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  • Women Imprisoned for Their Faith

    Women Imprisoned for Their Faith
    2025/11/04
    Dr. Nijay Gupta Dr. Kelley Mathews Dr. Nijay Gupta, author of Tell Her Story, joins BOW Team Member Kelley Mathews in this fascinating discussion of persecuted women in the early church. What can we learn from their stories? How do their stories encourage our faith and our own courage? What can we learn from them? What do we miss when we fail to study them? These women's stories provide models for us today to stand up for Christ, to know that he is better than anything that comes into our lives, and to be willing to cling to him no matter what happens to us or our country in the future. Recommended resources By Dr. Gupta Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church Redeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation by Ingrid Faro and Joyce Koo Dalrymple nijaykgupta.substack.com Christianity Today article by Dr. Gupta, "Junia, the Female Apostle Imprisoned for the Gospel" This episode is available on video if you prefer watching. Timestamps: 00:22 Introductions 01:40 Junia (Romans 16:7) and the conditions in Roman prisons, especially for women 13:25 What egregious activities would put a woman in prison? 17:17 Perpetua, whose diary provides great information about imprisonment, and Felicity, her slave girl 28:31 Blandina's story 29:30 Physical suffering in the Scriptures 37:26 Other resources TranscriptKelley >> Welcome to the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast. I'm your host Kelley Mathews. And today I have with me Dr. Nijay Gupta. He is a professor at Northern Seminary and a prolific author. Welcome, Nijay. Dr. Gupta >> Hi, Kelley. Looking forward to our conversation. Kelley >> So this is going to be fun, I think. I mean, well, fun. That's relative, I guess. But it'll be intriguing I think. Nijay has written a lot of books. He's been a professor for a while. A lot of his books have to do with Paul and the New Testament letters that he wrote. But he's also written one particular book that is specific to our topic today, and it is called Tell Her Story came out a couple of years ago, and it basically tells about the women in the New Testament who were really involved in leading and participating in the mission of the church. So it has become quite popular, from what I understand. I certainly enjoyed it. Dr. Gupta >> Yes, thank you. Yeah, it's funny. I, you know, just had an idea to write this book, and I sent it to an editor friend of mine, Anna Gissing, and she was so excited. And then it just sort of took off from there. So a big thank you to Intervarsity Press for publishing it. Kelley >> Oh, they're great. So one of the women in that book we're going to start with. Our topic today is specific, not that broad of women involved in the church, but specifically ones who were imprisoned for their faith. And one of the women you cover in the book does hold that honor, I suppose. And we're also going to talk about one who is post biblical days who are still in the early church and maybe will hit a third one. So, Nijay, tell us who Junia is and why we need to know about her. Dr. Gupta >> Yeah. A lot of my work on this subject owes a debt to Romans 16, which is the last chapter of Paul's big letter to the Romans. And I used to think of Romans 16 as a bunch of kind of hellos that Paul gives at the end of the letter, almost like end credits in a movie. And you sort of get up, you don't pay attention. You leave the movie theater. And so I had a friend in seminary who actually memorized the whole book of Romans, and he asked me, how should I memorize Roman 16? And I said, You're at the end. Just finish it off. But there's that sense of you're preaching through Romans. You kind of, you know, have so much to work with. Just in the first four chapters, let alone get to chapter 11, let alone if you get to chapter 15 that I don't know if I hear from any very many sermons on Romans 16.
