Podcast Episode 26 – Praying For A Peaceful Lifestyle

[00:00:00] Shonda: Hello, this is Shonda. At the end of episode 25, which was regarding stress, we decided it was important to talk about prayer . Prayer is very helpful in dealing with stress because it gives us direction and purpose as we seek God for help. So today we're talking about daily prayer and we touch a bit on prayer and fasting.
[00:00:32] Shonda and Patryce: Hi, and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks lifestyle podcast. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patryce. Let's just be real.
[00:00:59] Here's our disclaimer. We do not professionally practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.
[00:01:17] Shonda: This is Shonda. And Patryce is here and she's going to lead our discussion on prayer.
[00:01:22] Patryce, what did you have for us today about prayer. I'm eager to hear it and learn, because I know you have presented prayer to others before, so I'm eager to hear your presentation.
[00:01:33] Patryce: Wonderful. Well, I'm eager to share. And, um, I think as we've mentioned before, I'm sharing from the perspective of being a Christ follower and as such, we talked on our last podcast about stress. And we've talked about different ways to relieve stress and manage stress and one major way in our lives, uh, as Christ followers, and just how myself and I think I can speak for you too, Shonda, uh, we deal with stress is through, through prayer, our prayer life. And, um, so that's what, what we just basically wanted to share. About our prayer lives and just the power of prayer. We can start with what is prayer?
[00:02:23] Prayer is essentially talking with God and by talking with God, drawing nearer to Him. And it's something we can do any time, anywhere. And that alone helps with minimizing stress because that's when stress can occur anytime, anywhere. So we always have the power of prayer to turn to.
[00:02:46] And, um, you know, I, I, maybe not everyone listening to the podcast has the practice of praying, but I'd like to encourage you to just listen to our podcast and, and reflect on just some of the things we're wanting to share from the heart.
[00:03:03] And, um, I guess I would, would begin with talking about saying grace, because we do talk about food and drink here. Uh, and many people are aware of saying grace.
[00:03:16] And what is saying grace? It's just the practice of thanking God for food before a meal. And, uh, it is... it can be as simple as just thanking Him. Or it can also be a little lengthier and be a time of Thanksgiving for all of his provisions. Maybe it's a bigger meal with more people. And so I'm, I'm thinking of Thanksgiving for example, of a time where the pre-meal prayer, uh, might be a little longer than the everyday prayer before a meal
[00:03:51] Shonda: Here in the U S Thanksgiving meal is not too foreign of an idea for praying before receiving that meal.
[00:03:59] Patryce: Definitely. Yeah. That's a very good example. And, um, so I know that for some people, yeah. It can be intimidating or complicated, but I think if we try to simplify it and just like we, like, we started with think of it as just talking to God, God who provides everything for us and, and blesses us, then it becomes more natural to think well, I'd like to thank God and that's at every meal time. And then ask Him to bless the food as well, because we have only so much control over things in life, including the food preparation and, and just all those things. So, um, I definitely feel strongly that asking the Lord to bless my food is something that also minimizes stress and brings about peace.
[00:04:55] So anything you wanted to add to that Shonda? Uh, about the prayer time at meal?
[00:05:00] Shonda: I know that, um, at one time when I was having the most difficult time with digestion that, um, I made it a true practice to pray, um, because I was seeking God for relief from that. And also it was a time that I could calm my body down and to prepare it for, for eating, you know, to switch from, um, the busy-ness of the day to sit before the Lord and pray and receive peace before eating food.
[00:05:29] Patryce: I love that. I love that that's proactively praying and, um, and being intentional. Yeah. So thank you for sharing that. And, and also I was thinking also, you know, we have also prayers that we, we pray in the middle of any situation or daily activity, similar to what, what you were just sharing Shonda, and then maybe even a practice when you're about to go out to eat. And you're used to making your own meals at home, and you've been on this, this lifestyle change and it works for you, but you're going somewhere else. And, and you you're, you're going to have fellowship with other people and a good time, but you want to avoid temptations. So I've heard it called arrow prayers. Just little prayers that you say, Lord, on your way into the restaurant. Lord, help guide me on my food choices today. And my, and just my interaction with food today, or even when you're going to shop and you forgotten your shopping list, or don't have one asking the Lord to just remind you of what it is that would be best for your body or what, what to include in your basket, um, when, when doing your grocery shopping.
[00:06:43] So again, it's just the practice of knowing we can go to the Lord at any time about anything.
[00:06:48] Shonda: Wow. That's a really good point for grocery shopping. That's a really good idea
[00:06:53] Patryce: It's been helpful for me. So that, that was just what I wanted to begin with. The, these are just, um, just a reminder that we need to have personal daily communication with God.
