Armored Garden
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Armored Garden
Armor Off: Advice for a Friend Struggling to Pray
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💬 If you don’t know what to say to God… start here.
This week, the girls sit down for a more informal girl chat — talking through what they’d say to a friend who’s struggling to pray. No pressure, no perfect words, just honest conversation about what it looks like to come to God when you feel stuck, distracted, or unsure where to start.
They share practical encouragement, personal experiences, and gentle reminders that prayer isn’t about saying the “right” thing — it’s about showing up. If you’ve ever felt distant, awkward, or frustrated in your prayer life, this episode is like sitting across from friends who get it and want to help you find your way back.
You don’t have to have the words — just the willingness. 💛
Scriptures:
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
Psalms 41:1-10 NKJV
Psalms 23 NKJV
Hello, Armored Garden family. Welcome back. We're gonna take y'all in a little bit of a peak inside. It's kind of like girl chat.
SPEAKER_00What does that word mean?
SPEAKER_02Peak inside? Peekin'?
SPEAKER_00Peak inside? A peak inside.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm Southern, so I say it also. I heard peekin'. Peek. It's probably that's probably why it's peeking. And this is why y'all are kindergarten teachers. I'm not from Georgia, I swear, y'all. I'm from Florida, born and raised. However, this is kind of the in-between of all of our episodes. What ends up happening is we think of a question, have a question, a friend has asked us a question, and we kind of just start chatting, and our chats become very extensive. So we thought, why don't we turn this into a little bit of like episodes too? Because we thought it might be great filler in time. A little bit of 30-minute, 45-minute chat. Nothing that's like too crazy, but if you're anything like us, you've probably thought these questions, had these questions, wondered these questions. And like we said, a lot of it honestly comes from our own personal chats between each other, chats with friends. We just thought it would be kind of cool to do like big girl sis girl chat. So that's what these episodes are gonna kind of be. We're gonna throw them in every now and again, but we thought it would be cool. And it's also really neat because it's we're doing this on the fly, truthfully. I'm not even joking when I say like there was no study prep. There was no like we're looking at the prep. We have like a list of questions and we're just letting them kind of randomly pop up, and you're getting real raw, kind of just where we are in our walk with the Lord, kind of what that might mean to us.
SPEAKER_00AKA when we haven't seen each other a while and we come for a podcast, we have so much to talk about, and then we get really behind schedules.
SPEAKER_02We usually end up chatting for far too long. So my sister, the amazing producer she is, she was like, Let's turn these into actually usable things. So here we are. So we're gonna do the first question. If you have something you would like to ask, we would love to do like a mailbag, Airmark garden grab bag type thing. If you have something you want to know, that could be factual stuff from the Bible, maybe just something you struggle with, anything like that. Not even just a study topic, just a question. We want to kind of maybe do those episodes in the future too. So the first one we've got is what would you say to a friend who told you she or he is struggling to pray? First, what is prayer to you?
SPEAKER_00Um, I think a lot of people maybe struggling, just kind of like I guess maybe the question could go a few different ways depending on what is the struggle. Yeah. I don't know how, or I'm at a season in my life where there's just this wall and I don't feel like I can because of the situation that I'm in, or whether it's so, anyways, I would say, like as someone who's struggling to pray, if you don't, if you just think that it's like a moment, which we've talked about this before, some point, somewhere, but like just realizing that it's a conversation. Like you don't have to have worship music on, you don't have to set the mood, you don't have to be in church, like literally hop in your car and just start talking to the Lord, like about it exactly what you would talk to a friend about. I mean, same thing, but just like knowing that he can he literally created the universe. So it's like a really beneficial conversation. For sure. Um, but also like for scripture-wise, like I would say Philippians four, which is your pocket scripture. This is Lauren's saving grace. Um where this is like maybe you don't know what to say.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, Philippians four verse six through seven. And I feel like maybe if anxiety is part of getting the way, like you feel anxious or like that's a feeling, and you just feel separated from the Lord and you're just kind of like trucking in the mud and you don't know how to get out. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your cred your request be made known. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. So when I read that, like the first thing is just like to give thanks. Like we have to start with thanks. Amen. Not even like thank you for who, thank you for all that you've done in my life. Like, yes, that too, but like thanking him for who he is, like giving him the worship, giving him the glory. Everything goes back to him. Like, thank you for being a provider. Thank you for being faithful, thank you for being kind. Thank you for being just and like maybe giving me the conviction in my heart to get me out of these situations. Thank you for being sovereign because I know that you are protecting me and my family and my home and you know, my future. Just like thankful hearts. Like if you don't know what that say, or I don't have anything I need in my life right now, it's really good. So I don't really need to talk to God because I don't need to ask for anything. Like that is not prayer. Like it is, like we are allowed, he wants us to ask. He wants us to bring it says, make your request known to God. He wants to know our requests, but before we make those requests, we have to give thanks first.
