Made to Pray Podcast

Made to Pray Podcast
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Christianity
  • Biweekly

Our co-hosts, Karrilee & Lori, believe that all of us are made to pray! They are both passionate about prayer and believe it is a lifestyle & it should be our first response, not our last resort! In this podcast, they will talk about prayer, and then they'll actually pray! Sometimes it will be just the two of them, but sometimes they will invite a special guest to the podcast to share a teaching or testimony as well as to join in with them in prayer! So whether you are an intercessor and are passionate about prayer already - or just curious about what prayer looks and sounds like and how to start a conversation with God... we invite you to come along with us on this journey of prayer! Listen, Lean In, and Pray Along!

  1. 3d ago

    Making Room for God: Spiritual Disciplines Without the Religious Checklist

    What if spiritual discipline isn't about trying harder or doing more—but about making room for God? This week on Made to Pray, Karrilee and Lori revisit Richard J. Foster's book Celebration of Discipline and explore twelve spiritual disciplines that can help us deepen our relationship with God. From prayer, meditation, and fasting to simplicity, solitude, service, and celebration, we're talking about how these practices can shape our hearts, strengthen our faith, and help us become more like Jesus. We also get honest about how difficult it can be to find quiet in a noisy world, why authentic Christian community matters, and how spiritual growth often begins with small, consistent steps. This isn't a bossy To-Do (or Not-To-Do!) list! It's an invitation to slow down, listen for the Holy Spirit, and discover which practices God may be highlighting for your current season. 💜 FREE DOWNLOAD: Making Room for God We've created a companion guide featuring all twelve spiritual disciplines, Scripture references, practical exercises, reflection questions, and encouragement from our conversation. 📖 Download your free guide here: [Making Room For God] Our encouragement this week? Don't try to master all twelve disciplines. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight just one or two, and begin there. 🙏 Thanks for joining us as we talk a little and then we pray! Scriptures to explore: Psalm 1:2, Matthew 6:16–18, Mark 1:35, John 15:5, James 5:16, Psalm 18:32. #MadeToPray #SpiritualDisciplines #MakingRoomForGod #ChristianPodcast #Prayer

  2. Oct 19

    The Power of Praying Together: A Faith That's Waking Up

    The Power of Praying Together: A Faith That's Waking Up What happens when thousands of people gather for one purpose—to pray? And what could happen if we brought that same expectation into our homes, churches, and communities? In this episode of Made to Pray, Karrilee and Lori reflect on the recent ACCESS prayer gathering at AT&T Stadium and the encouragement of seeing so many believers come together to worship, pray, and believe God for more. But you don't need a stadium full of people to experience the power of praying together! Whether it's a few friends around a kitchen table, a prayer meeting at church, or an unexpected moment of prayer over coffee, there's something powerful about joining our faith with others. Together, we're talking about the bold access we have to our Heavenly Father, the strength we find in praying in agreement, and the growing sense that God is awakening His people to a renewed passion for prayer. We're also getting honest about unanswered prayers, seasons of waiting, and what it means to keep believing when we haven't yet seen the answers we're hoping for. Because no prayer is wasted. And prayer was never meant to be just another thing we go through the motions of doing. In this episode, we're talking about: The recent ACCESS prayer gathering and why it stirred our faithThe bold access we have to God through JesusHow praying together strengthens and encourages our individual faithWhy no prayer is wasted—even when answers seem delayedMoving beyond religious routines into authentic conversations with GodFinding or creating small pockets of prayer in our everyday livesPraying with renewed boldness, expectancy, and unityScriptures we explore Ephesians 3:12–21 — Bold access to God through faith, being strengthened in our inner being, and trusting the One who can do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or imaginePsalm 91 — Dwelling and abiding in the shelter of the Most HighIsaiah 29:13–14 — Honoring God with more than our lips and making room for His marvelous workIsaiah 29:18–24 — God's promise of restoration, understanding, and renewed joyMatthew 18:19–20 — The encouragement of agreement and gathering in Jesus' nameA little encouragement for your week You don't need to organize a huge prayer meeting to make room for God to move. Start with one person. Ask the Lord to bring someone to mind. Invite them to coffee, take a walk together, gather around your kitchen table, or simply ask, “How can I pray for you?” And then pray. You have access to the Father. You don't need perfect words. You don't need all the answers. You just need a willing heart. Let's be people who don't simply talk about prayer, but who make room for it in our everyday lives. Mentioned in this episode ACCESS Prayer Gathering — We discuss the recent large-scale prayer gathering at AT&T Stadium and the encouragement of believers coming together in worship and prayer. While 2819 church has not yet released a video of the full gathering, we did watch a recording of the meeting from someone in the arena on YouTube.  It was unofficial and we're sure 2819 Church will publish a higher quality, full-length video soon.  But DayStar released a livestream video this morning... if you, like us, want to taste and see a bit of it now, here is that video: [ACCESS 2026] 💜 Thanks for praying with us! If this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone you'd love to pray alongside. And if you're enjoying Made to Pray, we'd be grateful if you'd follow the podcast and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. Until next time, keep praying!

