Well Versed Woman
Well Versed Woman
Prayer Simplified: How To Ask God For Help
If you don't know how to talk to God, how to ask Him for what you need, then this episode is for you! What if you understood that God loves when you come and ask him for help. But there is a way to pray and this week we discuss the easiest way for you to get started!
I remember when my son was very little and I'd come home from work. And he'd say with his hands reaching to the sky, pick me up, mommy, pick me up. I loved that. I loved that. He asked me to pick him up. Of course I wanted to pick him up. The first thing I wanted to do when I ran through the door was grab him and hug him. But when he asked to be picked up, it made all the difference in the world to know that that's what he wanted to know. He was asking me for the same thing I wanted to give him. And there's something about that. And we're going to talk about that this week. So stay tuned. Welcome to episode 57 of the well-versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller
Speaker 2:And I'm Theresa Morgan. You see Renee and I are two perfectly imperfect women who come to you week after week to share our safe and our life's journeys
Speaker 1:With you. We love to share these stories about our lives and how they relate and work just like our relationship with God works. But before we get started, we know we need to connect. We need to connect to that creator so that we can listen and know what he would have us here today. We do that by sitting still preferably closing our eyes and just taking some slow, deep breaths and inviting God to come and sit right next to you right now. We're going to start those 20 seconds. So get comfortable, close your eyes and just slow yourself down for a little bit. This morning. Here we go. That's it. That's 20 seconds. And you know, if you've been listening that I'm going to encourage you to grow that 20 seconds every morning. And actually throughout the day, I actually set an alarm on my phone to be still right in the middle of my day when I know I'm being anything but stele and it works. It's such a great reminder. But back to this idea of our kids or anyone that comes and knocks at your door and asks you for something, there are very many of us Theresa on planet earth that don't love to help others. That don't love to be asked to contribute to something in some way. And especially our kids. I used to love when Patrick was little and he would ask me, and even now that he's grown, he just had a birthday. I love that. He asks for my help. It's such a great feeling. And somehow I believe that God loves it as well. Don't you?
Speaker 2:He sure does. Her name is your dessert talk. I'm thinking about my grandson yesterday. He bounced through the door. No, on a Nana can we do a sleepover tonight? And of course my heart mounts and of course, right. And it was the sweetest thing. Renee comes up with his little bathroom and off we go and he's so delighted. He's got his toys and boy, it just sweeps me into a place of connection and love. And, uh, we just, you know, had a great time. But at any rate, that's what our father in heaven does. He beckons us to come. You know, where they, one of my favorite scriptures is found in the book of Hebrews chapter four, verse 16, God says, let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Isn't that beautiful. God beckons us. He beckons us to come to come boldly. And just to ask, when I think of that scripture, and I think in my mind, and I used my imagination, I think of myself going to God, sitting on his lap as a little girl and just telling him the, what is going on in my life, the highs, the lows, the joys, the disappointments, and then asking him for his help. You know, I don't think there's a day that goes by Renee. I know both of us do this, that we're not in prayer and it can be getting up, getting in the shower. It can be driving to work. You know, there doesn't have to be just a special time where you have a room and in your quiet and you go to that. Now that I'll be a very good, but every, every day during the day, before a meeting, before a get together, when you're exhausted, like I feel today, uh, we just lift up a prayer and say, father, please help.
