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There's a prayer I look back on now and think, God, thank you for not giving me what I asked for. I was so certain I knew what I needed, so certain I was praying for the right thing, but God saw a few steps down the road where I couldn't see. In this week's installment of our Lord's Prayer series, we're talking about the hardest part of prayer: the part where we surrender our will to His and learn to ask boldly while holding our hands open. In This Episode: The difference between praying for your will and praying for God's will, and why Jesus put the surrender before the ask in the model prayer Why specific, daily prayers matter more than vague generalities: God has the capacity to hear every small request, and when you get specific, you see His hand move specifically Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as the ultimate model of bold asking followed by complete surrender: "Take this cup from me, but not my will, yours be done" The practice of trusting God in both answered and unanswered prayers, because if He says no or redirects your path, that actually means He loves you enough to protect you from something you can't see Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

When I pray "Our Father," I'm claiming a relationship. When I pray "Jehovah Jireh," I'm declaring that God sees and provides. The names of God aren't just titles or poetic language. They're invitations to experience different aspects of who He is and what He's capable of doing. Learning to pray through His names changes everything about what you ask for and what you actually believe He can do. In This Episode: The name you call God determines what you're claiming about Him in that moment, so "Father" brings intimacy, "Jehovah Jireh" brings provision, "El Shaddai" brings sufficiency, and each one opens a different door to His character When you're anxious, you need a different name than when you're grieving. Matching the name to the need is how you move from generic prayers to prayers rooted in what's actually true about God's nature The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, and the first thing He said was "Our Father." He started with relationship because that's the foundation for everything else Praying through God's names takes you from asking with doubt to asking with confidence, because you're asking the God who is specifically able to handle exactly what you need in this moment Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

Prayer doesn't have to look like a perfectly worded speech or feel like you're performing for an audience. I've been teaching this to my students for years, but I had to actually live it before I believed it. There's a difference between the way we think prayer should work and the way Jesus actually taught us to pray. And turns out, He kept it way simpler than we make it. In This Episode: Jesus didn't teach us to pray with big, flowery words or perfect theology. He taught us to pray like children asking their father for what they need, with intimacy and honesty instead of formality The Lord's Prayer breaks down into a simple pattern: who God is, what you're asking for, what you're confessing, and what you need protection from, which takes all the complexity out of knowing what to pray Your prayers don't need to sound like anyone else's prayers, and God is not impressed by volume or eloquence. He's listening for your honest heart, your real thoughts, your actual struggles Pray out loud, pray on walks, pray while you're mad, pray while you're driving. Prayer is just talking to God about what's real, and it counts just as much whether it's beautiful or messy or somewhere in between Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

I painted a mural for an ISS room with the words "Better Choices, Brighter Future." Truth and grace sitting side by side in one small room. A kid broke a rule, got a consequence, and was still reminded that this moment didn't have to define them. And I realized something about how we handle our own relationships: we almost never hold grace and truth together the way Jesus did. In This Episode: Grace without truth looks like staying silent to avoid conflict, which breeds resentment and keeps relationships surface level instead of letting people actually grow Truth without grace looks like constant correction, nitpicking, or calling out someone's sin so bluntly that they stop bringing you anything real because they know all they'll get is judgment Jesus modeled both at once: confronting the woman at the well about her marriages while offering her living water, confronting Peter's denials while restoring him to his purpose, holding forgiveness and a call to change in the same breath When you need to say something hard, lead with warmth: "I love you no matter what and because I love you I cannot pretend this is not hurting you," and then stay in the relationship instead of disappearing after the hard conversation Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