SPEAKER_02Recognizing his character, recognizing his character. Right.
SPEAKER_01Um I don't know. That was pretty good. But on the contrast of that, I feel like sometimes um well, I could go two ways with this. And this is just me speaking from personal experience. Either um I have an issue with perfectionism as far as I feel like it should I feel like it should be perfect. And so if it's not perfect, and I know we've talked about this before, like then I'm like, oh, forget it. Or you know, I just throw it out the window, and that's been something that I've had to work through. Like, you know, what does that look like? Or why is my I'll go into my prayer closet and I'm like, oh, but my mind is racing, like Lord help me quiet my mind. Even actually the first night of mattress, I was sitting there trying to pray, and I'm like, Lord, I just hear so much noise, like clear my mind. Like I just want to feel you and feel connected. And I just there's times that I just don't. I and I you have to pray through that even. Um, and that's honestly some of the most difficult times. Um, and then on the adverse to that would be because like it says, pray no matter what, pray without ceasing. It doesn't matter what season you're in, whether you have a grateful heart or whether you're in the depths of literally a valley. Um and honestly, I feel like because I just heard something about uh kind of like praise versus worship. I've been thinking about that a lot. And a lot of times, um, it was it was our man, 2019, and he talked about like it's so easy to give him praise in the good times, right? And like it's so easy to be like, oh, I'm gonna pray, and blah blah blah. But at the flip side of that too, I feel like you can also get lost in the goodness of everything that you forget to pray too. 100%. Um but so like it's hard to pray no matter what, whether you're in a valley or you're in a or in a on a hill, you know, it doesn't matter which season you're in. The thing is is that we have to make a conscious effort. And not only that, that is fighting the flesh because sometimes for like in seasons of valleys when your emotions are very overwhelming, or you're just in the depths of like trudging through something and working something out. Um for me right now, like I've had some roots come up that I didn't even some things that I had already thought I that the Lord and I had dealt with, and some things that I didn't even realize were kind of still there. And I've been struggling with that majorly. And so um I honestly have felt like having a hard time and having difficulty of even wanting to come to my father and bring that to him because feeling a little bit ashamed of like, I thought I already dealt with that, you know. Like, I why is this coming back up? So honestly, going into um I always go to for that and I have it written out and I tend to write it out, and I wrote it out again this morning. Um, but Psalm 51, the prayer of repentance, like because I love, love, love. Psalms is a good stop spot for different versions of prayers, whether another psalm that I go to, and I'll reference that in a second. But um, right now, just like I said, this has just been me. So I and this is just something that I'm working on. This is me working on my heart. Um and I'm gonna read this, and it's gonna be a little, a little long, and I'm gonna stop at a certain point, but so I won't read the whole thing, but verses one through 10 are really what what hits me. But it says, Have mercy upon me, oh God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercy. So right there, you're already reminded, like you're already speaking out and reminding yourself of who God is, you know. And so when people even say like taking a thought captive, that right just that first verse right there of okay, I have this thought, I know this is not from the Lord, because obviously, just reading these first lines in this verse, you know, his loving kindness, his multitude of tender mercies, like he's the one who can blot out my transgressions. Okay, so continuing on, verse two wash me thoroughly for my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you speak, and blameless when you judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make mean to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice, hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. And that's that's what I'm crying out right now, because um there's just, like I said, some things that I thought I had already dealt with. And so struggling to pray, whether it be yourself or a friend, and sometimes we use that phrase like, hey, I'm asking this question for a friend. That friend is me at the very moment. Like, I'll be completely honest and raw. Like, um, you know, I've just, and that's that heart work that we've talked about a lot, like that's always going to happen. There's different seasons of your life, there's gonna be different times in your life that it's easier to pray, and then there's gonna be a lot, there's times that in your life that you it's harder to pray. But the thing to always remember is that he already knows, and like even in your deepest of shame, like you gotta bring it to the Father because no matter what, for one, he's the only one that can help you through that, and for two, that's what