  3. Oct 12

    When God's Word Becomes Your Prayer

    When God's Word Becomes Your Prayer What if spending time in God's Word became more than something we check off our daily to-do list? What if Scripture became so rooted in our hearts that it naturally shaped our thoughts, strengthened our faith, and even became the words we pray? In this episode of Made to Pray, Karrilee and Lori talk about the beauty and power of getting God's Word into our everyday lives. Whether you've been reading the Bible for years or you're trying to rebuild a consistent habit, there's an invitation here to start where you are and let Scripture become part of who you are. We're talking about practical ways to engage with the Bible—listening to Scripture, reading it aloud, memorizing verses, worshiping through Scripture-based music, and even writing notes and prayers in the margins of our Bibles. Karrilee shares how a prayer written in her Bible more than 25 years ago still reminds her to pray for someone today, and together we reflect on how God's Word has a way of rising to the surface when we need truth, encouragement, or direction. Then we move from talking about praying Scripture to actually doing it! Together, we read and pray through Psalm 84, asking God to deepen our hunger for His presence, strengthen us through difficult seasons, and remind us that our truest home is found in Him. Whether you're walking through a dry valley, longing for a fresh encounter with God, or simply wanting to grow deeper in your relationship with Him, we hope this conversation encourages you to open your Bible, slow down, and let His Word lead you into prayer. Because time spent in God's Word is never wasted. 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week Psalm 84 — Our main passage this week! Read it slowly, pray through it, and consider reading it in more than one translation.Psalm 119:11 — Hiding God's Word in our hearts.Psalm 119:105 — His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.2 Timothy 1:7 — Remembering God's truth when fear tries to take hold.Psalm 23:4 — Trusting God's presence as we walk through difficult valleys.A little invitation for this week: Open your Bible to Psalm 84. Read a few verses aloud, pause, and turn what you're reading into a personal prayer. There's no formula and no pressure to get it perfect. Simply make room for God to meet you in His Word. 💜 We're so glad you're here! At Made to Pray, we believe prayer doesn't have to be complicated. We're simply two friends learning to walk with Jesus, listen for His voice, and make room for His presence in our everyday lives. Each week, we talk a little... and then we pray! If this episode encouraged you, we'd love for you to follow or subscribe, share it with a friend, and join us again next week. Let's keep making room for more of Him. 💜