Speaker 1:Mm. So true. And it's so simple and I can't help, but think that when God's set principles, we'd love to talk about patterns and principles, tree. So I love that, that you always say, when he set those principles of existence here on earth, prayer was one of those principles, just like gravity. You know, why did he make the world exists with gravity? Well, it makes sense to us and we understand prayer is connection and it's that simple and why God created things the way he did. We don't always understand, but we know prayer is a principle and the way that we've been told to connect to God, and I always love to go back to our everyday living and think about like I was talking about our children and what you said with your grandson. Exactly. Like, can we not, can we have a sleep over and your heart melts? I believe it's the same with God. It's a sign of love. Or it's a sign with our children. Like they want to be with us and it's love, right? It's that, it's that love connection that melts our hearts, as you said, and it's the same with God. So when we think that there are things that we can't ask, God, I want us all to ask ourselves, what thing would we say to our children or anybody that we love? Oh yeah. Don't ask that. You can't ask that. And like you're saying, whether you're going to a meeting or you're just tired, he is there Tracy. He is there if we ask, but you know that, that scripture we have not because we ask not, or we've talked in previous episodes and please go back and listen about the ask Atrik acronym. A S K is what Matthew seven, seven talks about ask, seek and knock again. It says in the word exactly how we should do this. And it also says that we're going to talk about today, Theresa, that it works like you sad come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need come boldly. Don't be timid. Don't be afraid. Don't think I go through this with my husband Peter all the time. Oh yeah. That's too small to ask for. I shouldn't be bothering God for that. Oh my gosh. I can't think of anything that I would not want my son to bother me with. Don't you think
Speaker 2:That's absolutely true. You know, I've heard people say, oh, you know, God is, you know, God has bigger things to work on. And the truth of the matter is he so big that he can work on everything at once. The smallest needs to the greatest needs. He is willing and able, and he wants to have that relationship with us. That is why came and died, shed his blood so he could restore relationship. So I love that about God. He's all about us talking to a friend yesterday and just telling them God is crazy about you. The Bible says that his thoughts of you are more than the granules of sand on a seashore. When he thinks of you, he dances that he has every need in the Palm of his hand. He knows the number of hairs on our head. Wow, Renee. Huh? If that is some encouragement that this all loving, crazy about me, God wants to hear from me. I don't know what it is, but getting back to what we're talking about, prayer and, and going to God, you know, uh, when we do pray, Philippians chapter four, verses six and seven says that it brings peace into our life. I love that. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind through Christ. Jesus. Isn't that beautiful. I love to step out and I love, tend to prayer either by myself or with friends because they have peace comes in like a flood, Ian, no matter what I'm facing, I know God's got it. I know God's got it, Renee.
Speaker 1:Ah, so true. And listen, the, you know, praying is like, anything else we learn to do we get better at it? We grow with that. There's so much on prayer. There's books written on how to pray. So in one episode today, we're going to share some tips, but we're not going to hit everything. This is something that we get more and more complete in and better at as we go on like anything else in life. And I love that Philippians four, six, and seven Theresa, because it reminds me that it isn't just about sending up request after request after request again, it's about this relationship. So everyone probably has that friend that they feel, oh my gosh, you know, it's a, it's a one-way street and the scripture that Theresa just rad, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let's not remember to be grateful. That is so, so key. I've learned that so well in these latter years of my life, Theresa, to just focus and be so grateful again for the smallest of things. So there's a whole rhythm or pattern. I feel Theresa, we grow into as we pray, but we just start, right. Like when we rode the bike, we just got on that bike and we fell down and we got on the bike and we fell down. And then pretty soon you can pray any time, anywhere without even thinking. But let's talk about some of the tips Tressa on how we can go about praying.
Speaker 2:That's absolutely right. You know, first of all, Hebrews four chapter 12 says the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. So when we understand, okay, God's word is alive. God's word is powerful, right? We know from Genesis one that God spoke the world into existence, that the holy spirit was hovering over the face of the earth, waiting for God to speak. So I've come to the place where I've seen Paul, write out the prayers, write out some prayers for us, Paul, the apostle. And if we look at just one of them today, Colossians chapter one verses nine through 12, you know, we can insert our name right into the scriptures. We can insert our friend's name if we're praying for them. So I just want to give an example, Renee, I'm going to use collagen's chapter one verses nine through 12, and I'm going to use you as if I wake up and I'm like, Hmm, Renee. And I talked last night and I know she's in need of some prayer or I may wake up and Renee's on my heart. And you know, that's a signal to me that, uh, I'd like to pray for her. So in this verse, and this is written by Paul, the apostle, it says for this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, I thank you, father. I do not cease to pray for Renee. I ask that you fill Renee with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. I pray that renamed may walk worthy of you, Lord, fully pleasing you in being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Now that scripture goes on and I could continue and say, I pray that you would strengthen Renee with online, according to your glorious power. But just those words alone are powerful. This is coming from the word of God. It's coming from the place of power. So when we ACO those words into the atmosphere, it really packs a punch. I've prayed for people. And I've read about individuals who pray for others, using the word of God in wow, how powerful, powerful things go into effect because God watches over his word to perform it. Isaiah 55, 11 God's word does not return to him void, but accomplishes the very thing for which he sends it forth to accomplish. So I'm not saying that we can't go to God in our own vernacular and our own way of talking and just say, Hey Lord, you know, fix this it's broken. We certainly can Rene. But what I am saying is if we want a little more wind in our sail, if you will, and it's a beautiful way to learn the word of God, it's best. If we go to the scriptures and pray those words.
