Perspectives Into Practice | Walk with God

Have you ever felt God inviting you into something and immediately started asking questions? Why this? Why now? What am I supposed to do when I get there? And God, could You please give me just a little more information before I say yes? I think sometimes we assume that if God is leading us somewhere, eventually He's going to give us enough details to make the whole thing make sense. But what if He doesn't? What if the invitation is simply to come with Him? In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, I'm sitting down with my new friend Lori G. Melton to talk about what God has been teaching her about following Jesus when the invitation comes before the explanation. Lori has always loved adventure, but lately, God has been changing the way she approaches the adventures He's inviting her into. She's learning that she doesn't always need to understand what God plans to do with her yes before she gives it. And friend, I think that's something a lot of us can relate to. Because it's one thing to say we trust God. It's another thing entirely to feel Him inviting us into something and realize we have absolutely no idea why. Lori shares a beautiful story about an invitation to attend a writing workshop in Scotland. Years earlier, she'd felt strongly that if the opportunity ever came, she was supposed to go. But when that opportunity finally arrived, it didn't make much sense. She had already finished the writing project she'd been working on, didn't have anything new to submit to the workshop, and couldn't explain why she needed to spend the time and money to go. But she couldn't shake that invitation. As she continued seeking God, He began showing her something that challenged the way she'd always approached opportunities. She didn't need to come home with a specific result to make the experience worthwhile. She didn't need another project, a list of accomplishments, or a clear explanation of what the trip was supposed to produce. She could simply go, enjoy what God had prepared, and be willing to give and receive whatever He had for her along the way. Lori calls this learning to embrace holy mystery. And I love that phrase because so often, we want to know what something is going to lead to before we're willing to take the first step. We want to know whether the investment will be worth it, whether we're making the right decision, and whether we're going to have something to show for our obedience. But what if God is inviting us to stop measuring every yes by the outcome we expect? What if there's something beautiful about following Him simply because we know who's asking? We also talk about how this doesn't mean saying yes to every opportunity that comes along. Lori shares another invitation she's been considering and how she's learning to seek confirmation through Scripture, prayer, trusted friendships, and conversations with her husband. Because sometimes the fear we feel is simply part of stepping into something unfamiliar, and other times, we need to recognize that an opportunity might not be right for the season we're in. Learning to discern the difference matters. In this episode, we discuss: Following Jesus when you don't understand where He's leading Learning to trust God without knowing the outcome What Lori means by embracing holy mystery Saying yes to God before having all the answers Letting go of the need to control every detail Trusting God with opportunities that don't seem to make sense Releasing expectations about what obedience should produce Finding freedom in not needing a specific result Learning to approach God's invitations with childlike trust Recognizing when fear is holding you back Discern...

Have you ever stopped to think about how you're actually praying? Not whether you're praying enough or saying the right words, but whether you're really bringing your heart to God and making room to listen to Him. Because sometimes prayer becomes so familiar that we find ourselves going through the motions without even realizing it. We pray for our families, our circumstances, the people around us, and the things weighing on our hearts. But are we being intentional about those conversations? Are we asking God for specific things? And are we taking time to recognize what He's doing throughout our day? In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, I sit down with my new friend Donna to talk about what God has been teaching her about prayer, trusting His answers, and growing closer to Him in everyday life. Donna shares how she's been rediscovering something that made a difference in her relationship with God years ago. A group of women called The Fives, who committed to praying five days a week, at 5 a.m., for five weeks. Now, before you decide this episode isn't for you because 5 a.m. sounds absolutely terrible, stay with us! Because one of the things we talk about is that growing closer to God isn't about getting up at a particular hour. It's about making intentional time to be with Him. For Donna, those early mornings have become a place where she can slow down, spend time in God's Word, pray with other women, and actually listen. And what started years ago as something that felt like an obligation has become something she genuinely looks forward to. But that's not the only thing God has been changing. Donna shares how she's learning to move away from those broad, blanket prayers we can so easily fall into and begin bringing specific requests to God. Not because we can somehow convince Him to give us everything we want. But because He invites us to come to Him, to ask, to seek, and to knock. And because He cares about the things that matter to us. We talk about what it looks like to pray boldly while still trusting that God's answer might be different from what we were hoping for. Because sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes it's no. And sometimes we don't understand what He's doing until we're looking back years later. But even when His answer isn't what we wanted, we can trust that He sees what we cannot. And I love how Donna is learning to carry that relationship with God beyond her morning prayer time. She's even started setting alarms throughout the day to remind herself to stop, pray, give thanks, and recognize His presence. And friend, if you need to set an alarm to remind yourself to talk to God, that's okay! Sometimes we need practical reminders while we're building new habits. The point isn't to make prayer another obligation. It's to grow in a relationship where talking to God becomes a natural part of our everyday lives. In this episode, we discuss: How to grow closer to God through prayer Learning to pray boldly and specifically Moving beyond routine prayers and religious checklists Why God wants a relationship with us, not perfect words Trusting God's answers when they aren't what we hoped for Praying with faith while surrendering the outcome What it means to ask, seek, and knock Recognizing God's faithfulness when looking back on difficult seasons Making intentional time for prayer and Bible study Finding a prayer routine that works for your season of life How praying with other women can strengthen your faith The Fives, praying five days a week at 5 a.m. for five weeks <...

Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed by all the good things you've said yes to? Not bad things. Not things you necessarily regret. Good opportunities. Things you're excited about. Things that might even be part of what God is doing in your life. But somehow, somewhere along the way, the things that were supposed to bring you joy started bringing you stress instead. My new friend Tannera found herself in that exact place. In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, we're talking about what happens when our schedules are full, our commitments keep growing, and we start wondering how we're supposed to do everything we've agreed to. Tannera shares how she and her husband intentionally seek God about what He has for them each year. But as new opportunities came along, she found herself saying yes to more and more things. Between work, building businesses, serving in church, beginning the adoption process, pursuing education, and developing new skills, she reached a point where she felt completely overwhelmed.So she went to God with a question. What needs to come off my plate?And His response brought her right back to something she'd forgotten.What had He actually asked her to do in the first place? Because sometimes we get so excited about all the possibilities in front of us that we start adding things God never asked us to carry. And before we know it, we're exhausted, frustrated, and wondering why we don't have time to sit with Him anymore. One of the things Tannera shares that really stood out to me is how her yes to all those good things had slowly become a no to spending time with God. Not intentionally. But it happened. And I think that's something we need to be willing to look at in our own lives. We also talk about the difference between what we believe we're capable of and what God is actually asking us to do.Because sometimes we need to recognize that we've taken on too much and something needs to go. Other times, we might be holding on to an old belief about ourselves that God is asking us to challenge. The important thing is learning to bring both of those possibilities to Him instead of deciding the answer before we've even asked. Tannera shares some really practical ways she's learning to examine her commitments, recognize the expectations she's placed on herself, and bring her thoughts back into alignment with God's Word. And I love that this isn't about doing more. It's about knowing what matters in the season God has you in right now. In this episode, we discuss: Recognizing when good things have become overwhelming Learning to say no without feeling guilty Knowing what God has actually asked you to do Recognizing the difference between God's direction and your own expectations Why every good opportunity isn't necessarily for your current season Protecting your relationship with God when life gets busy Recognizing when busyness is stealing your joy and peace Learning to slow down and seek God before saying yes Understanding your priorities in different seasons of life Recognizing when you're trying to outrun God's timing Letting go of things you've already invested time or money into Challenging the beliefs you've developed about your own capacity Recognizing the difference between a thought that feels true and what God's Word says is true Taking your thoughts captive and replacing lies with biblical truth Understanding that real emotions don't always tell us the truth Learning to love and serve the people in your life in ways that matter to them Asking practical ques...