[00:07:04] And that's why praying during our mealtimes is, is definitely a good way to put this into practice because we're, we're eating on a daily basis usually.
[00:07:13] Shonda: So why not add prayer to that time? Right.
[00:07:16] Patryce: Exactly. Exactly. And then also with, with prayer, it's setting aside time with God and making that a part of your routine, and that will lend itself to a healthy lifestyle.
[00:07:31] It's an opportunity to... it's something we shouldn't neglect. And it's an opportunity to, to be intentional about our personal, quiet time with the Lord. Is this something that you do as well?
[00:07:43] Shonda: Yeah. And I try to probably pack too much into my mornings. Well, it's usually at the beginning of the day or the end of the day is where it would happen. If I do not have personal quiet time in the beginning of the day, because, you know, I slept too late and I've got to get to feed the dogs and it's just going later later, and there are things piling up, you. I'll usually do so in the evening. Try not to late in the evening, but in the evening while catching a little sauna, I like to sit in my sauna and read the Bible and do my study and pray. You know, it's just so warm for me.
[00:08:21] I just likewarmth and being warm in the presence of God is what I enjoy.
[00:08:26] Patryce: That sounds ideal. Sounds really good. Yeah. So just be encouraged everyone that we should each find time, set aside time, whether it be in the morning or evening or both morning and evening to, to be in the presence of the Lord.
[00:08:43] Shonda: I was just going to say, I think sometimes in the morning it is more like an arrow prayer, you know, I stop and acknowledge God, you know, in the morning if I'm not spending any amount of time, you know, to listen and to be quiet before him.
[00:08:59] But also I was just thinking about, I think it's important to have particular spaces that you, you know, spend quiet time alone too.
[00:09:08] Patryce: I agree. I agree that just lends itself to you being able to keep up the practice of it and enjoying that and looking forward to that time. And I, it can be it certain chair, it could be a closet, whatever it is.
[00:09:22] And I have found for myself, I do like to do this in the morning and I actually, yeah we have technology, so with my phone, there's certain YouTubes where they have, um, prayers, uh, targeted prayers that I listened to. And it's just so comforting to listen to those. And then myself, um, just start my day in prayer, asking the Lord to guide me and to lead me and, and, um, To to show me what it is He would have me to do that day and to put Him first. So it's a great way to start our day. And then also to end our days.
[00:10:02] Shonda: Some days it is like right after I feed the dogs, like, let me just get them off my mind and then I'll come, you know, or whatever I had to do in the kitchen. Just get it off my mind and then come back because yeah, God does honor that.
[00:10:15] And I feel less stressed going throughout the day once I've spent that time. Less stress like, well, this really isn't important. Or, you know, my days better ordered and goes much smooth--smoothly.
[00:10:28] Patryce: I agree. It it's just less stress. It seems even if things don't go perfectly, which they never go perfectly.
[00:10:35] I know that my perfect God, um, has heard my prayers. And it's leading me and directing me and, and also, um, I know he will forgive me. And so, um, starting off the day that way, surrendering to Him, is-- it does help with minimizing stress and, and just bring about a peace. Yeah. That can only come from Him. And, um, so anyway, that that's like our individual alone time type, type praying.
[00:11:06] And then I, I had not learned about this until later in life. Something referred to as corporate prayer. Where I think this is another way that we can deal with stress, help minimize stress and corporate prayer just means praying with two or more people. Meaning that two or more of us, I'm sorry, are praying.
[00:11:27] So instead of praying, individually or solo, it's you one other person or maybe a whole group of people, uh, praying together. And there's no set way to do that, but I think just the whole process of praying with other people who are seeking and thanking the Lord. Um, it's just a very freeing and stressful relieving, um, activity.
[00:11:55] And, um, I've been blessed by different ministries. And one, I have to put out there is Mom's in Prayer. It's an international ministry and you can Google it, but they have so many prayer resources and just encouragement, but they shared something that I've found, um, very helpful in my prayer life. Um, Even to this day and, and that's that when we pray, there's no set way to pray, but there's certain components that are, that are helpful to incorporate in our prayers with other people and beginning with praising God. So just remembering that we're praying to God. And there's so many things to praise him for, but to just praise him, to acknowledge who He is, takes the focus of, of us and our circumstances and puts the focus on who we're praying to.
[00:12:46] Shonda: I think, uh, praise is, um, part of what some people think of as, what are you grateful for?
[00:12:53] Patryce: Amen. What are you grateful for? I love the way... Yeah.
[00:12:57] Shonda: When we should acknowledge that, what we're grateful for does come from him so that that's why it's praise.