Speaker 1:Hmm. So great. And I'll put this in the show notes in every episode are the scriptures. So if you're driving and you can't remember which ones Theresa quoted here, you just have to download those, print them out and then pray them. Like we talked about. I love this reminder, Theresa, because I don't always do that. I don't always take these and insert my name or anyone's name, especially like our family, people that we love, our friends. It's such a great reminder to, as we call it, pray the scriptures.
Speaker 2:And I, you know, I there's, there's another scripture again, written by the apostle Paul and Philippians chapter one verses nine through 11. Wow. Listen to this. You know, if we prayed this just on a daily basis, I've memorized many scriptures in. So they're in my heart. They're in my mind and I'm praying them for myself consistently, but here's one in Philippians chapter one verses nine through 11. And I pray this lower that my love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment father helped me to approve the things that are excellent, that I might be sincere. And without offense to the day of Christ father, I pray that I may be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ to your glory and praise Lord. Wow. That's scripture. Wow. Renee, even as I'm saying it right now, my heart is melting. It's like, wow. I pray that my love may abound still more and more if we just pray that if we just pray that how Renee could you imagine all creation, praying that wow, have such a joy for, because God operates in love. He is love. Perfect love, casts out, all fear. You know, love never fails some of the principles of love. And if we can pray that my love would abound still more and more, right? In all knowledge and discernment, God's going to come along. He's going to give us that knowledge and that to love properly, right? To love. Love is not, wishy-washy love precedes with great determination, great boundaries, right. But great, great boundaries, but we will start to love the way God loves. And how about, you know, that I may be sincere without offense that I might be filled with the fruits of righteousness. We had a, I think a whole podcast on the fruits of righteousness, which are love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness. And self-control, I'm swooning. I'm just swooning here in a, over my own words, which are, which are the Bible. And that scripture is found in Galatians about the fruits of righteousness, but wow, I'm sitting here, Renee. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm going to post this right on my mirror of my bathroom, um, starting this morning and remember to pray that for myself,
Speaker 1:Oh, Trey says so beautiful. And I love the Ephesians three 14 to 19 that you have, and I'll pray this, you know, for me, for this reason, I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family and heaven and earth is named that you would grant me Lord, according to the riches of your glory to be strengthened with might through your spirit. In the inner me Lord in the inner me, the Christ may dwell in my heart through faith and that I'm being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints. What is the width and length and depth and height. And that I know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that I might be filled with all the fullness of God. I mean, it's amazing. And that's Ephesians three 14 to 19. And again, these will be in the show notes. If we don't know how to pray Tressa, I love this lesson of picking these things up and asking God for these things. If we had these things Theresa, what else would be asking for? It's almost like he's given us the recipe for every quote, success in life. Every thing we could possibly need or want or desire right here in the, in the book he wrote.
Speaker 2:That's so very true. I'm thinking he's given us the keys to the kingdom. If you will. Right Renee first or second, Peter, the beginning chapter says that he's given us all things that pertain to life and cuddliness through the knowledge, right? Through the knowledge that we gained from the word of God, he's given us these things. So when we, when we open the pages of the Bible and we learn that God's word is powerful. When we learn it, doesn't return to him void. When we learned that he watches over it to perform it, we then start putting these, these principles and patterns into place. Our life starts changing. God gets involved. And I love that. You know, again, Renee, we can go back to your son, Peter, when he was young, we can go back to my grandson, Noah, when they ask, we got involved and are in our hearts yearn to be involved. Right. But God is a gentleman he waits for, uh, for us to ask in. Sure. You know, he he's always moving. He is sovereign. So I'm not saying that he won't move unless we ask. But the thing is this, he loves when we ask, because then we get involved with the creator of the world in, then we know how precious his love, his attention, his commitment, his benevolence to us
Speaker 1:Really is. It's so true. And you, and I wouldn't think that I wouldn't understand that if I didn't relate it to everyday living Teresa and that idea that there's absolutely no way I don't love when anybody asks for my help. There's, there's all those other lectures on how to say no. How not to say yes to everything because there's a lot that can be asked of all of us, but I just love when people come and ask for help, especially when I'm equipped to give it and truth be told, we're always equipped to pray for each other. So if we don't think we have what somebody needs, we absolutely do because we can pray and go right to the head of the class, so to speak. And