he's asking. That's called obedience by bringing it to him. Like it says also, it says, Um, I think it's in Psalms, right? Make your with prayer and supplication, make your request known to the Lord. That's the one you were doing, Philippians or Philippians. I'm sorry, not Psalms, Philippians. Um, so in multiple times they're out though. Yeah, in everything, like with prayer and supplication, like make your request known to the Lord. And my request right now is creating me a clean heart, Lord, like help me figure out what this is that I'm working through and battling through right now and like get it out because I don't like it. I don't like this feeling. Um also be careful if you start praying for humbling because that tends to happen. And so I, you know, this is what I asked for. Um, but it's also because, too, like when you come to such a um such a place of wanting to be humbled and you're ready to be humbled. Like, I have a friend of mine that I was speaking to, and she's like, uh, she was talking about how she just feels actually, Lauren. I think you had referenced this to her. Um, love her to death. She had said that she wanted to be a pee in this world, but you had reminded her about the process of olives and how olives need to be crushed. And I literally looked at her and was just like, oh, I remember that so well last year. Like I could literally cry over anything because I was in just such a deep place of like refinery and like crushing. And this is probably why I'm going through this is because I looked at her and I was like, dang, I want, I need that again. Like, I you you need that. You really need that. Like, there's seasons that um you just need a good humbling, you just need a good crushing and a good like ringing out. We talk about um our our dude at you know, pay him. Mr. Mitchell, yeah, Mr. Mitchell. Uh how he just talks about like the ringing out of your soul. And another girl that I just found on uh YouTube, she was talking about that. She's like a woman version of her him. And she's just like, cut it out. And that's what I want. I'm like, cut it out, cut out that dead. Like we just got done talking with about the fruits of the spirit, like cut that rotten fruit out because then it's gonna like rot everything else. I think um the most amazing thing would be the fact that I'm able to now recognize that so quickly, whereas before I would have sat in that and just kind of wallered in my pity, right? And wanted somebody to tell me what I wanted to hear rather than being able to work through this.
SPEAKER_02So um that comes through this continued communication. Yeah, for sure. Like now that you don't pray in a selfish version of it, because honestly, when you're praying and your prayers are focused on what do I need, what do I want, what am I hoping for? It puts the entire focus on you. When you start really praying to the Lord for his will to be done, right, that opens up because you want you that's everywhere. Right. I want your will to be done in every corner of the world. So it's not just my world. Someone I heard a question asked, and I think I've said it before, but I don't know. I talked too much, so it could have been in any other scenario of my life. But they said, if all of your prayers were answered, would your world be different or the world? Yeah. And I was like, I maybe go cross-eyed thinking about it because that's what a service to people you love, right? To be able to pray for them. Right. Like that's my heart's desire too. But when you encompass your prayers on only your world, you're not doing the will of the Lord. The will of the Lord is for all to know his name, right? For all to know his grace, for all to know his mercy. And if your prayers are solely focused, not saying you can't talk to him about those things too, right? But that's the only thing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And there's no Thanksgiving. There's just making your request known. Um, I had a friend who was listening to a sermon who asked a similar question when he said, if Jesus came back or he didn't even come back, and he's like, you know what? Today's the day. Every single prayer that has been prayed will be answered. Boom. Do you only have good food and a good night's sleep? Like, thank you for this food. Yeah. Thank you. Let me have a good night's sleep. Like, is that all he's that all you're gonna get?
SPEAKER_02That's a reminder too. Prayer does not have like a pocket of time. Right. Like Tony said, it is supposed to be and intended to be continual communication. Yeah. Actually, in if you turn to Matthew six.
SPEAKER_00I thought you have, I thought we were on the same page, Tony. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Forget us. No, Jesus said, forget us. Yeah, forget us. But in Matthew 6, I read out of an NLT. I'm not gonna read the whole thing. I really challenge you to go read, but we can go kind of we'll dive in and out of it. But this is Matthew 6, starting in verse 5. Mine is literally titled, Jesus Teaches About Prayer. Well, okay.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, perfect.
SPEAKER_02My title exposed model prayer. Oh, that's good too. I like that.
SPEAKER_01I always say, like, if you don't know what to pray, start here. Yeah. The model prayer. And it's one now.
