Time. The thing we never seem to have enough of. But in order to have a thriving prayer life, we must invest this valuable resource. This week, we’re talking about how we can be intentional with our life, redeem our time in prayer and pray when it feels seemingly impossible.
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Ep. 60: Time with Jordan Raynor
Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. He does this through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), podcast (Mere Christians), and weekly devotional (The Word Before Work)—content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth.
In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush.
A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa.
Jordan’s Instagram | Jordan’s Website
Highlights from today’s episode:
- 4:00 Jordan’s prayer routine
- 6:40 How to combat feelings of failure in prayer
- 8:30 How Jordan prays in his life
- 11:50 What it means to be intentional in life
- 16:00 How we redeem our time in prayer
- 21:05 Jordan’s biggest answered prayer
- 25:30 Jordan’s biggest “no” in prayer
- 29:30 Where Jordan learned to pray
- 32:15 How Jordan wants to grow in prayer
Things mentioned in today’s episode:
- Redeeming Your Time by Jordan Raynor
- Val Marie Paper prayer journals
- Prayer by Timothy Keller
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Ep. 61: How to Improve Your Prayer Life This Week
Last week, I had Jordan Raynor on the podcast talking about how to redeem our time in prayer. I started thinking about some practical tools to help redeem your time in prayer but many, we’ve shared throughout previous how to’s and ultimately there was one idea that stood out about the rest.
The best way to redeem our time in prayer is to understand what we’re doing when we pray.
Allow me to unpack that super vague and maybe obvious statement.
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A prayer for When You Need More Time
Feeling like you have so little time to do all the things? Here’s a prayer to pray when overwhelm starts to creep in.
- Identify what has you feeling hurried and like there’s too much to do.
- Reflect on Elisabeth Elliot’s words: “There is always enough time to do the will of God. For that we can never say ‘I don’t have time.’ When we find ourselves frantic and frustrated and harried and harassed and ‘hassled,’ it is a sign we are running on our own schedule, not on God’s.”
- Lift up what you think needs to get done.
- See if God prompts you to take anything off your list.
This prayer has been adapted from my book Springboard Prayers. If you were encouraged by it and would like 124 other prayers to read when you don’t have the words, grab a copy at valmariepaper.com as well as our other resources mentioned
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A prayer for breakthrough
We all go through lulls in our prayer life, keep coming back to this prayer when you’re feeling stagnant.
- Praise God that He can be known and makes Himself so accessible.
- Share your desires for your prayer life and ask Him to work
- Share with the Lord any fears that come with knowing God more.
- Acknowledge any questions you wrestle with about prayer.
Scripture included in this episode:
- Psalm 139:23-24 – Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
- James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
This prayer has been adapted from my book Springboard Prayers. If you were encouraged by it and would like 124 other prayers to read when you don’t have the words, grab a copy at valmariepaper.com as well as our other resources mentioned.
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