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    39 分
  • Women & Worship in the Early Church

    Women & Worship in the Early Church
    2025/10/07
    Dr. Sandra Glahn Dr. Kelley Mathews Dr. Sandra Glahn, Professor at Dallas Seminary, joins BOW Team Member Kelley Mathews in this episode. They discuss the fascinating archaeological discovery of the Megiddo Mosaic and what it reveals about women and worship in the early church. The Mosaic was found in what is the earliest Christian church known in the world This Mosaic is currently on loan and can be seen at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Other resources: See pictures of the Megiddo Mosaic at the website of The Museum of the Bible. BOW's podcast series on how Biblical archaeology can enhance our faith with Angela Everett: 1. Biblical Archaeology: Why It Is Important; 2. Old Testament Discoveries; 3. New Testament Discoveries. Or link to the videos of each where you can see images of the archaeological finds: Part 1; Part 2: and Part 3. This episode is available on video as well. Timestamps: 00:20 Introductions of Dr. Glahn & the topic 02:23 What is the visual record of the church and why is it important? 06:18 Background of the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity 07:52 What was the archaeological find at Megiddo? And what does it tell us about the early Christian church? And particularly women? 14:27 The most significant thing about the mosaic itself 20:45 The incorrect and better narratives as to why there were so many women the early church 24:05 Display at the Museum of the Bible [Note: If you are interested, check to see if the Mosaic is still on display.] 24:35 Why was the Mosaic covered? 25:24 The deity of Christ 26:59 Where to see images of the mosaic TranscriptKelley >> Welcome to the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast. I'm Kelley Mathews and I am delighted today to host Dr. Sandra Glahn, a longtime friend and colleague. And she's a seminary professor. But today we're going to talk to her in her context of being the co-founder of the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity. Welcome. Dr. Glahn >> Thank you. My pleasure. Kelley >> This is fun. Yeah. So today we're going to talk about something old, really old. And archaeology is a big part of biblical studies that gives us lots of background. And there have been some discoveries in recent years that really apply to women in particular. So tell us what we all heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls or most of us probably. And those were discovered decades ago and they've really revealed a lot. What are people saying is the biggest discovery since then? Dr. Glahn >> Since then. So it's a floor that was found in Megiddo, which is connected with Armageddon. That's where you hear the "magid" in there. So it's not just notorious. It's also known for some great stuff in church history and in biblical history. And some folks were digging in a prison courtyard and came upon a preserved floor that's a beautiful stone mosaic. And the thing I love about mosaics is they can look like they were set yesterday, whereas a fresco fades, a statue usually in 2000 years, loses a nose or an arm, or archer loses a bow or whatever. But the mosaics are much more preserved. And this floor was intentionally preserved. So it was clear that it was hidden for a reason, but it was intended to hide it for a long lasting preservation. So it wasn't just covered over with sand and dirt as the years went by, it was more like a plaster-ish substance that said, “We want to protect this, but we want to hide it.” So I should probably back up and tell you what in the world I do. I'm a seminary professor who mostly teach writing and all those hard verses about women in the Bible. What do I have to do with archaeology? And because that will be relevant in what we talk about. So one of the courses I teach at a seminary level is medieval art and spirituality. And we take men and women to Italy for about 17 to 19 days every other summer and look at the visual record of the church. That is particularly relevant for women because often when we teach church h...
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    29 分
  • Making the Complex Simple

    Making the Complex Simple
    2025/09/23
    Dr. Nika Spaulding Dr. Kay Daigle Dr. Nika Spaulding makes the complex simple for everyday people. In this episode she joins Dr. Kay Daigle to discuss the first booklet in her series Theology in 10. Her purpose is to help us all easily understand theological issues. Her first booklet tackles the topic of the Trinity. It's hard to grasp, but Nika finds a way to simplify it so that all believers not only understand it but also apply this truth in real life. Don't miss Nika's easy explanation of the series and this topic. If you want to dig deeper into understanding the Trinity, consider ordering one of the resources that Nika suggests below. Resources: Theology in 10 at nikaspaulding.com Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith by Michael Reeves The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders Trinity songs playlist Other topics with Nika: Series on justice Series on lament Series on Choosing Trustworthy Resources Trinity songs playlist This episode is available on video as well. Timestamps: 00:20 Introductions 01:35 How Nika got into theology 04:15 The desire to make theology simple for everyone 06:13 Nika's project to make theology accessible in 10 09:45 Elements included in 10 pages 11:47 Goals for the reader 13:31 Why start with the Trinity? 16:03 What are the "So Whats" from the Trinity? 31:54 How to get Theology in 10 32:18 Other resources 33:04 Nika's Closing comments on God's love for us--that all members of the Trinity love and save us. TranscriptKay >> Hi. I'm Kay Daigle of Beyond Ordinary Women Ministries. I'm here today with Nika Spaulding. Welcome, Nika. Nika >> Thanks, Kay. Kay >> And welcome to all of you out there. We're so glad that you joined us for this conversation. We're going to be talking about theology for everyday people. And let me tell you just a little bit about Nika, why she is an expert in theology. She has a DMin in New Testament. And she also has a master's of theology from DTS. And she is a storyteller and a theologian. And I've heard her described herself as actually a Bible nerd. Nika >> That's so true. Yeah. Kay >> So those are things that I know about Nika. And she has been working on a new project, Theology in 10. I'll let her tell you about that. But it is that theology for everyday people that she has come up with. And so I really want to talk about all those things. And I could but first, I really thought, particularly since we're talking about you as the theologian and theology, that maybe some people don't know anything really about you. So tell us a little bit about your background and why you got into theology in the first place. Nika >> Yeah, it's such a good question. So I didn't grow up in the church, so the fact that I'm like now a Doctor of Ministry in the New Testament is like more shocking maybe to me than anyone. So I actually have a science background. I grew up in a non-Christian home. My parents are believers now. I grew up in a great home. I loved my family. But theology was this really foreign thing to me! This like I knew that books existed. I knew that theology was like a discipline, like zoology, which is my bachelor's degree or like psychology or all of these things. But I got to college and I thought for sure I was going to be a doctor because I love science and I wanted to help people. But to this day, if I see blood or vomit, I get weak in the knees and I pass out like till this day. And I knew this even going into college. So. Oh, yeah, everybody with common sense kept going “Maybe you should pick a different career,” but I didn't have enough common sense at 18. So eventually I realized, Okay, I'm not going to make it through medical school. So now what? And that started me on a journey of trying to figure out what is it that God was calling me to do. At that point, I was walking with the Lord faithfully.
