Prayer is a central piece of the Christian life, but actually doing it challenges many believers. We often don’t pray when we have chances to do so. Not praying has been a common human issue for a very long time, but why does reaching out to God seem so hard sometimes? This week, Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church talks about the incredible power of prayer, misconceptions about prayer, the strange difficulty and the true simplicity of prayer.
Prayer is a central piece of the Christian life, but actually doing it challenges many believers. We often don’t pray when we have chances to do so. Not praying has been a common human issue for a very long time, but why does reaching out to God seem so hard sometimes? This week, Pastor Carter Conlon of Times Square Church talks about the incredible power of prayer, misconceptions about prayer, the strange difficulty and the true simplicity of prayer.
Key Questions from the Podcast
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How has prayer impacted your life?
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What is prayer?
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What happens when we pray?
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Why don’t more Christians pray?
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What do we do if it seems like our prayers aren’t being answered?
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We need to pray like we've never prayed before. Why?
Notable Quotes from the Podcast
Prayer is just talking to God. Church experience tries to make it something else, tries to formalize it, or make it something where you have to yell with God, or you have to be in a certain posture or it's not prayer. – Carter Conlon
Prayer now, to me, is a delight. It's not a job, it's not work or a chore. It's life. It's just the way I live it now. – Carter Conlon
God doesn't take super men or women. He takes ordinary people who simply want a relationship with him. He begins to do supernatural things through their lives. – Carter Conlon
God's timing is not our timing. We think we know how God should do something and when. I've learned over the years that God has to bring the right conditions. I’ve just learned to love the way that God does things. He doesn't do it the way we think he's going to. – Carter Conlon
The enemy really aligns himself to get us derailed from having the faith and confidence that God ultimately is out for our good. God's not against you, he's for you. – Gary Wilkerson
I want to be that man in Ezekiel who's agreeing with God. My natural eye and heart want to cry out, "Judge it!" Instead, I'm saying, "God have mercy." Because I've not forgotten who I was. I was destined for hell and somebody prayed for me so shouldn’t I pray for others? – Carter Conlon
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. – Mark 11:24
pray without ceasing – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? – Mark 8:36
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9
And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. – Ezekiel 22:30