In this episode of The Unpolished Church, Jon Sherwood (https://www.jonsherwood.com) calls us back to Jesus’ way of praying honestly, bringing who we actually are before the Father, not a polished “digital self.”

We explore C.S. Lewis’ wisdom to “lay before God what is in us,” then exposes the Matrix-style trap of presenting a simulation of ourselves to God instead of the real thing.

Together we practice four everyday prayers: gratitude, lament, petition, and intercession and how gratitude frames even our hardest moments with faith and hope.

We also reclaim intercession as the priestly work Jesus invites all believers into, then wrestle (faithfully) with God’s sovereignty and human freedom guided by Dallas Willard’s charge that God’s response to prayer “is not a charade.”

Finally, we situate prayer within real cosmic conflict and the “throne room” reality that meets us when we pray.

If you find this episode helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with friends!

Chapters

[00:00 ] – Intro

[03:08 ] – “Lay what's in your before God” (C.S. Lewis)

[05:55 ] – Types of Prayer: Gratitude and Lament

[08:49 ] – Understanding Petition and Intercession

[12:07 ] – The Tension of Prayer and God's Sovereignty

[15:01 ] – Cosmic Conflict and the Power of Prayer

UNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus’ redemptive mission in the world. If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!

Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast

#bible #biblestudy #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #unpolishedchurchpodcast #microchurch #missionalcommunities #community #organicchurch #housechurch #scripture #truth #faith #jesuschrist #discipleship #christian #christianity #prayer #spiritualformation #lament #intercession #lordsprayer #spiritualdisciplines #spiritualpractices #spiritualgrowth #CSLewis #DallasWillard #TheMatrix #prayer #livingonaprayer #morningprayer #faith #christianity #spirituality #church #theology #spiritualgrowth #howtopraytogod #gratitude #lament #authenticity #selfimprovement #mentalhealth #selfdevelopment #beyourself #selfawareness