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    36 分
  • Questions about Prayer

    Questions about Prayer
    2025/09/09
    Kay Daigle Claudia McGuire Most if not all of us have had questions about prayer at some point in our lives. Perhaps yours were never answered or the answers you heard didn't satisfy your curiosity. If so, this episode is for you. BOW Ministry Team Member Claudia McGuire is here to help. Don't miss her insightful and helpful conversation with Kay Daigle. This episode is also available on video. Other resources on prayer “Practical Prayer Solutions” with Kay Daigle & Kelly Arabie “Prayer & Obedience” with Claudia McGuire Book: Prayer: How to Have a Conversation with God by Rosalind Rinker Timestamps: 00:21 Introductions 02:01 Prayer is hard for many reasons. 04:23 Why pray? 08:27 Is there a right or wrong way to pray? 11:34 Why did the disciples ask Jesus how to pray? 16:01 Why are my prayers not answered? 21:33 What role does faith play in prayer? 27:20 What is intercessory prayer? 31:02 Is there a prayer that God doesn't answer? 34:51 Does Jesus pray for us? 38:28 Do we need to work hard to be heard? 48:25 Other prayer resources TranscriptKay >> Hi. I am Kay Daigle. I'd like to welcome you to this episode of the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast. Today I'm talking with Claudia McGuire. Welcome, Claudia. Claudia >> Thank you. Kay >> Claudia spent years on staff at a church in Plano, Texas, at Chase Oaks, and she now still does Bible teaching, and she speaks at retreats, leadership, training, conferences—whatever. And we are so glad that she is one of our BOW Ministry Team members. So she's not really a guest, but she is a co-worker in this ministry. And it's been a privilege to know Claudia since we were in seminary together. Claudia >> Thank you. You, too. I feel the same. Kay >> Yes. So today we're going to talk about prayer. We've talked about prayer previously, and we're going to talk a little bit about prayer today. We're going to talk about your Prayer Questions Answered. So if you have had a question, possibly Claudia will answer that question today because I think she's come up with some general questions that a lot of people ask. Is that right, Claudia? Claudia >> I think so. I've heard these questions. And then I've also just thought through these seem like logical questions to me. Some of them are kind of seem harder than others, but I think they're all relevant. Right? Kay >> Right. I totally agree. Claudia >> So I just have observed that over the years, as I've been in Bible study or led Bible study or been in small groups, or mission groups or, you know, all kinds of situations like that with I should say, fellow Christians, fellow Christ followers, I've just observed that there are people who seem to be uncomfortable with praying, right? Kay >> Yes. Claudia >> So just praying, just uncomfortable with it. Even if maybe they've been a part of your group for quite a while. Or even if maybe they've known the Lord for quite a while, there's this uncomfortable thing that happens. And, you know, not to call on them when it's prayer time and whatever situation you're in. Some don't like to pray aloud. I'm not saying that they don't pray. That some don't like to pray aloud. They just don't like that. Kay >> Yep. Claudia >> And some people are uncomfortable when other people pray. Like, I just kind of sense that sometimes from people. And then some others don't. We kind of touched on this in another recording that we did, but some others don't want to share requests because they feel God's not going to hear me, this isn't worth his time. Nobody wants to hear this or it's just something that I'm not ready to put out there before people, which is I understand that. So maybe we can address some of this mystery that seems to surround prayer or at least have a discussion of things that might keep us from praying in all kinds of situations. And hopefully as a result of this, that we who pray out loud or don't have a problem with prayer might disc...