SPEAKER_02Y'all, I grew up in a Methodist church. We say this thing. Oh, I know. Every single time. Yeah, Catholic children. Every single time. Yeah. And I used to actually be so proud. I knew someone that was like, say that prayer. Like she was so impressed that I knew this prayer. I'm like, our Father who art in heaven, be hallowed be thy name, my kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, for we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us on to temptation, but to deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. She was like, How do you know that? Okay, but in- I had no clue what I was saying.
SPEAKER_01When I grew up, because you had to say it on the rosary beads, they cut out the back side of that prayer. Because yeah, because we didn't say our father who art, no, the yeah, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Like, oh I never said that growing up. I said lead us not in temptation and be delivered from evil. Amen. Like, that's how we ended that prayer.
SPEAKER_02This is actually so this prayer is how I've been trying to structure my morning prayer. Not my like daily combo time with him, but in the morning.
SPEAKER_01Did you watch the Pam episode on this?
SPEAKER_02Maybe, I guess. That's why I started doing it probably. If Mr. Mitchell says to do it, I research a little bit, but almost it tracks out every time. But so I sit in my prayer and I go through each line. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. I recognize for in that day, what do I am I most enamored with about the Lord? Is it his provision? Is it his righteousness? Is it his just like maybe I'm struggling, wanting, needing something in that? Whatever it is that I in that day just so clearly see in his character.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Because that will never change either. You're gonna continue learning about him. But to list every characteristic of God, right?
SPEAKER_01Well, I'd be there all the time. Cindy just uh dropped a nugget the other night on this. She goes, Well, you know, the model prayer, our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. She goes, but instead of saying that, whenever you're whatever you're thinking of that day, like say it be provision for something, then you put gyra, like hallowed be your name, gyra. Like you add that name into it, and I was like, Oh, I never thought of that. So good.
SPEAKER_02Grandpa Les did that the other day. I'll have to tell y'all about Grandpa Les one day, but he went through all of the Jehovah names. I think there's like 12 or something like that. So I made a little graphic to put in my Bible, but it's all I think that's the crazy thing. We always think that what we're going through is new. It's not. Yeah. And it's not, it's new to us. Right. It is not new to the Lord. No. All He wants to do is know that you know the best place to come is Him. That's what this whole prayer says. Recognize His character. So, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, my may your kingdom come soon, may your will be done on earth. That's like, I'm not waiting for my heaven time. I want heaven here. Right. As close as I can get in my sphere that he's provided to me, I want heaven here. Then give us his day or daily bread. This is where Joe really pressed into me not too long ago about because we had the conversation, we talked about a little bit here, I think, about I have struggled very intensely of what's the enemy, what's my flesh, and what's the Lord. And I think it's just because I am such a thought, my mind never stops, and I think very deeply about everything. So those when all that's happening at the same time, I get really overwhelmed by it, honestly. So I'm to be transparent, Joe and I were kind of like yelling at each other. And I was like, honey, you don't understand. There's too many thoughts. I don't think you get it. And he doesn't. I love you, honey, but you don't. And it's nothing, that's just not how his mind works. And there are plenty of other people I know that are like that as well. Right. But I said the he said, you have to every morning. You, not everybody might not need to do this, but you have to do this. You say, I need provision in my thoughts. I need provision in my patience for the boys when I'm at home with them. He said, You ask every morning for your daily allotment. Don't just assume he's gonna give it to you. He's gonna provide you in it, but he wants to know that you know to come and ask it. Where to get it, yeah. So that's what I do there. Lord, please provide me with my daily provision of patience for my children, patience for my husband, knowledge that I need in this day, whatever it else, whatever may be going on in my day. Like well, on Bible study days, I'm really like, please, Lord, prepare me, gird my heart, like help me. On church days, I ask in the same way. Like, whoever you want me to encounter today, please do that. But that's a daily thing. Right. It never used to be. I used to really honestly just assume that he would give it to me instead of me saying, but that's like you're like, you know, when you're staying at your child and like you're like, come ask for help. Right. Come ask, you're staring at them, come ask for help.
SPEAKER_01They're just like, Yeah, I can do it.
