Everyday Kingdom
What if the Kingdom of God wasn't just for Sundays - but for every moment of your life?
Everyday Kingdom is where deep biblical truth meets real-world living. Hosted by Kaleb and Rafael, this show unpacks Scripture, explores powerful God-stories, and breaks down big spiritual concepts into practical steps you can live out right now.
From understanding how God speaks, to seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, to finding faith when life is hard, each episode will inspire, challenge, and equip you to walk out your faith with authenticity and courage.
Whether you're a seasoned believer, new to following Jesus, or just curious about Christianity, you'll find honest conversations, relatable stories, and practical wisdom to help you experience the reality of God's Kingdom...every...single...day.
Everyday Kingdom
80. God, Let's Talk
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This episode is all about prayer!
Welcome back to the Everyday Kingdom podcast. Here we are again, and you're joining us on the podcast. Welcome. With me today, I have two of my very good friends, Raphael and Miriam. Hello, hello. Hello. Hello, hello. And uh today we were just talking about um having a conversation about prayer. I think prayer is a great thing to be able to talk about uh because it is a staple, should be a staple in the life of a believer. When we're talking about prayer, you know, you can uh maybe I'm gonna ask that question, what comes to your mind when I I ask you the question, what is prayer? Like if you had somebody imagine that like I'm an I'm I'm I don't know anything about God at all. Like I I'm totally new to this. I come up to you and I say, Raphael, what's prayer?
SPEAKER_00Talking in your sleep, talking while you're awake, uh-huh. Knowing and listening in many different ways and facets.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. It's a conversation with God.
SPEAKER_02Conversation with God. Talking you said when you're asleep, when you're awake in many different facets. Paul says without ceasing. Yeah, yeah. Talking. I very if I were to just kind of break it down for people, you know, if especially for someone who doesn't know um know God, uh, I would simplify it just like that. I'd say it's it's a it's a conversation with God. Prayer is a is a conversation with God. It's it's and and I use that word conversation very intentionally, and because a lot of times uh we don't view or people don't view prayer as a conversation, they view prayer as a monologue. Right? It's me saying something to him and then hoping that he hears it, right? It's like I've got my fingers crossed, and if I say all the right words, right, if I if I if I like what's my formula that if I say it like this, then he's gonna hear it.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_01There's gotta be a specific way, you know, and announce who you're talking to, the preamble, right, then the meet, and then make sure I'm grateful and my three points and pray in Jesus' name. Yes, and then the amen.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and don't forget you're cite citing your sources.
SPEAKER_01Don't forget citing your sources, gonna cite all the all the scripture sources, you know.
SPEAKER_02And obviously we're we're joking right now, but the idea is like a lot of times that's what people like think. There's there's some sort of, and I'm gonna say there's there's some sort of unspoken pressure that gets applied to something like prayer, especially when praying in public. Oh, especially when praying in public, for sure, in front of people.
SPEAKER_01Right. Because I know a lot of people like they pray all the time, constantly praying. And you ask them to pray in public and they're like, uh uh.
SPEAKER_02How do I do that?
SPEAKER_01And and the only reason that is is because of outside pressure from man, yeah, from people.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Either I've elevated a certain person and how they pray to a level, one, where they don't belong, or two, I care so much about what they think about me that I'm gonna like that I'm gonna mess it up. Like, God, the way I talk to you in my private time is not good enough.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01I have to I have to put on public my public prayer face.
SPEAKER_00I feel like people have done that with like tongues. Uh-huh. You know, personally, uh I like to pray in tongues. But I I also have seen where people have prayed in tongues publicly. And I'm not saying this is this has happened every single time, but to emphasize, hey, this is spiritual. And it's just as spiritual to pray in English. I don't reject tongues and people praying praying in tongues. I personally do it, and I have done it in public. Um but I think prayer is very sacred, it's very holy, and it's something that you do every single day, and it's something that God hears in your head, even in your heart, without you even speaking it out of your mouth. But when you speak it out of your mouth, things around you change. And Jesus, when he prayed, at certain points, he said, I'm not praying because you don't hear me, Father. I'm praying so other people can hear what you're saying.