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    51 分
  • Leaders, Seek Volunteers More Gifted than You

    Leaders, Seek Volunteers More Gifted than You
    2025/08/26
    Kat Armstrong Kay Daigle Leaders are always on the hunt for good volunteers. The question is what to look for in a potential volunteer. The answer? Recruit gifted volunteers. In fact, look for those more gifted than you are. What does it look like practically? Kat Armstrong discusses with Kay Daigle why and how to find and empower such volunteers. As a leader, this episode will make you think about what gifts you need in the people working under and with you. Keep in mind that you need to recruit gifted volunteers, people who are even more gifted than you are! Recommended resources Recruit the right volunteers with Kat Armstrong How Should I Structure My Women's Ministry Team? Maximizing volunteers This episode is available on video as well. TranscriptKay >> Hi, I'm Kay Daigle with Beyond Ordinary Women, and I am delighted to welcome you to a series of videos that I'm doing with Kat Armstrong, who is the founder of Polished Ministry, a nonprofit. And Kat is sharing lessons in leadership that she has learned through leading in Polished. And we have some others that we're discussing as well. But this particular session we're going to talk about seeking leaders that are more gifted than you. And so, Kat, there are probably people out there wondering why in the world you would want to seek leaders more gifted than you, because don't you want to sort of be the one who knows all the answers and, you know, you're sort of at the top of the food chain. Why not? Kat >> Well, yes, I used to think that way. I read this book by John Maxwell, probably 15 years ago called Developing the Leaders Around You. And that book changed my mind about this. And he said, “Think about your leadership on a scale with zero being not such a great leader, got to work on some things, and ten being really high capacity person. He said, “Let's say that we're seven maybe six-and-a-half. If you start recruiting eight, nines and tens in your organization, they're going to bring you up. They're only going to encourage you in leadership and make you a better leader. And I think Stephanie and I, when we co-founded this organization, really took that to heart. But I started to see quickly that if we were going to reach our peers with the gospel—young, professional women (I only had experience in sales and marketing), we needed women who were great in accounting and logistics and administration and technology. Things that I'm not going to be able to learn really quickly or efficiently. But they know how to do it. And so we just decided let's recruit the smartest, fastest, most efficient women we can think of. And it is a little intimidating. I walk into a leadership team meeting, and I think everyone in here is better educated and could do a lot of things better than I can. But it just makes our team really strong. Kay >> Absolutely. I totally agree with you about that. Do you have an example to share of someone or a group that really was just an amazing recruit? Kat >> Sure. If we look at our staff right now, I wish I could talk about all of them. We don't have time to do that. But I think if you just go to our website, look at the headquarters staff, they're incredible. Felicia Benton really stands out in my mind is someone I watched behind a microphone and I thought, wow, she is better at interviewing than I have gotten in a decade. And I've really been practicing. We've done over 200 events. I bet I've interviewed a slew of people and it was like magic to watch her behind a microphone. And then I watched her emcee an event, and I thought of all the things I've read in the training I've been to that is just raw, natural talent right there. It's and now she's joined our staff as the regional director, and she helps all of our directors and see and speak. And so she's training people on how to do that. But I think she probably stands out as a great example for that. Kay >> Well,
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    7 分
  • Shepherding a Small Group

    Shepherding a Small Group
    2025/08/12
    Lynn Hoffmann Kay Daigle Lynn Hoffmann joins Kay Daigle in this conversation focused on shepherding a small group. Lynn shares from her extensive experience as a small group leader, including many years in 12 Step studies. What does shepherding a small group entail? Lynn suggests beginning with a well-defined purpose for your group. She focuses on the importance of making it a safe place for each group member. This episode provides specific and practical help for any small group leader who wants to disciple a group to flourish and follow Jesus. This episode is also available on video if you prefer. Recommended resources Steps into God's Grace by Lynn Hoffmann Small Groups' Page to see all of our resources Building Community in Small Groups--Share Life stories Leading a Small Group Toward Spiritual Growth series: 1. Essentials, 2. Preparation, 3. Discussions Intergenerational Small Groups Timestamps: 00:21 Introductions 02:01 Biblical shepherds 06:50 Why be in a small group to begin with? 14:55 Practicing confidentiality 23:24 How do you know if the group is growing together? 25:30 How do you connect with women outside of the group when needed? 