I watched a pelican soar over the ocean, dive into the waves, and come up with a fish. It didn't just appear in the bird's mouth. There was still effort and work involved. That simple image got me thinking about God's provision all week, especially as I sat with friends who run million-dollar businesses but have all been through tight financial seasons. Every one of us started with something we already had. And God kept asking me the same question: what's in your hand? In This Episode: God's pattern in Scripture is never to drop something brand new out of the sky. Instead He asks "What do you already have?" and multiplies the small, ordinary thing that's sitting unused right in front of you Moses had a staff, the widow had a jar of oil, the boy had a lunch, and we had a building sitting empty on Sundays. None of it looked like provision until we started actually looking at what was already ours Before you ask God for something new, ask Him to open your eyes to what's already in your hand. Write it down, what's underused, what feels too ordinary to matter, what's been sitting idle Your work isn't creating provision. Your work is going and getting what had already been provided. The pelican still has to dive, but the fish is already there in the water Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

I set a timer for 15 minutes of uninterrupted quiet and got three text notifications before I even made it a quarter of the way through. That's when I realized something: I cannot get quiet by accident. If I want uninterrupted time to think, create, or pray, I have to build it on purpose and defend it like it matters because it does. And research backs me up. One small interruption costs way more than you think. In This Episode: There are two different kinds of quiet and they're not the same thing: quiet to recharge through prayer and Scripture, and quiet to create output and think through things that require real focus Research shows it takes over 20 minutes on average for your brain to fully regain deep focus after just one interruption, which means those little pings and questions are stealing way more time than you realize Jesus modeled both kinds of quiet: He withdrew to solitary places to pray, and He also called His disciples away to rest, showing us that both are non-negotiable parts of how we're made to function Access is the enemy of depth, so you have to decide on purpose that for a defined stretch of time, you are going to be unreachable, and then you have to actually protect that time by putting your phone in another room Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

My daughter just left for college and started sorority Rush. Every girl walking into that process is wondering the same thing: will I be picked? It's a question that doesn't go away when we grow up. Lecrae, at the height of his career, still carries the fear of not being chosen. But Scripture answered this question long before any of us were born. Before Rush lists and friend groups and art retreats and every invitation we didn't receive, God had already written our names down. In This Episode: Before we had any chance to be picked or passed over, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, which changes the entire order of things about where our worth comes from We are not just chosen, we are adopted, and adoption is never accidental or convenient. God chose us on purpose, intentionally, before we existed to earn it or lose it What we think about ourselves on a regular basis becomes what we believe about ourselves, whether it's true or not, so renewing our minds with what God says about us matters more than any list No matter which list you're waiting on right now, that choosing has already been decided. Nothing on that list gets the final word about who you are Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

Twenty-six years ago, I stood in a field with thousands of other college students and heard John Piper preach a message called "Don't Waste Your Life," and just this week, a random Instagram clip brought it all rushing back. In this episode, I'm sharing why those words have stayed with me for decades and the question underneath them that I think we're all wrestling with: am I spending my life or am I wasting it? We're talking about what a full life actually means, why it's about aim and not scale, and why your ordinary, faithful days matter more than you know. I'm not leaving you with a to-do list this week, just one honest question worth sitting with. Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

In this bonus replay episode, my guest is Jess Wolstenholm, writer, editor, kids Bible teacher, and the Director of Content and Faith Formation for Minno Kids. Have you heard of Minno? Minno is the leading voice around the globe for using media to spark kids' imaginations and curiosity around God and the Bible. They connect families through media that creates shared faith experiences, supporting parents and grownups, and paving the way for enduring spiritual growth in children. Your family can watch Minno programming on YouTube or through the Minno website and app. ⁠https://gominno.com/⁠ Connect with us! Website: ⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠ Instagram- ⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

I had a God idea for a creative project and ran into problem after problem. Typos, technical issues, music licensing blocks, clips that wouldn't cooperate. My first thought wasn't that I was on the right track. It was that maybe I heard God wrong. But then I remembered something: resistance shows up whenever you move toward a higher version of yourself. And the more a calling matters to your soul's growth, the more resistance you will feel pursuing it. In This Episode: Resistance is spiritual warfare, not a sign that you took a wrong turn, and it shows up looking like fear, procrastination, self-doubt, rationalizing, sickness, or busyness to distract you from what matters Look at Nehemiah rebuilding the wall: enemies mocked him, plotted against him, made him build with one hand on the work and one hand ready for battle, but he stayed focused anyway You don't have to wait for all the resistance to disappear before you keep going. You are allowed to keep building while you're still fighting against it The more a calling matters to your soul's growth, the more resistance you will feel trying to pursue it. Often that intensity is proof of how much it matters Connect with us! Website: ⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠ Instagram- ⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