SPEAKER_02You know, it's uh what you guys are are bringing up is like is is causing like so many things to just spark off in my head, like, oh yeah, this and this and this is and uh and you know, I'm just I'm thinking about it again, kind of thinking in the context of talking to someone who doesn't know anything about prayer and is asking that question. You both bring up some really good points uh there. And and the way that I I love to think about it uh and and and and imagine it in my own head is um that I'm I'm talking to my dad. Like I I I literally I envision talking to my dad. Now, I I understand that's for some people, that's um that's a hard thing to do because maybe they don't have a relationship with their dad. Uh maybe their dad isn't around or wasn't around, um they never had a relationship with their dad, or maybe they had a relationship with their dad and it wasn't a good one, you know. And so um so I understand how that might be challenging for someone to to maybe picture in their own mind. Um, but if and if that's the case, maybe if you're married, think of it as pick talking to your spouse, you know, like you would talk to Jesus. Uh but the way that I like to in envision it is that I'm I'm talking to my dad and I'm having a conversation with him. And there there may be some things that I have conversations with my dad about um in private that I don't it's not the same kind of conversation I would have with him in public.
SPEAKER_04Sure.
SPEAKER_02Right. So there there might be a change in it.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02Um, and and that's okay. Um, but I would I like personally, I have a good relationship with my dad, and I and I talk to him very regularly. It wouldn't make a difference to me whether it was he and I by ourselves or he and I in front of a thousand people. I could have a conversation with my dad and I wouldn't feel nervous about having a conversation with my dad, no matter how many people were watching. Right. And the reason for that is because I know my dad. Right. And he knows me. And and I'm comfortable, dare I say confident, going before him and and and talk just talking to him. Why? Because we have relationship.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02And I think that's gotta be like that for for most people with prayer, it becomes a weird and scary thing for them because of the dynamic of their relationship with God. How they view him, how they see him, you know, and and so therefore, like the the way that you see him is is going to affect how you interact with him. You know, just the way that if I had a dad who was scary, uh the way that I saw him as scary would interact would which would determine how I would interact with him, sure, both privately and publicly. You know, and so uh but if my perspective of my father is one that he loves me, he cares for me very deeply, he would give up his life for me and and and and he he wants to take care of me and help me, um, then then that would affect how I would see him. Miriam, how for you know, you've you've been a believer for for several years. How has your perspective of God shifted over the years and how has that affected your prayer life?
SPEAKER_01Okay. Well So we're talking about person my perspective of God and how it shifted, okay, and how it's affected my prayer life. Just making sure I understand the question. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Um so I for a long time viewed God, you know, in never as like a harsh taskmaster. I always kind of had a view of him as father, but at the same time, there was a lot, there was always this um overriding sense of he could be disappointed in me. So often I would approach him like, Lord, you know, like really meek. I guess I would consider it meek, not boldly for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sure.
SPEAKER_01Um, but definitely more meekly and and always making certain to apologize for everything that I had done wrong that day, starting with my sins and and things like that. And okay, what penance do you want me to do? You know, ask relating to him in that way. Whereas I feel like I've come to know him a lot better as a loving father and as one who chose me before I chose him, you know, and in knowing that I can just say hey, you know, and just start from a place that, you know, I really want to talk to you about that. And even I I missed you today. Let's have let's spend some time together, you know, like and just just having that desire to be in his presence and to and to and to come conversate, converse with him. That's the word.
SPEAKER_02You know, some of that conversation.
SPEAKER_01Some of that conversating, you know, but even just the I I've never I never was nervous to talk to God. I mean, I remember as a young girl, even when it was the not, I will I will say fear of punishment, but just not understanding how how he's love, I guess. I still would just walk around outside and just talk to him and just be like, God, and just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And this is going on and this is going on. And and then even just listening, and you're you're gonna laugh at this because you know how I feel about birds. I really they freak they really freak me out, right? Yeah. Well, when I was young, I used to walk around and listen to the birds, like all their different sounds. Yeah. And like just hearing that and would just like imitate and that kind of a thing. And God kind of showed me, like, remember when you used to listen to the birds and you would just hear what they said and then say it back? And that's a lot like listening to my voice. Wow. Is you're listening for the cadence and for the rhythm and then imitating it. Wow. Like in your walk. Wow. So that's sort of how my prayer life has evolved, I guess.