30:22 Group should be about the "one another" verses 38:16 Picture yourself as the shepherd of your group 40:30 Lynn's final challenge 42:43 Other suggested resources TranscriptKay >> Hi. I'm Kay Daigle. Welcome to the Beyond Ordinary Women Podcast. Today I am talking with my friend Lynn Hoffmann. Welcome, Lynn. Lynn >> Well, thank you, Kay. I’m so glad to be here. Kay >> Well, we are so glad to have you today. I've been looking forward to this and a lot for a long time in fact, I've been trying to get Lynn on here for a long, long time. And I think we finally hit on some things she wanted to talk about. So here we are we're going to talk today about leaders as shepherds. We're going to be talking about shepherding small groups. And really shepherding is an aspect of discipleship. And so that's where discipling people were shepherding them. And so let me just tell you a little bit about Lynn, but you can find more about her on our website, BeyondOrdinaryWomen.org. Go to the dropdown menu where it talks about the “About Us” and look under video podcast contributors and you'll be able to read all the details about Lynn and all the things that she's done. But I will tell you that she's had years of involvement in recovery ministry. She taught she led groups, she's mentored women, and she wrote her own book that she began using Steps into God's Grace. And we'll let her talk about that at the end of our podcast a little bit. Now, she's the certified spiritual director so she's done a lot of different things. And I know that she's going to be a blessing to all of you out there. Since we're talking about shepherding, I thought we would just talk for just a few minutes about sheep a little bit and shepherding since it's used so much in the Bible and there's a reason because we are like sheep in a lot of ways. And I'm not going to talk about how we're like shape, but I'm going to talk about shepherding a little bit So I thought we would look at a few scriptures. I'm not going to really open all these and read the whole thing for you right now. But I would encourage you to read back through Psalm 23. I'm sure everyone is familiar. “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want He makes me dwell down in green pastures. He restores my soul.” And all of that is the wonderful Psalm. It's one of my very favorite. So I think it's probably on everybody's top ten list, at least of passages. So we learn a little bit about a shepherd as we look at Psalm 23. It says that the shepherd thinks of what the sheep need, what kind of food they need. He leads them there. He protects them from their enemies. And he's a companion. He helps heal them. And we see all of that in Psalm 23. And then in John 10,
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    45 分
  • When We Talk to God

    When We Talk to God
    2025/07/29
    Sharifa Stevens Kay Daigle Sharifa Stevens, author of When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women, talks with Kay Daigle about her book. Although it's written with black women in mind, any woman can identify with most of the feelings that permeate this beautiful book. This is a book that prays women's feelings, as the Psalms do. There is something for each reader as Sharifa pours out her heart in these prayers and poems. Recommended resources sharifastevens.com sharifahstevens.substack.com Podcast series with Nika Spaulding: Understanding Lament & Practicing Lament The Psalms This episode is also available on video. Timestamps: 00:20 Introduction to Sharifa & her book 01:39 Sharifa's heart for the book and how it came to be 08:03 How do you see women of other backgrounds connect to the poems & prayers? 10:08 What did you hope that black women of faith would take from your book? 11:31 Women are worthy to talk to God. 15:22 Some of the prayers may be challenging but no topic is off limits with God 16:35 How did you deal with reliving difficult experiences? 18:54 Sharifa shares a favorite, "Moving On Up." 22:26 Resources TranscriptKay >> Hi. I'm Kay with Beyond Ordinary Women Ministries. Welcome to our podcast. Our guest today is actually one of our ministry team members, Sharifa Stevens. And today she is the one being interviewed rather than just one of our team members. So, Sharifa, it’s so great to see you as always. Sharifa >> It's always a pleasure to see you, Kay. Kay >> Now, Sharifa, according to her book, Sharifa is a writer, a poet, a speaker, and a singer. And it's all true. Sharifa >> It's true. This is going to be so fun! Kay >> I don't know... I'm not quite sure why you think this is so funny. That's the wonderful things that you are. Sharifa >> It is. It's wonderful. Kay >> She looks so sad. Sharifa >> I'm so sorry. I'm not. I'm so happy. Kay >> Anyway, we won't talk about you anymore if it'll make you feel better. Sharifa >> Okay. Kay >> You can read Sharifa's entire bio on our site BeyondOrdinaryWomen.org. So today we are talking to Sharifa because she has a book, and it is beautiful. It is one of the prettiest books I've ever seen. And it is When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women. So Sharifa, actually, I was just really blown away by your book, by the beauty of it, by so many of the poems and prayers in it. It just really touched my heart in a lot of ways. It reminded me a lot of the psalms, which mean a whole lot to me, because you had a lot of raw emotion in there like