The 24-7 Prayer Podcast 24-7 Prayer

How can the church respond to injustice and discrimination?

In this episode Hannah and Brian are joined by Lisa Koons, an activist, spiritual director, and 24-7 Prayer USA’s National Director of Mission and Justice. She shares about the joy of communion with God and brings rich insight into how she practices His presence in her life, as well as her response to the dark night of the soul, before moving into a wider conversation about the church’s response to injustice.

Speaking with particular reference to racial discrimination in the United States, yet with wisdom for the whole of the church, Lisa talks about the practical steps we can do to confront injustice in our unique contexts. This gracious and hope-filled conversation covers many questions - what does ‘unity in diversity’ really mean, and can it happen in the church? Does the call for justice distract from message of the gospel? How do we persist in pursuing change without burning out?

Towards the end of the podcast, Lisa answers a question about expanding our reading list to include voices from people of colour. These are the teachers and theologians that she mentions:

J.T. Thomas
Octavia Albert
Vincent Bacote
Brian Bantum
Charles Octavius Boothe
Keith Augustus Burton
Kelly Brown Douglas

Please do be advised that the nature of this podcast will cover some sensitive subjects.

Can joy and pain co-exist?

In this episode, Hannah and Brian are joined by Farshid Fathi, an Iranian pastor who spent 1,820 days in prison with 361 days in solitary confinement because of his faith in Jesus. Farshid tells the story of how he came to know Jesus, despite living under a regime where it is illegal to become a Christian. He shares his incredible journey to become a pastor himself, and what happened when the police arrested his entire ministry team, leading to his own imprisonment. He explores questions like how do you stay close to God in the middle of prison? Can you have joy during deep suffering?

In spite of the persecution he faced, Farshid didn’t give up on sharing the good news of Jesus. He shares how ‘In 5 years, by God’s grace, we planted 48 churches in 20 cities.’ Listen to hear about how God is transforming lives and growing the church in Iran.

What does the Catholic tradition have to teach about prayer?

In this episode Hannah and Brian, two Protestants, are joined by two Catholics: Christoph Neuwirth, the National Leader of 24-7 Prayer Austria, and Father Wolfgang, a Catholic priest in Vienna and member of the charismatic Catholic community Loretto.

Brian and Hannah bring some frequently-asked-questions to Christoph and Father Wolfgang – what does it mean to pray the Rosary? Do Catholics pray to Mary? – and explore some of the similarities and differences between traditions with curiosity and humility. Christoph and Father Wolfgang share about the profound impact that prayer has made in their lives, and they tell stories about how day-and-night prayer rooms have transformed their communities in an ‘explosion of mission.’

If you’ve ever been curious about the Catholic tradition, or if you’re simply hungry to hear about how God is meeting with people in Vienna, Austria – this episode is for you.

Explore more:

Learn about the Loretto Community: https://loretto.at/international/

Dr Maximillian Oettingen, leader of the Loretto Community, gave a talk about Mary at a 24-7 Prayer conference. Watch it here: https://www.24-7prayer.com/podcast/dr-maximilian-oettingen/

How do we pray when all we have is silence?

Content warning: This episode deals with difficult topics including baby loss.

Hannah and Brian are joined by Lucy Hill, the National Director for 24-7 Prayer in Ireland. In this wise and vulnerable conversation, Lucy opens up about times of profound loss in her life. How do we meet with God in the midst of suffering? And how do we hold space for those who are grieving?

Healing is needed for nations as well as individuals, and Lucy, Brian and Hannah move on to discuss the nations of Ireland and Northern Ireland, reflecting on the legacy of pain and the hope for awakening in this context. How do we pray for a nation? What does it look like to truly love your neighbour?

Is the church in the West asleep?

Brian and Hannah are joined by Pete Portal, who lives with his family in Manenberg, a township in South Africa. Pete and his wife share their lives with young men coming out of addiction and gang violence, and they’ve seen God do incredible things in their community. Pete talks about how to grieve well in a context full of loss, violence, and injustice, and how Jesus enables impossible hope. He describes how a life in ministry has confronted him with how drastically God’s idea of success is different from the world’s. How has a worldly idea of success crept into the goals of the church? And what’s the solution?

Explore more at:

Pete’s book: How to be (Un)Successful: https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/how-to-be-unsuccessful-book/

Pete’s small group course: How to be Unsuccessful: https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/how-to-be-unsuccessful/

Pete’s website: https://www.peteportal.com/

What role could a new monastic order play in the church today?

Brian and Hannah talk to Jill Weber, the Global Convener of the Order of the Mustard Seed (OMS), as she describes her ‘Great Experiment’ - can ancient monastic practices help us to follow Jesus today? Jill explains how seeking to honour her OMS vows has led her on countless adventures, from spaghetti nights in a crack house to church services in the red-light district. She discusses how personal and communal monastic practices can support us to live attentive and responsive to the presence of God.

Explore more at
Website: http://www.orderofthemustardseed.com/
Podcast: https://www.orderofthemustardseed.com/podcasts/
Lectio 365 app: https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/lectio-365/