SPEAKER_02That's so cool. It's taken flight.
SPEAKER_01Take and flight.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, you're rough. You look like you have something to say, go ahead.
SPEAKER_00I really like what she just said about the whole thing with like the birds and the rhythm. Because you you notice that birds sing together, they talk together. And I I think when we get to pray together, we get to know each other better. You may have had some doubts before, you may you may have had some fears, you may had had some insecurities, you may have had had had questions, but when you pray and you pray with others, and it doesn't have to be with others. But but I think it's important because things start to just come to the surface, right? And God actually reveals your heart and things, your insecurity and things, and maybe somebody else's. And not everybody has the same voice as an eagle or as a songbird out there, yeah. Right. And so you got different choirs going on at the same time, and that and that's okay. Sing, speak.
SPEAKER_01Well, and they're all communicating something.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, like the the the timbre or the cadence and the and the and the um tone matters.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It's like make a joyful noise. You know, and your your joyful noise might not sound as pretty as Miriam's joyful noise. She's she's got a very nice joyful noise. It sounds really good, but my joyful noise is more like nails on a chalkboard, you know. But it's joyful, I'll tell you that. But yeah, no, I I I love that, you know, and and and it's it's like when you are praying, and when you're talking about like what specifically when you're praying together with other people, you know, there's something very powerful about it. It it it's it's as if it brings you into a unified space uh because you're you're you're praying to one father. You know, it's Paul talks about as it's this is one spirit, one father, one and and so it's it's you're you're you're being unified in that. And and I love that because what happens is then you have a father who cares for you so much that he's like, hey, I want to take care of the things that maybe is going on in our in our hearts and that we're we're dealing with. And because you have chosen to humble yourself in a way and say, I I'm coming to you with this. Like, dad, I've got this problem, you know, and maybe it's it's me and and my brothers and sisters, and we're all together and we're coming and praying together. Like it's it's us saying, God, dad, we we're struggling with this. We need help with decision making, we need help with what we're facing. We we we need you in these things. You know, it's it's what's happening when you do that is you're posturing yourself in a place of humility, saying, I don't have it figured out. Right. I need your help, right? You know, and so and and you're coming together as one before him, and you're singing that song, like you were saying, Ralph. Um, it's so beautiful. And and in that, then God moves on your behalf because our father wants to see us whole and healed and together. Like that was literally the prayer of Jesus, you know, and and and that was the high plea priestly prayer of him was is that he that that we would be one as they are one. He says, make them one, you know, bring them into that same unity just like we are. And so I love that. I love that imagery in the song, but like the song that hearing the songs of the birds uh as well. I think that's so um profound.
SPEAKER_00I th I think when Jesus is speaking about him the Father being one and us being one with him, that that is so important because you can be one in more than one way. But yeah, one the Spirit has many gifts and has different manifestations of of that gift, and so I love hearing the manifestation of of Caleb and Miriam. And when I get to experience that, it's it's beautiful because it's like the voice of many waters. Some are quieter, some are are louder, some are in the middle, some are quiet, some some maybe sound like claws on a chalkboard. I I might I actually might sound like that sometimes. Right, right, right. But I'm praying.
SPEAKER_04Right.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00And I'm thankful, I'm thankful even when I get to hear claws on the chalkboard. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I'm so I'm I'm so thankful when my boy prays, yeah, and he he and it's not something Doesn't that just wreck your heart when you hear him do that, something like that?