SPEAKER_00And you're like, you can, but I want to help. Five seconds later, they realize they need help. I need you, mommy! Mommy, help me. I done made a mess. I just want to um kind of go back and hit on Madison praying, like Psalms 51 over her situation because we've referenced this some multiple times throughout things, but like going back to Matthew 4 and the temptation of Jesus, when he's like uh all his whatever, I mean, he's flesh, he is human. He's totally great, he's hungry, he's thirsty, he's like, I mean, I all I'm I don't eat for like four hours and I'm not just hungry, I don't want to be like Tony likes her food. I do like my food. Um and when he's getting tempted, like in the biggest possible way, where like he knows his assignment, and literally Satan is saying, like, but if you just just you know, you can have all of the things. If you you I can give you this and this and this, and he doesn't say, Dad, please don't bring dad. I can't even help. I'm hungry. I need I knew this was gonna be hard, but dad, can you please please just answer my prayer and please just get him away from me? He just so I meekly, like we went. Over the word meek, which does it, it just means like that strength under restraint, like gent, gentle strength says it is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He is literally praying the word. So, like for Madison, for you to be praying the word over your life, like it is done. Like you have to and you have to see it as done. Right. It is done.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because this is, he never goes back on his word. Right. So like you praying his word over your life, like it is done. All of it is squished. All of it is done. Like you, you, he don't see you that way. Right. So you can't see your, you know, like you just it's just like that shift of like how faithful he is every single time. And I always say, like, I don't want it to feel like a formula, because then it's like, okay, well, this and I it's gotta happen. So, but like, but the heart posture that you come to the Father with, with his word open. So if you don't know what to pray, you just start reading your Bible. That's it. Just start reading your Bible. And then it's going to be like an overflowing fountain of words because like this is this is Jesus. This is the Lord. Like, it's not a book, it's not a textbook, it's not a it's not a let me go study. I have to know. Like you are meeting with the Father. That is what this is. And he, you speaking to him, and then him speaking back to you through his word. Um, Cindy, Miss Cindy's our pastor's wife sent me a video this week, or actually yesterday, in like God's perfect timing. Um I gotta find the guy's name. Let me see. Hmm, hold on. I don't know his name. I don't remember. Which y'all, it's been going, I've been seeing it on TikTok and stuff. Gay Port Poirot. I could very well be saying his last name wrong. P-O-I-R-O-T. Anyways, when he was 20, he he died and went to heaven for 18 days. And he his book is coming out in April, so I've been seeing a bunch of stuff. But hit like an interview that he did with um a podcast, and I have so much to say about that, but I don't want to say any of it at the same time because he lived the thing, like just go listen to him. Yeah, but one thing that he mentioned that um in the interview was that like Jesus had this bowl, and inside of the bowl was prayers. Like, and he just collects them, like they're his favorite thing. Like he just collects them. He said there was literally castles made of prayers. And he said, whenever, like, whenever he exited his body, and he's like, I wasn't looking up. He was like, it was almost like this transversial, like he's like, I was out of my body, but I and he's like, I didn't see it. I didn't, he's like, and the words like we view words as something coming out of someone's mouth, but the words were the person. So he's like, you have no idea how important your words are. Right. Like we know that words have weight. He's like, but I can't even describe to you in a heavenly realm what those words mean. He's like, there's no, he's like, there's no earthly words to describe anything I experienced. Yeah. But he's like, I exited my body and my friend was holding my lifeless body, saying, like, you will not die in Jesus' name. No, like I didn't just hear it. I just got chills. I like like it embodied me. He's like, but before I even made it to heaven, there was this ginormous bowl of prayers for me. Like, so I mean, we just view like when you take that and you kind of lay down your prayer life and you're like, so if this is what prayer really is, what am I really doing? Am I just like Jean in a bottle? Yeah, do my thing. I know, like cast, like just think like you're like Jesus is making castles out of the words that you pray for him. Right. And but then he did talk about like prayer, because the lady asked him, I'm pretty sure, like, so now that you've experienced that, what does your time with the Lord look like now? Like, what does your prayer life look like now? What does your Bible study time look like now? Um, and he's like, man, like when you align your prayers with the word, like you have no idea the power that you're wielding inside of yourself.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I can't, like, I can't word it like he worded it, and I just like highly encourage. Check him out. It's not gonna be the first, it's not gonna be the last time I talk about this, this guy or this interview, because I just like girl, that humbling. Yeah, humbling.
SPEAKER_01I heard him say something about like um kind of like the word thing that you're talking about, like he couldn't even put to words, but like how Jesus was love, like the word love that you think of, like, and how he just embodied that, like, and how he just was that. And he's like, I couldn't even explain it. I did see one of partial of that interview, and it's so good. Cause yeah, he just talks about like what heaven looks like, and I think that's also um different rabbit hole for a different day, but like something that a lot of people kind of either really struggle with or like are very intrigued by like how's that all gonna work? What's that gonna look like, and things like that.