[00:13:04] Patryce: Yes. I love how you added that. What we are grateful, grateful for comes from Him. For example, we are grateful that He is sovereign because only He, He is sovereign and sovereignty is from God. He is sovereign. So we can praise Him for that. Or He's mighty or just different... There's so many things to praise Him for. And that we're grateful for, like you just said. Um, so I love how you just put that.
[00:13:29] And then also, you know, when I've prayed with other people, just spending a few minutes, a couple minutes in silent confession, because we all stumble. We all do because none of us are perfect and life isn't perfect. But again, God is so gracious and so merciful and He, He loves us and He forgives us.
[00:13:57] But to be forgiven, we have to confess. So it's been a beautiful thing to be reminded that yes, I am praising God, but I'm also taking time out to silently confess my sins to Him because He is faithful to forgive.
[00:14:10] Shonda: Yeah. And like when you're saying He's faithful to forgive us, and then that reminds me to forgive others around me during that time too. If I have unforgiveness in my heart. Yeah. And that will definitely bring peace and release stress.
[00:14:26] Patryce: Yes. That's a very good, very, very good point about extending forgiveness to others. Yes.
[00:14:32] And then, um, then thanking God, um, A little different from praising Him, but being very specific or just being specific about things that have just happened that day or that week that we want to thank God for, because He, He hears us when we pray and he wants to, to be... He wants a relationship with us. So He loves to hear what we're thankful about. So that's just another thing when we're praying with others to not forget, to share what we're thankful, things that are on our heart that we're thankful for. And that too will, uh, again, take us from just dwelling on ourselves.
[00:15:14] Shonda: I may have miss--, uh, spoken too early about praise, but actually Thanksgiving is the part where we're grateful, right? Where we're expressing our gratefulness.
[00:15:23] Patryce: True. True. But sometimes praise and thankful thankfulness. They sometimes overlap.
[00:15:29] I don't think it's...
[00:15:30] Shonda: I don't think He minds.
[00:15:32] Patryce: No. Not at all, not at all.
[00:15:35] And then, um, so again, this is all praying with more than one person, and then we are going then into a time of interceding. That's when we're actually taking our petitions to Him and, and crying out to Him and seeking His help and, and just praying for specific things that are on our heart. And it's our, it's a time where we can, we have the privilege to pray for others, not just ourselves, but for others as well, but it's a time to intercede on behalf of others.
[00:16:08] And, um, I love this because I know, especially when I was a, a baby Christian or just earlier my faith, um, praying a lot, especially in college. (Oh yeah.) Praying a lot. But it was always God, this God that, give me this, please give me that. Or, um, and then I realized. Yeah, I never really praised him or thanked him or didn't I, anything else confess or anything. I was just always asking God.
[00:16:37] But yeah, just intercession is the opportunity to then, um, not only ask for yourself, but ask for others, praying to God on behalf of others, as well as yourself. And, um, just considering it a privilege, but realizing that you've also acknowledged God for who He is and, and, and ask for forgiveness for your sins and thanked Him before you've just gone into... do this for me, please, or help me here.
[00:17:04] Shonda: Right? Yeah. So, yeah, I think I was thinking earlier about, um, you know, when you ask, this is a time to ask for what your needs are. So we are asking God to relieve us of stress or show us how to be relieved from this stress, you know, what do we need to change? What? You know?
[00:17:23] And He does point that out to you, you know, and I was thinking, this is also a time, you know, to think about guide me. And like you said earlier more in depth guide me in my food choices, guide me in my health plan, guide me, you know, in the lifestyle and, whatever need ...Changes need to happen. Show me the way.
[00:17:43] Patryce: Exactly. Actually, I love that. That, that is a great example of speaking specific on God, tell me, help me show me, and He is faithful to do that. Yeah, I think that's about, about it, um, regarding praying with more than yourself or praying with other people.
[00:18:04] But, um, the last thing to talk about is coupling prayer with fasting and with, with regards to fasting
[00:18:13] um, I don't know if many people listening, know what fasting is, but it it's abstaining from all or some kinds of food or drink and, uh, usually associated with your, uh, uh, religious practices. And so Shonda probably you can probably speak to this more because I I've done more fasting from not necessarily food or drink, but I know often people will fast from, uh, social media, anything that has become a stumbling block or anything that's just taking over your life or has not been healthy or is adding stress to your life. Let's just put it like that. For example, it's, it's not wrong to watch the news or, or to be on some social media platforms.
[00:18:59] But if that is like what you wake up to everyday and go to bed to every day and then you're stressing about what the content wow. Then try, I would encourage you to, to try abstaining from a period, for a period of time. I don't know if it's 21 days or whatever period of time you'd like from whatever that is and news or social media. And I think you will be so pleased with how freeing it is.