SPEAKER_00Or or my wife. My wife has had a more difficult time just praying out loud. Not that she can't, but she's just like, I really want it to be secret because I believe the Bible talks about secret, yeah, you know, like praying secret, yeah, going into the closet. But when she prays with me, yeah, yeah. And and I know that she doesn't pray out loud with many people, she don't talk to people much about scripture verses or anything like that. And so when I when I see these things, I really know that God is working on her, yeah, that it's something that's sacred, it's holy, and it's just like Jesus telling the people don't um pray out on the corner with repetitions and and this, like just truly have that relationship.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And and you know, it's it's I think that's what it comes back to, you know, and and for for for anyone who's out there and who's listening, and maybe you are scared to pray, or you're just you just don't have the confidence to pray, or you don't know how to pray, uh, you know, it ultimately it it boils down to we're we're talking with God. We're having a conversation with Him. You know, and and and there's this there's this pressure, I think, that that can be put on uh on us by whether it's ourself, whether it's someone else, whether it's uh religion, whether like it can come from different places. Um but it's like I've got to do this perfectly right in order for it to be accepted. And and and and the truth is, and this is what is so beautiful about our God. And if you can, if you can get this picture about who he is and how he sees you, and how he knows you. Like he doesn't just see you, he knows you. That's right. Like he before you were formed in your mother's womb, I knew you. Like I I knew you and I know you now. God knows us, he knows the ins and outs, the very depths of our soul, the very thoughts that we think, he knows all of it, he knows every perfection and imperfection, he knows every bit, right? So don't you think that he would know your heart and your mind when you're trying to pray and you can't come up with the right words to say. You know what I mean? And and don't don't you think that he's big enough to understand it? Just the same as we all have children and and our children go through stages of life. There's one stage where they haven't learned how to talk yet, and they're still learning how to and figuring out what that language is like. And as their parent, because I know them and I'm attentive to them, I'm not waiting for them to find the formulaic response to in order to get my attention. Father, will you please give me a bottle of milk? Thank you, sir, according to your word. So let it be done. Like, like as a as a as a two-year-old, that's not gonna happen. Right. Right. And as a father, my expectation is that I know that. Right. And and and and I know how to respond to my children. And so with and as they grow, they learn that language because they get taught by their father and mother. They get taught how to talk, what it sounds like, how to ask, how to not be afraid, how to go to the fridge yourself. They get taught all of these things. And and and and the point is this that no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, He knows you, He knows where you are, and He knows what you need. And so you don't have to be afraid to go to Him because Jesus has made a way for us to go to Father directly and not have to worry about all the other stuff. I don't have to worry about going and cutting open, you know, a sacrifice in order to be made clean to go into the holy of holies, then hopefully then I don't get struck down because of the sin that I've got, you know, in my own life. Jesus paved the way so that we could go boldly before the throne, go boldly before our Father, and we can ask in his name and he hears us. And so don't you think that God, our Father, knows exactly where each of his children are in that moment. He's not looking for the perfect word. He is the perfect word. But but but what he wants is that relationship with us. And so, like, I don't want anyone to think like I've got the wrong words to say. I don't know what to say. I don't sound like the pastor who prays, or I don't sound like the intercessor who prays, or the prophetic person who prays. I don't know how to, I don't know all of those verses, and I don't know all of the like, and so then it becomes a paralysis thing, right? And but but what if it just looks like you going to God saying, God, I don't know what to say.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02But I'm hurting right now. Yeah, this is what's going on in my heart. Do you not think that he hears that prayer?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02Of course he does. Yeah, uh he absolutely does, and he knows how to meet you in that space. And I would I would I would venture to say that God is more interested in a fervent heart prayer like that than he is someone standing on the street corner, being loud and boisterous, saying all of the air quote right things, but doing it from a heart and a perspective that is look at me, look at how I can do all of the right things and say all the right stuff. This is why Jesus says, Don't be like that guy. Go ahead, Ralph, what you got?