This past week our youth group went out on a mission night with just one assignment: ask the Holy Spirit to show you who Jesus would want you to see. One hour. Four groups of kids. A lot of different lives touched. And I realized something that I want to share with you: it doesn't take a mission trip or a big plan. It just takes a willingness to ask God who He wants you to see today, and then actually move toward that person. In This Episode: The difference between noticing a need that crosses your path and going out on purpose to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit prompts you to do with whoever He puts in front of you Two simple questions you can ask anyone, anywhere: "Is there anything I can pray for you?" and "How can I help you?" These open doors that small talk never will Physical and spiritual needs go hand in hand, just like Jesus did when He fed people and taught them, healed them and explained who was doing the healing You don't need money, a group of four, or a master plan. You just need to stop thinking about your own list for a moment and ask God whose name is on His list today Connect with us! Website: ⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠ Instagram- ⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

You might have heard about Illustrated Faith before, and I am so excited to welcome special guest Shanna Noel to the podcast today to talk about her journey building Illustrated Faith and exploring the Bible through journaling and art. Use the coupon code Hereshope25 for a discount on Illustrated Faith! ⁠https://www.illustratedfaith.com/⁠ Connect with Shanna: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/shannanoel/?hl=en⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/illustratedfaith/?hl=en⁠ Connect with us! Website: ⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠ Instagram- ⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

Denise Albright was a doodler who became a professional illustrator, then a planner designer whose product ended up in a warehouse collecting dust. Instead of giving up, she bought the inventory, sold 10,000 of them in six weeks, and eventually launched her own company. Today, Class Keeper has helped over a million families preserve their kids' childhood memories without drowning in paper chaos. Her story is about closed doors being redirected opportunities and the power of taking the next step without needing to see the whole staircase. In This Episode: How a warehouse full of unsold planners destined for the furnace became the turning point that taught Denise she could figure it out, whatever it takes The real origin of Class Keeper: solving her own mom problem of wanting to capture memories without overwhelming herself with crafts, bins, and impossible systems Why closed doors aren't failures, they're redirects, and the difference between the plans you make and the purpose that unfolds when you stay open to pivoting Finding hope by looking backward at how you've gotten through every hard thing so far, and trusting that a couple of bad chapters doesn't make for a bad story Class Keeper: https://app.referralhero.com/MF9ed5848fe4/universal_link?mwr=141a5402 Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, this is too far gone? Maybe it's a relationship that's crumbled beyond repair, a mistake you keep replaying, or a season so dark that hope feels like something other people have. We're wrapping up Ruth today with the story of ultimate restoration, and I want to tell you something: God specializes in broken things. He doesn't work around your story. He works through it. Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818

In a Sunday school class icebreaker, almost everyone said they would rather do absolutely everything themselves before ever asking another person for help. I'm a one, which means I freely ask. For a long time, that felt like I was doing something wrong. But reading Ruth Chapter 3 taught me something different: asking for help is not weakness or selfishness. It's wisdom. And it opens doors you can't open on your own. In This Episode: Ruth had every reason not to ask: she was a foreigner, a widow, with no standing in her community, yet she went to Boaz and asked anyway because she knew she couldn't redeem herself alone Asking for help takes courage, which is not the absence of fear but going anyway, and when you're willing to be the only one in the room saying yes to needing people, everything changes When you finally ask, what you find on the other side might be exactly what you've been praying for, because the person you're asking often has the means, the willingness, and sometimes even the desire to help if only they knew Do not underestimate the power of your ask. You might be sitting on a real need while someone in your life is waiting for permission to step in and help you Connect with us! Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pzazzonline.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram- ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/pzazzartstudio⁠⁠⁠⁠  Text us: 1-334-249-1818