Speaker 2:That's, that's true. Renee, as you're talking, I'm thinking about a time. It was a, it was a rough time in my life. And I remember the sorrow and the grief that I felt going through this situation in my life. But yet Renee, I knew Psalm 23 and I just opened up that song in, even through the pain, you know, I would confess out of my mouth. I would start praying out of my mouth. Thank you, Lord. You are my shepherd. I shall not want, I thank you, father. You make me to lie down in green pastures. You lead me beside still waters. You restore my soul. You know, I, I memorize memorize the whole Psalm 23 because I prayed it daily through the pain. I prayed that prayer. And you know, I can look back today and I see that God sustained me. He not only sustain me through that time, but he brought it around. So that, that situation in my life dug a deep well of not only faith, but of strength. And I saw his hand of love and grace come through in a way that I never knew before. You know, I've heard it say that, you know, if you need, if you need healing, right, how would you experience the hand of the healer unless you were in need of healing, either physical or emotional. And I can testify today. That that is so true. You know, I'm sitting here and that situation occurred in my life back in 2013 and it's 2021. And you know, his grace experiencing his grace, his love and his strength remains with me in will remain with me, not only for my benefit, but when another needs some assistance, when another needs help, I go to them and I can minister from that place of strength that was born during that difficult period in my life. So God being all encompassing, all loving, all graceful when he came in and assisted me that also now is assisting others and what a beautiful fact, and it came right out of the scriptures in it from Psalm 23. And I, you know, I, I can pray that today at the drop of a hat Renee in it's still babes myself the very way it did back in 2013,
Speaker 1:Theresa. So true. And I have to pray this for you Ephesians one 15 to 20 Paul says, therefore, I also tree saw after I heard of your faith in the Lord, Jesus, and your love for all the saints. I do not cease to give thanks for you. Tree Tressa, making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give to you Tressa the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding tree Suh being enlightened and that you may know tree. So what is the hope of his calling? What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward you and me and us who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dad and seeded him in his right hand, in the heavenly places. That is so perfect Theresa and how I feel about you so grateful for you.
Speaker 2:No, and I think you, you know, as you're praying that for me, I, again, my soul is being bathed in the word of God and of course in our beautiful friendship and how much I love you as well, Renee it's, um, it's, it's just a beautiful, beautiful place in life where two can come together. And I, you know, when I think God's love is even expounded, when two of us come together and pray for one another, you know, the Bible says where two or more are gathered. I am in your midst, you know, and I'm receiving the revelation from that Renee today, right now in a, in a more powerful way. Thank you so much for that prayer. Um, I feel a little tired today is, is, you know, we, we talked before recording this, but wow, I'm feeling a new energy and, um, just a new sense of love. And so I thank you for that Renee and I have a very special relationship and, you know, I think she knows how much I appreciate it and adore her. And I think, uh, for her and, uh, you know, what she has meant in my life in this is how God relates to us. He relates to us one-on-one he also relates to us by bringing us those. He knows that we need in life to me, um, and to make life just a better place to live.
Speaker 1:That's a perfect way to finish up this episode, Theresa, to encourage others out there to get a prayer partner, you know, last but not least, we certainly can go to God and we do every morning individually. And yet when we are able to come together in this podcast for you, it certainly has strengthened us over these 57 episodes and such an encouragement to you. If you're not in a community where you can find someone, we have that. And we are here for you for that very reason. And Theresa our foundational scripture, we'll close with the hat and then we'll give them the, the ways to connect with us in the club.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Renee, the book of Romans chapter 10, verse 17, God's word says faith comes by hearing and hearing
Speaker 1:By the word of God, thanks so much for listening. This is episode 57, the show notes, and those scriptures are right in the app that you signed in under. So don't forget to download those. And if you love those scriptures and the way we prayed them, re-listen to this episode with the piece of paper in front of you, and you'll see how we inserted our names, and that will help you. God not only has taught us how to pray in his word. He's also given us the words that we can speak when we don't feel we have the words. So download those show notes. If you need a prayer partner, join the Facebook community search for well-versed woman asked to join our group and go ahead in there and reach out and say, I need a prayer partner. And I bet you'll find another woman just like yourself and last but not least, we would love to send you a journal. You just need to subscribe to this podcast rate and review it. And there'll be a link that you can send us your address so we can send you a physical journal, write in the mail until next time we love you. God bless you. Bye now.