SPEAKER_00I love the the most prophetic thing that you can do is say father. And a child says father, and uh and a mama can say father, and it's it's it's the spirit that cries out Abba. Yeah, and Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and when you are just calling out to him, quote unquote, those pro prophetic people are actually you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's so good. And it's and it's like using even using that scripture that you're talking about there in Romans, you know, that we've not been given the the uh the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear or spirit of fear to fall back into slavery, that's not what we've been given. We've been given the spirit of adoption as sons who cry, Abba Father. Right? And and and with that being said, how many times do people feel so fearful? Right, because they don't feel like they got the right things to say. So they fall back into that spirit of slavery and and instead prophesy, like you said. I When I'm saying Father, when I'm saying Abba Father, I'm I'm prophesying over myself, the finished work of Jesus. You have done this. And I'm saying to my soul and my mind, come into alignment with the finished work of what God has done. He has made me, he has adopted me, brought me into the family. And now I can go talk to my dad this way. I don't have to be scared. Like you said, I can I go and I the most prophetic thing you can say is Abba, it's dad. Yeah. And you're because you are prophesying over yourself. I I am a son. This is what you've done for me.
SPEAKER_00What do you think about the scripture where Jesus says this kind doesn't come out except by prayer and fasting?
SPEAKER_02Oh, you're talking about whenever they were trying to cast out the diet, the disciples were trying to cast out the demons, and they they it didn't it didn't happen. And they're like, what's going on? And Jesus says, This kind comes out by prayer and fasting. I think that's a that's a a beautifully profound statement. I think that the the the point and the purpose of prayer and fasting, I I don't think that it's necessarily like a singular event. You know, it's it's like um it's it's like I'm I'm preparing for a big speech and so I'm I'm studying my speech. I don't think it's like that. I I think when we're talking about prayer and fasting, prayer is something that is an intimate conversation that is continual. It's not just a one-time thing. Right. And fasting, fasting is a is a is a is a putting off of distraction. Like ultimately, that's what it is. So whether it's a a distraction of the flesh, uh, because that's typically what it has what it involves, is uh fasting is a distraction of the flesh, it's quieting the flesh so that I'm listening to the spirit. Um, because a lot of times what ends up happening is we we we say something and we see it, and what we see becomes the very thing that informs what we believe. We stop walking by faith, we begin walking by sight, right? I I tried to cast out a demon, the demon didn't get cast out, and so I'm uh I'm uh it must not have happened, it must not be working, I must not be full of enough faith. And now all of a sudden you go down the spiraling road of what's going on. But but by fasting, what happens with fasting is that you are taking captive the things of the the flesh, and you're saying, silence. Yes, be quiet. I'm listening to the Spirit of God. And so prayer and fasting, it's not just a one-time thing. I don't think it's like, oh, I gotta pray and fast in order to deal with this problem. It's not it's not my formula for dealing with this problem. I think Jesus is trying to introduce to them a lifestyle. This is how we're supposed to live. What do you think about it?
SPEAKER_00I think you're absolutely right about like lifestyle and like never giving up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because like these guys are just like, we couldn't cast it out. And Jesus is just like, you have faith, keep on using it. Yeah, and he says, Come out. Like, yeah, yeah. And and so, like, you may have had a friend who's blind three times. You don't stop praying for that friend who's blind three times. Come on, and you keep on praying for for legs, you keep on praying for backs, you you keep on praying, you like contend for the faith that was once preached to you. Yeah, right. If you have fear in your heart with a brother or sister, you talk to them, you have conversations with them, you pray with them, yeah, you you pray to God, you ask for for communication, you don't ever stop communicating.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and think he echoes that same exact sentiment in Revelation when he speaks to every single church.
SPEAKER_01That's what I was thinking about. I was like, we were just talking about this.
