Cage Free Theology
"Cage Free Theology" is a weekly Bible Q&A discussion with two Baptist, Calvinist, and Premillennial, pastors.
As Spurgeon said, there's no need to defend a lion in a cage; simply open the cage door and the lion will fend for itself! We don't defend a preconceived system of theology, we just let the Bible speak for itself, and we go wherever a literal hermeneutic takes us.
The hosts are pastors Clint Archer (MDiv, ThM, DMin, PhD) and Will Brannon (MDiv, DMin), based at Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama.
They both trained at The Master's Seminary and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and between the two of them they have nearly 30 years of full-time ministry experience. Much of that has involved fielding questions from new believers, old believers, and unbelievers, and then sharing what the Bible has to say on a wide array of topics.
They will cover subjects with their engaging and light-hearted banter, including explaining theology, offering interpretations of various difficult Bible passages, discussing counseling scenarios, and even the nuts and bolts of ministry and expository preaching. (Clint occasionally digresses about how animals should live cage-free while Will reminds him of the appeal of meat!)
Each episode addresses one main question, without rambling or irrelevant interjections, to equip listeners to answer questions they have, or questions they get asked by friends. Subscribers get to send in their questions too!
Jesus came to set us free, so beware of manmade cages!
Cage Free Theology
Episode #072: What Types Of Prayer Does God Answer?
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Have you ever wondered if God hears everyone's prayers, or why we should even pray if He is already completely sovereign over the future? Exactly what types of prayers does God answer? Is prayer effective? Those questions and more in today's episode of Cage Free Theology.
Today our hosts Clint Archer and Will Brannon take a dive into the mechanics, motives, and heart behind effective prayer. Moving past the standard "church prayer list"—which is often dominated by temporary physical needs—Clint and Will look at the patterns of scripture to uncover what God truly desires to hear from His children.
In this episode, Clint and Will cover:
-If God responds to the prayers of unbelievers, and what makes the prayers of a believer uniquely intimate.
-How our prayers interact with God's ordained plans, and whether prayer can actually "change" things from our human perspective.
-Why shifting our prayers from purely physical healing to eternal, spiritual growth (like Paul's prayer in Colossians 1) aligns us with God's will.
-Striking the perfect balance between approaching God as a loving Father and remembering the reverence due to Him as Creator.
-Clint shares personal stories of unexpected answered prayers and offers resource recommendations for prayer life.
If you've ever felt like your prayers are hitting a ceiling, or you just want to learn how to "pray the scriptures" back to God, this episode offers the theological framework and practical steps to transform your intentional quiet time.
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👇 Jump to moments (chapters):
0:57 – Does God Hear the Prayers of Unbelievers?
2:10 – The Prayers of the Wicked
3:44 – Can a Believer’s Prayers Be Hindered? (1 Peter 3:7)
4:34 – If God Is Sovereign, Why Should We Pray?
7:18 – Does Prayer Actually Change Things?
9:17 – Shifting from Physical Prayer Requests to Spiritual Ones
11:50 – Praying the Scriptures
15:55 – Confronting the errors of the Word of Faith Movement
18:14 – Why God Says No: Understanding Wrong Motives (James 4:3)
21:57 – God Is Not Your "Buddy", He's Your Heavenly Father
31:07 – Recommended Resources to Transform Your Prayer Life