Have you ever looked at someone else's life and thought, "If they would just listen to me, things would be so much better"? Maybe it's your child. Maybe it's someone you love deeply. Or maybe it's someone you don't even know very well, but you've already made up your mind about the decisions they're making. And then God reminds you that their walk with Him isn't yours to manage. In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, I sit down with my new friend Wendy to talk about what God has been teaching her about judgment, grace, letting go of control, and trusting Him with the people around us. Wendy shares a recent experience at a conference where she found herself questioning why a particular speaker had been invited. She already had opinions about him based on things he'd said in the past, and she wasn't exactly excited to hear what he had to say. But as she sat there, God began asking her some questions of His own. And one of them was simple: Do you trust Me? What happened next challenged Wendy to recognize that people can grow, change, learn, and become more like Jesus, even when we aren't there to witness the process.God reminded her of something He's been teaching her for a while now:Eyes on your own paper, my dear. Because sometimes we're so busy watching what someone else is doing that we miss what God is trying to do in us.And this gets even harder when the person we're watching is someone we love. Wendy and I talk about what this looks like as mothers, especially as our children grow into adulthood and begin making decisions about their own faith.We can teach them, encourage them, pray for them, and love them with everything we have. But we cannot walk their relationship with Jesus for them.And trying to take responsibility for something that belongs to God can actually make it harder for us to love them well. One of the things I appreciate about Wendy's perspective is that she isn't talking about giving up on people or pretending their choices don't matter.She's learning to extend grace while still holding on to truth.She's learning when to speak and when to be quiet. And she's learning that trusting God with someone else's life doesn't mean loving them any less. In this episode, we discuss: Trusting God with the people we love Recognizing when we've already judged someone before listening Letting God challenge our assumptions about other people Extending grace while still holding on to biblical truth Remembering that people can grow, change, and learn Why we need to keep our eyes on our own walk with Jesus What John 21 teaches us about following Jesus instead of comparing ourselves to others Letting go of control as our children become adults Trusting God with adult children who aren't walking with Him Recognizing what belongs to us and what belongs to God Learning when to speak and when to hold our tongues Loving someone without taking responsibility for their spiritual journey Creating a safe place for our children to come back to Praying for people without trying to control the outcome Asking God to help us see the hearts of the people around us Leading with curiosity, love, and grace instead of judgment Why Christian community matters when we're navigating difficult relationships Trusting that God's love for our children is greater than our own One of the Scriptures Wendy brings us back to is John 21, where Peter asks Jesus about another disciple. And Jesus essentially reminds him that his responsibility...

Have you ever prayed for something for so long that you started wondering when God was going to answer? Maybe you've been believing for healing. Maybe you're walking through something painful that hasn't changed, no matter how much you've prayed. You know God is faithful, but today is still hard.And sometimes you're just tired. In this episode of Perspectives Into Practice, I sit down with my new friend Ena to talk about what it looks like to trust God when healing hasn't come and you're still living in the middle of the story. Ena has spent years navigating chronic pain, spinal stenosis, surgeries, and physical limitations that have changed what she's able to do in everyday life. She describes this season as one where her body has grown weaker, but her spirit has grown stronger. And she's honest about how difficult that can be. There are days when her pain is overwhelming, when the things she wants to accomplish and the things her body will allow are completely different. There are moments of frustration, tears, and wondering why she's still going through this. But Ena is learning something important about her relationship with God.She doesn't have to measure God's presence by how she feels physically. We talk about the tension between believing God for healing and being honest about the pain you're experiencing today. Because having faith doesn't mean pretending that something doesn't hurt. It doesn't mean you never get frustrated. And it certainly doesn't mean you have to have a perfectly polished testimony before you can talk about God's goodness.Ena shares how she's learning to return to God again and again, even when she doesn't have the words for a long prayer. Sometimes it's simply, "Lord, help me.", remembering what He's already brought her through, it's choosing to praise Him in the middle of a difficult day, and sometimes it's learning that spending your best ten minutes with God can be more meaningful than trying to meet an expectation of what your time with Him is supposed to look like. One of my favorite parts of our conversation is how Ena talks about God as her Father. Not someone she only approaches when she needs something, but someone she genuinely wants to spend time with.Even while she's waiting, while she's hurting, and when she doesn't know what tomorrow will bring. In this episode, we discuss: Trusting God when healing hasn't come Living with chronic pain while holding on to faith Believing God for healing when circumstances haven't changed Being honest with God about pain, frustration, and disappointment Why struggling doesn't mean you're failing at faith Recognizing God's presence in the middle of suffering Remembering God's faithfulness during difficult seasons Finding spiritual strength when your body feels weak Returning to Scripture when life feels overwhelming Building a genuine relationship with God instead of checking religious boxes Why your best ten minutes with God matter Praying simple, honest prayers when you don't have the words Talking to God throughout your ordinary day Learning to trust God as a loving Father Seeking God's presence instead of only seeking an answer Choosing gratitude and praise during difficult circumstances Listening for God's guidance and taking the next step Continuing to trust God through unanswered prayers Returning to God again and again, even when you've struggled Friend, maybe you're living in your own messy middle right now.You've prayed. You've believed. You'v...