SPEAKER_02He he does. He echoes that exact same sentiment. Endure, persevere, keep going. This is the the the lifestyle of prayer and fasting. It's it is a lifestyle of endurance, of, of continued faith, of not releasing, not letting go and and and and holding on. You know, Paul talks about it like I press on towards the prize and the high call. Like I'm casting aside everything that would beset me. I'm pressing on and I'm holding on to this thing. You know, and so I think that that's when we're talking about prayer with people, uh, a lot of times we want to treat it as if it's like an uh the the easy button or the magic button that we just we just or or the yeah, the the the fan the slot machine is like, did I did I get it this time? Did I win this time? And and that's kind of the mentality of, you know, was I was I on the naughty or the nice list? Because if I'm on the nice list, then Jesus is gonna answer my prayers. I'm gonna get what I'm requesting, you know. But if I'm on the naughty list, you know, I'm not gonna get that, right? And and and we treat him like Santa Claus. And and instead of like you're talking about, you know, keep going after it, keep believing. You know, I was having a conversation with a young man the other day, and and we were talking about pleasing God. And and he said, I just I want his his his um desire was that I I want my life to please God. And and I said, Do you do you know how that happens? And he proceeded to to describe to me what he thought was a life that would please God, which was one that was was lived doing the right things and and and and you know being a good person and all that. And I said, those are great things to to to have and to be and to aspire to. I said, but if you want to know what really pleases God, the Bible says that without faith, it's impossible to please him. So you want to know what really pleases him is by trusting and believing what he has to say. That's gonna please him. Said he brings Jesus to get baptized, right? And the heavens open up.
unknownYeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And God's booming voice says, This is my son in whom I'm well pleased. And this is before Jesus has done anything. He's just lived his life up to this point. And he's 30 years old. He's just lived his life up to this point, and he's not done a lick of ministry time, he's just lived his life with his father. And and and in that, there is this revelation of I'm so pleased with him. Because he believes me. He believes who I say he is, he believes my word over his life, he believes who I am. And and I think for each and every one of us, if we come into that space of believing who God is, believing what God says over us, it brings him great joy and pleasure. And it pleases him so deeply to know. And and what that does is that eliminates any of the striving aspect of I gotta do these things in order for my dad to be pleased with me. So many people on earth are are living their life trying to get their dad to please to be pleased with them. They're they're looking for his approval. I need your validation, whether it's their dad or their mom or their friends or their pastor or their boss or or whoever it is, I'm living in such a way that I need you to validate me and appreciate me. And so you're constantly chasing something. Whereas the gospel and and what what Jesus did is he brings us into this place of saying, Can you believe what I've done? The gospel is a proclamation of what has already happened. It has been done. It is it is the herald saying, you know, this is the kingdom. It is the kingdom of God. Come into that, repent and come into this kingdom, change your allegiance, come into this kingdom. And and what what ends up happening is we begin to live this life of faith by believing that word. And it's in that space that God is pleased. And from that space now we enter, we interact and we commune with him and we communicate with him. Not fearfully, but joyfully. And we can go confidently before him because of what Jesus has done. So it just it it it shifts the way that you pray. Shifts the way that you communicate with life, but it it it becomes the lifestyle that you live. I feel like we could talk about prayer for a long time. So many different aspects of it. And it's just relationship. It is. And okay, so let I just want to let's touch on this real quick and then we can maybe kind of wrap up because uh we might be here all day if we keep talking about this. Um you said it's relationship. It is. What is a huge key component to relationship, Miriam?
SPEAKER_01Communication.
SPEAKER_02Communication. So to be in order to be a good communicator, what do you have to do? There's two things. What are they?
SPEAKER_01Well, you have to be able to express yourself and what you're thinking and feeling, and you also have to be able to listen. That's absolutely right.
SPEAKER_02That's it. And and and Raf, if we're talking about having a an effective prayer life, you said it's it's it's just relationship. It's just communication. What does that look like? What does what does communication with God look like?
SPEAKER_00Sometimes it might be a dream. It might be the pastor speaking in the in the pulpit. It might be your friend saying something that the dream said, what the pastor said, and what God is saying right there in the mouth of the two or three witnesses, let every word be established. Something that God has spoken to your heart personally, and God is manifesting himself in this way. Are your eyes open to see? Are your ears open to see? Is your heart bold enough to speak out of your mouth? And can communicate with God and communicate with others. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because sorry, go ahead. I didn't mean to cut you off. I was gonna say, I love that how you how you describe that. Because the very the first like five things that you described were all points of listening.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02And I and I love that because it's it's it's posturing our ourselves in that place of of listening. I don't want to I want to hear you. That's the that's that is such a big part of prayer. And I and I don't want to I don't want to understate that that that a huge significant part of your prayer life is not just what you have to say, but maybe, maybe and probably more importantly, what he has to say to you. And and and and and that's the that's the point. Like that's the life of the believer. That's what he wants us, is in that in that you know, Paul talks about praying without ceasing. He's essentially saying live in constant communication and communion with God.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02So that you there might be moments where you're praying and you're expressing something, but then there's also moments where you're quiet and you're listening. And God's gonna speak to you. Sometimes it's through, like you said, through maybe a sermon or a word from a pastor or a dream or or an interpretation, or someone, a friend, or uh speaks to your own heart. There's all different kinds of ways that God is gonna speak to you. Can you be listening? Are you listening?
