is not hearing me.

2. Some things only come out in persistent prayer because God uses that to give us a hunger and thirst for him.

3. Prayerlessness is a fruit of a heart that has not been trained properly by the gospel.

4. Prayer warriors are not born overnight. They’re developed by discipline and consistent gospel input that reshapes your heart to call out to your heavenly father. 

In this episode I answer this question:

1. For a busy mom with a sporadic schedule, how do I fit in time with the Lord? (30:23)

Great things we discussed: 

1. JD Greear 

2. Just Ask 

3. William Augusto

4. Seinfeld

5. The Last Kingdom

6. Gentle and Lowly

7. Luluemon

8. Dream Horse 

9. Tremble

10. Standing Strong

Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :)

xo,

Alli