SPEAKER_02But well, and like you're saying, a lot of people they might struggle with prayer because they truthfully feel like it's not useless, but it's if it's not immediate, we have a hard time with it as people, right? As humans, we want immediate gratification, immediate set. We're all teachers, so we lived in that realm, live in that realm. We all have young children, immediate gratification is something that we've tricked ourselves into making it seem like it means more, yeah. But you almost immediately forget what you even were asking for. So then did it really even truthfully matter? I like the idea of prayer. You really str if I had a like I'm talking to my sister, I'm talking to my children. I always want them to feel like prayer is their way of invading their whole life with Christ. I just love that, like imagery. We I've said it a couple of times, I've said it to my boys, but this is not the dwelling place, like the Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and then we spread it throughout the whole world. This place is the enemy's domain, this is where he reigns and rules and controls and gives and takes and all that. I'm not saying God is not here, he is omnipresent and he's always here, but you using your prayer life as a weapon to fight the enemy, that's what that is. Right. Like, don't think of prayer as belittling yourself to a holy high God. Right, it's really you saying, Let's fight. Yeah, like let's me and you, we're a team, right? Let's do this together. Yeah, that's what he's wanting you to even like get in your head.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, if you were here for our armory series, like the only offensive weapon he gives you, and the only offensive weapon you need, it's not because like, oh, you just get one. It's like, nope, that's the one and done. Yeah. And it's not, again, like it's not this long, like, oop, I'm gonna poke you from way over here, sword. It's like hand-to-hand, tiny, hand-to-hand combat because we find ourselves in those places in our lives. Because again, like this is an icky world filled with, and another thing he said that was very good. Um, he said that he's like, you can't describe it versus this world. He's like, so this world is just a shadow of what heaven looks like. He's like, but it's also a shadow of what hell looks like. Like we live in the in-between. In the in-between. Because like what's really bad, like the bad things of this world is just a shadow compared to the other, to the to this, where the good things of this world is just a shadow and a glimpse, like like a tiny, tiny glimpse compared to what heaven is like.
SPEAKER_01And see, I've heard that before because a friend of mine, she'll tell me, like, you have to think about people that are lost, like this is their heaven. And can you imagine? Like, some people are this is as good as it's gonna get.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I'm just like, ugh. And whereas we as believers, like, we know there's something better. So, like, why wouldn't you strive for that? But going back to what you would say to a friend who's struggling to pray, I think also I refer back to um, and I think a lot of times why I put pressure on myself, for instance, like when I go into my prayer time, and this is something that I have to work through of not putting that pressure because I know that doesn't come from the Lord, but that's just me and that perfectionist perfectionism stuff that I gotta work on is um I think so deeply about where is my prayer coming from? Like, is it coming from a place of like I wanting God's will to be done in my life, or is it coming to a like try am I trying to get to a place? And we say that we've said that quite often, and I don't know that we've said it on the pod yet or not, but are you coming from a place of wanting what God's will is for heaven to come down to this earth? Or are you trying to get to a place of achieving something or accompl or having like gaining something for yourself? Like, is it kind of like you guys said, like um different ways? What would that what would the world look like if you were praying for other people? Like if all those answered prayers got answered, or those prayers got answered, you know?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know the from a place to a place, and she's the one who told me that too. Oh, Joby Martin 2819. Is that his church? No else. No. No, that's that's Pam. What's it's a number two, though. I know. 11 something, isn't it?
SPEAKER_0116, 11, 20, 1122, 22, 1122. 1122. Joby Martin. I have to keep it. I don't remember. But Joby Martin came with some, he's a good one too. You want you want somebody to tell you how it is and not sugarcoat it? He's another good one. Him in 2019, 20, 1122 and 2819, those two churches. Look them up.