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna be building right now. Yeah, Miriam, Caleb. What's one way that I could I could personally communicate to you that would be something that would reach your heart and that you would be like, hey, Raphael's really trying to communicate and I'm listening, and vice versa. What what's some things that um you guys would maybe speak to me and really try to communicate with me? You know, because we all it it helps to have like a real world example of things.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um that's a good question. So for me, um anything uh direct is typically the best mode for me. Uh it it's it's typically a uh this is what it is. A lot of times people feel like either they got they kind of like kind of talk around it, but I I prefer to be like, what's the heart of it? What's the let's let's get right directly to the the center. And so like to me that becomes a more uh more effective way of communication, like to me. And then it helps me to understand it more clearly. And be and and the reason for that is because you know, you might you might say something, for instance, you might say the word family, and in your mind family means something, and my mind family means something, but those two things might mean be different pictures. So the the more like direct you can be with this is what I'm saying and this is what I mean by it, uh, the easier it is then for me to be able to understand and and be on the same page as well. So that's like that's that that's a real life example of like that's super helpful.
SPEAKER_00Just in the world, and I think God speaks just like that too.
SPEAKER_02I think I think I think he very much can straight to the heart. He does he does, he cuts straight straight to the bone. Um and also I think he also can do it gently.
SPEAKER_01Or he also says, Come here, look at this.
SPEAKER_02What do you see? He yep, yep. I I I think he he will also there's there's also been times where God will speak to me and it won't be the direct, this is what I need, like this is what I'm trying, I need you to speak to me like this. It what he'll do is he'll say something and it'll be kind of indirect, maybe it's a picture or or a sound or something like that. And what he's doing, and this is what I found in my in in my growth and maturity, is he's inviting me into a space of conversation where I I wanted maybe it to be like the Israelites, tell me what to do. You know, give me the list, tell me. And he's like, I can do that, but I want to I want to have some conversation with you about this because there's it's it's more than just me telling you what to do. You know, there are moments where I'm like the centurion, no, you just say the word. I'll be obedient.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02That's uh that's I I don't I don't need like I I have faith, I trust you. Like, but then there's moments where he as a father is like, I I I get that. And I also want I want to show you some things in this. I want to reveal my heart and my character, my nature in you in this. I want to develop some stuff in you. So I I I've seen it, I've experienced it personally multiple ways with the Lord, you know, where He will He will speak directly to me like that. But then also there's times where He'll he'll He'll rope me into a conversation And most of the time He ropes me into a conversation at the time where I don't want to talk. That's what typically how it goes, you know, and it's but that's that's part of the like laying down the flesh and silencing that stuff, and that's the the prayer and fasting side of it, you know. Yeah, it's laying down the side that I'm like, I don't want to deal with this right now. He's like gonna deal with this right now. It's time to do that.
SPEAKER_00So the rest taking by the hand. What was the the other one? Say the word. I don't even remember. And I'll do it.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, yeah, like the centurion. Yes, yes, yeah, like say the word. Yeah, you you say the word and I'll go. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I like that. That's good. What about you, Memzi?
SPEAKER_00Uh it's red on the spot, guys. Yeah, it is. It's on the spot. So this is not the same.
SPEAKER_01The question was how can how can how can I commute what see? Does that answer your question?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, does that I think he said something by like grabbed by the hand, you know?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I I said sometimes he show like visual helps me for the Lord to talk to me visually and say, Okay, I'm gonna show you this. What do you see? Or I want to I want you to put your hands to something. Like he shows me a lot of things, like like I said, as I was listening to the birds, you know, like that kind of thing. Like for me, it's it's a lot more hands-on kind of a thing, you know, where yes, I hear his voice, but it's also like, okay, what are you experiencing right now in this as you're needing this bread? You know, what what what what brought this to this point and that kind of a thing?