[00:19:28] Shonda: And guess what we can do with that extra time? Prayer.
[00:19:32] Patryce: I love that. Yes. Prayer. We sure...Yeah, we can pray and we can also plan our food, our meals, and other things that we say we don't have enough time for. I'm glad you brought that up because I don't even think I'm one of those people always on certain things, but when I have done... fast from say social media, because I don't watch news that much, but say social media. Um, yeah, I do find, I have a lot more time. So when I said, Oh, I don't know how to plan my meal, or I don't have time to play my meals. Uh, I, I do have more time. It's just, I've been spending it on all other things.
[00:20:07] So it can be an eyeopening experience and, uh, yeah, it can add to your peace.
[00:20:13] Shonda: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Um, so yeah, I know ,that that fasting allows your body to recuperate. I usually have never fasted really without food or drink for a long period of time. But I have done short, fasts. Um, I used to do a regular, you know, regularly, weekly, um, but, um But my purpose was healing.
[00:20:42] My, my purpose there was healing. So I did pray or I would read a certain passage during that, but really my focus was healing on that. So I think prayer and fast fasting together is about seeking something. So when I was going through healing at that time, you know, that's what I did. I did pray and fast.
[00:21:07] No, I haven't been on a regular basis something that I really incorporate as a lifestyle, let's say. I'm considering that because the Bible does tell us when you pray and when you fast, you know, so, you know, that may be something that we need to look further into, but I do know that it does have a healing effect on the body and it does have a spiritual connection to God.
[00:21:34] So, you know, the prayer, that's the spiritual connection, the fasting, that's the healing part of the body. And I know many times when I have, uh, gotten sick, I don't eat during when I'm sick. So I'm giving my body time to heal. So I am fasting, but usually I'm doing it with juice, you know, I'm the juice girl.
[00:21:55] So yeah, I usually don't eat when I'm sick. And the last time was at the beginning of March 2020 whatever, what was that? 2020 that we were in. Yeah. So, you know, I may have you know, been in contact with COVID. I don't know. That was the last time I was sick and, um, it was for three days and I did not eat, I think one day during that, I think I ate oatmeal cause I felt a little hungry, but I did not eat and I did the saunas and stuff.
[00:22:23] And um, so I know a lot of people do fasting because, uh, or maybe in line with detox, you know, maybe people think of it as a detox, but wow. Just to compound it with prayer, you know, um, to put that time that you would be spending in eating, you know. I think it reminds you, I'm not eating. Why am I not eating? I'm not eating because I want to pray instead, I want to be connected to God. So when the thought of like, okay, I'm not eating my thought immediately goes to God, what are you showing me? God, what. You know, what, what can we do? I'm seeking you, you know, in my mind is like, okay, God, I'm not eating. I'm seeking you and a moment to listen, you know?
[00:23:08] Um, so that's what I think, you know, at those times like, oh, it's time to eat. No, we're not eating today. We are thinking on God and, you know, asking for guidance.
[00:23:19] Patryce: So I love that. That's so good. And I love how you brought up healing and there's healing of our body that takes place when fasting and then detox, and you mentioned detoxing. And detoxing physically of our body, but with both healing and detoxing, as you were speaking, I thought these also apply to healing of our thoughts and our mind and yeah.
[00:23:44] Shonda: Spiritual and physical are highly connected. So yeah, that's right.
[00:23:50] Patryce: That's what I'm thinking. You said it well, spiritual and physical. So spiritual healing and physical healing, but also physical detoxing and spiritual detoxing, because you know what? We need to also rid our minds of the garbage or the excess and, and not to say again about the news or social media, but sometimes let's be honest we have an overload. We have an overload of things that are not moving us closer to the Lord and ultimate peace, but further away and crowding our mind. So I love that visual. I found myself going to after you were, while you were speaking that, that detoxing is not just physical, but it's also spiritual. So Thank you for that.
[00:24:36] Shonda: Hey God knows. Hey, prayer and fasting, you know, he created us, He created, created prayer and fasting. So yeah, we just need to continue to seek Him to learn and put into practice, um, tools and life that he has given us.
[00:24:52] Patryce: I think that's so key. So I hope people listening to this podcast will be encouraged to put into practice, try out prayer and fasting at some level.
[00:25:05] Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed today's podcast. Remember, you can catch show notes and additional details at realfoodanddrinks.com under the podcast menu. Also subscribe to our podcast if you aren't already a member of our community. And if listening through Anchor, please send us a message of topics you would like to hear us have conversations about. Until next time.
[00:25:34] Let's just be real.