SPEAKER_00So maybe even like like us here saying, like, we didn't like this is like someone speaking life on unto our life. Like if you're struggling to pray, like immerse yourself in uh find someone who is going to be a good shepherd for you. Because like our friend Rochelle literally has a gift, a soup spiritual gift from the Lord of shepherding young women, like or any woman, I feel like any age, like she is just like magnetic. But when it's not because you want to be close to her, it's because you only see the Lord. You literally see Jesus dropping. When you're like, yeah, when she's shepherding you, like you just, it's just it's a supernatural gift. Like, I don't know how to explain it. So, like if you're struggling and you're having a hard time, like if you have someone that in your life, like voice that out loud. Yeah, like voice that and ask, which maybe, maybe for right now, this is that, but like find someone like in person, yeah. Or reach out to us through email, or like I'm not saying that we are those people for you, but if you don't have any, we I mean that's why maybe why you're listening. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Um, which is another reason why, and we probably will say this every single time. We always feel like people make it seem like community is a requirement. The reason that you need community is for ironing sharpy moments like this. Yeah, like if Tony heard me pray or if Madison heard me pray, and I would hope they would say, You better check those prayers. Like, those are not God-honoring prayers, and not like in a way of like I know better versus you, but I know I know you're better than I know what your soul really wants. And so make sure it says that. I would also say that I think a couple of things, prayers they can be public, and that's not a problem, right? You can pray in public. We tell our boys that every all the time, that if you feel the need to do something right then and you need to pray about it. I've told my boys that when they were going to school for a long time. And my oldest would actually physically grab people's hand and start praying for them. And the first couple of times it happened, people would come to me and they're like, He prayed in class. I'm like, Yeah, he can. So it's post-you can do it in a public forum, but the most powerful place it's gonna happen is private with you and him. Just you and him having a conversation. And I've actually turned to, and I never did it before. Joe laughs at me now because every now and again he'll be like, You're praying, huh? Because I have to do it out loud. That's just currently what he's got me doing. I have to literally, and it's a one-way conversation. It sounds cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs because I'm talking, hearing in my head, and then I respond. So it sounds like a one-way conversation person, but he the Lord's told me he's like, You need to hear yourself. You need to hear what you're praying, you need to hear it. So I would tell that's the advice that I would give. Like, do it in private for sure, not only, but and then do it out loud like that, or write it down if that's your need, because when you hear it and see it, then you're gonna be like, it's easier to take account of it. Is that from the enemy? Is that from for me? That's just me personally, because that's something I'm struggling with. So those would be my like two four.
SPEAKER_00Well, and then when you write it down, when the prayer gets answered, you can go back and check it and you can write that. And then you've got this like beautiful journal of faithfulness. Faithfulness, like journal, like journal of faithfulness from the Lord.
SPEAKER_01Like well, I always too like that's kind of how I surrender it to the Lord. I have to write it down and then I I let it out, right? I release it, and I'm like, that's yours, Lord. Like, I don't want that no more. And I lay it, lay it down at his feet. Um so funny you said talking about the good, good shepherd, because I've had this open because I knew we needed to say this at some point, but I literally have Psalms 23, is what you laid on me.
SPEAKER_02He's memorizing it.
SPEAKER_01So I think this is where we should wrap up because no matter where you're at, um what your prayer looks like. I'm this gonna take my mic out. I'm so sorry.
SPEAKER_00It's like my third time.
SPEAKER_01Even if you don't have a prayer, this is an amazing one to pray over yourself. And this is so I went from starting my morning with you know Psalm 51, and now I knew I needed to kind of end my day with Psalm 23.
SPEAKER_00So before you start reading, I feel like this is the per I agree, like the perfect way to wrap up because we started with Philippians 4, like to start with Thanksgiving, and I feel like that's what this is like giving the Lord, like praying Thanksgiving over his character and who he is for us. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul, he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, and my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
SPEAKER_02Amen. Yeah, we're gonna start memorizing that, and then like he knows like the first four, and I'm like, oh, this is so cool. I don't even know that stuff. All right, well, thank you so much for coming and girl chatting with us. As always, we're here on the YouTube, wherever you want to find us. And make sure you like and subscribe so you can get that Wednesday alert that there is a new armored garden. But we thank you so much for coming and growing with me, Lauren, Tony, Madison, in the garden today. Have a great one.
SPEAKER_01See ya.
SPEAKER_02Do I intro the same way? That's kind of a few applications. Oh my. Okay. Okay. I think you should also have an intro.
SPEAKER_01These are kind of like special kind of episodes, so you can kind of do what you want. I do like my TikTok. Hey, howdy, hey. Yeah. No. We're shaking it up.
SPEAKER_00Do you want someone else to do it? You want one of us to try it? I don't know. We can each do one. That would be fun.
SPEAKER_03That would be cool.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Okay.