SPEAKER_02So I oftentimes, and if you've if you've if you know me or if you've been around me and have had have had any conversation with me, you'll probably hear me say this phrase, help me to understand.
SPEAKER_04Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_02Um, I I use that a lot because um I because I I'm trying, I'm working to understand what is being communicated. I that's something I ask God a lot. Help me understand what you're trying to tell me here. Like help me to understand what is being said. Um because because it's it's a it is, it's it's saying I I'm I want to get there. I'm not there yet. I might be there. I'm thinking I might be on the same page as you, but I'm not sure. Help me to understand because I I want my heart is I want to know and clearly understand what is being said. You know, so uh oftentimes that that's the the response that I ended up having with the Lord is help me understand this. And then it's like that's an invitation into okay, now I'm gonna give you some deeper revelation and insight on some stuff, and uh, and and that's and it ends up being very soothing and helpful, obviously, for my heart. So God just yesterday gave me some stuff that rocked my world because I was seeing things, and I'm just I'll be very vague with it, uh, just because it was super personal for me, but um, I was seeing some things that were taking place within the church, uh, and I was interpreting it through an anxious lens. And and and I thought as I how how beautifully ironic this is, because we just talked about that not too long ago about just interpreting things through anxiety, and I was interpreting things through an anxious lens. And um, and and the Lord spoke something to me, and he he had me literally physically walk through something. And as I as I walk through it, then he spoke to me, and uh, and and he spoke this like during the day. And the word that he spoke was, This is the judgment I have for you. And so that's that's kind of like a scary thing, right? To feel like you hear from the Lord. But the but the thing was is it was it was open-ended in that he was sending me down this road to then pursue something with him. And I didn't do it until the evening when I got home. And when I did, I got home and I opened up the scriptures and I pursued the thing that he told me to pursue. And when I did, I read what his judgment was for me, and I broke down like because it was not anxious, it was not bad, it was good. Yeah, and it was it was not where my heart was, but it was where his heart was for me. Yeah, and he was trying to bring me into that space, and so now he's like, every time that you see this now physically, I want you to know this is the judgment for you, this is the heart, this is where you're supposed to be. And it just dude, it like it wrecked me so much. Uh, and and it was so stinking good. But it it it it took listening, yeah, speaking, and say, I don't know what's going on right now. I don't what's happening? Can you show? Because I'm seeing these signs and I'm like making my own interpretations of it, but it wasn't until I said, I what is this? Yeah, that he's like, All right, I'll show let me show you. You know, and he did, and when he did, it it was far better than I could have ever even imagined. And it's ask or think, and it set my heart free, yeah, is what it did. Yeah, like his words set my heart free because that's what it does. Yeah, and and so it's I just I want to encourage anybody who's listening today, like, don't be afraid to talk to your father. Yeah, don't be afraid to have a conversation with him, don't be afraid to go before him. Or other people, or other people, yeah. Come on, don't be afraid to have conversations with people. And and and and and when you when you posture yourself in a space of humility and you say, God, I don't know. Yeah, I I need your help. Like it's not, I'm not looking for the right words to try to find to in order to get you to do what I need you to do. It's saying, I I I I need you. I need I need you so much. Help me in leading, help me in living my life, help me in relationships, help me with being a father and a friend and and and a husband and whatever it is that your situation is like saying, God, I need your help in this. I need your help. Would you help me? And then you posture yourself in that place of humility and you let him know what's going on in your heart, and then just listen. I guarantee you he's got something to say. And he wants to bring you into a space of healing and wholeness and life and resurrection because that's just who he is, and he loves you so much. There's nothing you can do about it. So, blessings to you today. Go talk to your dad. Live a life of prayer and fasting. Hold on, keep going, keep enduring, and watch what he's gonna do in your life. Blessings to you. See you next time on Everyday Kingdom.