What if prayer isn’t symbolic comfort but real work that God uses to change lives, families, and cities? Pastor Jason Smith opens with a story from a house church he recently visited in India, where a new believer—the first in his village—hosts eighty worshipers in two concrete rooms and radiates a dignity the world can’t explain. From that picture of courage and purpose, we move into James 5 and the deep logic of intercessory prayer: confess honestly, pray earnestly, and expect God to act. Along the way, we revisit Abraham pleading for Sodom and Moses standing in the breach for Israel, moments that anticipate Jesus, the great high priest who lives to intercede and invites us into his work.
We get practical without getting gimmicky. You’ll hear simple habits that actually help: journaling, answered prayer, walking as you pray, praying the promises of God, and using short, focused prayers with a partner or group. We also confront the hesitations most of us carry: fear of “nothing happening,” feeling unqualified, or getting stuck in outcome control. The answer isn’t hype—it’s access. If you belong to Christ, you have the Father’s ear. And when we pray the way Paul prayed—prioritizing knowing God, walking worthy, perseverance, unity, and bold witness—we align our requests with God’s revealed aims while still asking for good things, including healing.
You’ll hear vivid accounts that ground these truths: unseen strength sustaining Adoniram Judson during imprisonment while believers interceded across an ocean; testimonies of healing and unusual breakthrough from Guatemala to India; and a vision for a church where confession is safe, lists become labor, and courage rises like Acts 4. The thread through it all is simple and demanding: stand in the gap, bear one another’s burdens, and ask. If God often chooses to work through intercession, what might he do through yours today?
If this conversation stirred your faith, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review with one person you’ll intercede for this week. Who are you standing in the gap for?
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