the psalmist, and it all came from your heart. And there's no doubt about it. That kind of expressed your deepest thoughts. And, you know, just like the Psalms that give us words to pray when we don't know what to say to God. I see your book is doing that for a lot of people there. There will be a lot of poems and prayers in here that will be very dear to many women who will read them and pray them over and over. I think, just like the Psalms, it will help people when they face difficulties be anchored in the Word when that happens. Thank you for doing this. Sharifa >> Thank you for those affirming words. And I am especially honored that you would draw a parallel to the Psalms because that was my goal. And I see the Bible as being so vivid and rich with emotional depth that it's not just an intellectual exercise to read the Bible. It is spiritual, and it's also emotional, and it reflects the fullness of God's love and of our humanity. And so in the book, I wanted to reflect some of that back to the frankness and intimacy of the Psalms and the prophetic voice of the prophets, and the thirst for justice that echoes throughout the prophetic books, and also the playfulness of the Song of Solomon. They're just different beats in the Bible. There's history, there's lamentation, there's so much praise,
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    24 分
  • Prayer and Obedience

    Prayer and Obedience
    2025/07/15
    Kay Daigle What does prayer with obedience look like? Claudia McGuire, BOW Team Member, talks with Kay Daigle about it. She uses Psalm 31 as her example of exactly how she prays and obeys God from reading and meditating on the Word of God. This is an episode for any Christian who is searching for a deeper prayer life and application for her Bible reading. Claudia's honest insights into her own prayer life are invaluable. Recommended resources involving prayer Why is Prayer So Hard? Part 1: A Matter of the Heart & Part 2: Life Issues Questions About Prayer Prayer for the Overwhelmed Entrusting the Future to God Practical Prayer Solutions Seeking Joy in the Psalms This episode is available on video if you prefer to watch. Timestamps: 00:18 Introductions 01:22 What does it mean to pray with obedience? 05:39 Psalm 31, an example of how to incorporate scriptures into your prayers and obedience 34:11 Other resources on prayer TranscriptKay >> Hi. I'm Kay Daigle. Welcome to our podcast for Beyond Ordinary Women. My friend who isn't actually a guest because she is a member of our ministry team, but this is Claudia McGuire, and we've had her on many times. Welcome, Claudia. I'm so glad you're with me today. Thank you. Claudia >> I'm happy to be here today. Thank you for asking me. Kay >> Right. Well, Claudia is going to talk about praying with obedience. Now, Claudia has lots of experience in the church world. She worked at Chase Oaks Church for almost two decades, I think, a long time. She still speaks and teaches Bible studies and does leadership stuff and will speak at a retreat or a training of any kind. And so today, she's going to talk about prayer. We've talked about prayer before, but today, Claudia wanted to talk about praying with obedience. So I have to ask you what does that mean to pray with obedience? Claudia >> Well, I think that is a great question. Kay >> You never expected one! Claudia >> I didn't very well, actually. I don't think we think about it. I'm wondering if we think about that aspect of prayer enough for those of us who who do pray. I think that we just don't take into account that prayer is more than just casting our cares on God, just throwing things at him and saying, “Help me. Get help me get out of this—or whatever.” There is an aspect of obedience, and that's kind of what I want to talk through as I go through this psalm. Psalm 31 is what we're going to look at. But prayer in itself, which is the ability to communicate with our creator. I think it started way back in the Garden of Eden, and Adam and Eve used to walk in the cool of the day in the garden and talk to God. And I don't really see or know specifically how that morphed into our current prayer life. You know how we pray today, but we do see prayers all throughout the Bible, and it’s just a privilege that I think our God has given us. Not only is it a privilege, but it's also something I think that involves an aspect of surrender when we come to God. It involves trust that he's there. It takes vulnerability on our part to actually come before the throne of grace, as the Bible calls it. And then, really when we open our hearts and our needs to the Father, that also involves listening and believing that he hears. So if we're actively praying about something without listening or looking for God to answer, we might be missing one of the biggest aspects of prayer, which is obedience. Like if I'm praying about something—my obedience or what I might hear or sense—it’s that I just really need to keep praying about this. It’s something I don't have a peace about. I have no idea what the answer is or the outcome is going to be. That could be my obedience is just keep praying about it. It could be that maybe God impresses on me to go to somebody. Maybe I need to ask her forgiveness. Maybe there's something that's creating a barrier between me and God. You know,
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    36 分