  4. Oct 5

    We Need God: Making Room for a Fresh Encounter

    Have you ever reached the point where you’re tired of trying to figure out the right thing to pray? You’ve prayed. You’ve believed. You’ve quoted Scripture. You’ve tried to have faith, tried to be patient, tried not to grow weary—and yet some of the things you’ve been praying for still haven’t changed. Sometimes we reach a place where we realize: More than we need God to answer our prayers, we need God Himself. This week on Made to Pray, we’re making room for a fresh encounter with Him. Not something we can manufacture. Not another formula to follow. Not another thing we need to work harder to make happen. We’re simply praying: God, interrupt us. Interrupt our routines. Interrupt our striving. Interrupt the endless scrolling. Meet us in our homes, our cars, our workplaces, our worship, our conversations, and the ordinary moments of our days. Remind us that You are right here—closer than our breath. Karrilee shares Isaiah 30:18–21, a passage she has been reading and praying throughout the week. It gives us such a beautiful picture of the God we’re crying out to: the God who is gracious, who hears our cry, who meets us even in seasons of adversity, and who promises to guide us with the words: “This is the way, walk in it.” We also talk honestly about trust—especially when the waiting has been long. What do we do with the parts of ourselves that know God is good…and are still struggling to believe it? How do we recognize the lies that quietly creep into our thoughts and replace them quickly with truth? What would happen if we prayed out loud, read Scripture out loud, and filled the atmosphere around us with the truth of God’s Word? And what if we stopped looking only for God to encounter us in some dramatic moment and began watching for Him everywhere? In Scripture. In worship. In conversations. In nature. Through another person. While doing the laundry. Even while we’re mindlessly scrolling. Because God doesn’t only want us to know about Him. He wants us to know Him. To trust Him. To recognize His voice. To experience the love of a good Father. To be reminded that He is real, He is near, He sees us, and He cares about what concerns us. So this week, we’re praying for encounters. We’re asking God to surprise us. To correct us. To encourage us. To heal the places where trust has been wounded. To silence the skeptic in us long enough for us to lean in. To show us which way to go. To reorder our priorities. To awaken our hunger for His Word. And to remind us again that we don’t only want to have encounters with God—we want to become people through whom others encounter Him, too. Maybe the prayer for this week is simply: “God, I need You. More than an answer, more than a breakthrough, more than anything You can do for me—I need You. Make room in me for a fresh encounter with You.” Come pray with us. 💜 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week: Isaiah 30:18–21 — God is gracious, He hears our cry, and He promises to guide us: “This is the way, walk in it.” Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust in the Lord with all your heart rather than leaning on your own understanding. Jeremiah 33:3 — Call to God and He will answer and show us things we do not know. Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 42:1–2 — A soul that thirsts and longs for the living God. Psalm 84:1–2 — A heart that yearns for the dwelling place and presence of God. ✨ Made to Pray is a Christian podcast where we have honest conversations that lead you back to God through biblical encouragement, practical faith, and prayer. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode each week. 💜 If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who may need the reminder this week: God is near. He hears you. And you can make room for Him right where you are.

  5. Sep 28

    From Weariness to Expectancy: Trusting God to Move Again

    Have you ever realized that somewhere along the way, you stopped expecting God to move? You still believe. You still pray. You still read your Bible. You still love God. But maybe prayer has started to feel more like routine than anticipation. Maybe you’ve prayed the same prayers for so long that you’ve quietly stopped expecting an answer. Maybe life has worn you down, and instead of walking with the Holy Spirit, you’ve slipped into simply trying to keep everything going in your own strength. We understand. This week on Made to Pray, we’re talking—and mostly praying—about moving from weariness back to expectancy. In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that believers would be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. And maybe that kind of strengthening doesn’t always look like becoming tougher, braver, or more capable. Maybe sometimes it looks like unclenching our fists. Leaning back. Trusting God again. Remembering that we were never meant to fight every current in our own strength. Lori shares a beautiful story about her grandmother praying through her family name by name—and the legacy of prayer one generation can leave for the generations that follow. We talk about what happens when disappointment, waiting, self-reliance, and the ordinary routines of life slowly turn down our spiritual expectancy. And we come back to a simple invitation: Do it again. You prayed before? Pray again. You hoped before? Hope again. You tried before? Move again. You haven’t heard God lately? Ask again. Because the answer to weariness isn’t necessarily trying harder. It’s allowing the Holy Spirit to strengthen us again. In this episode, we pray for God to: • break off weariness and replace it with anticipation• strengthen us by His Spirit• reawaken our hunger for His presence and His Word• teach us to recognize and respond to the Holy Spirit• stir up prayer for our families, communities, and the people He puts on our hearts• renew our trust when circumstances feel uncertain• remind us that unanswered prayer is not unheard prayer• give us courage to begin moving again• awaken fresh testimony, hope, and expectancy Maybe you’ve been surviving more than expecting lately. Maybe you’ve grown tired of waiting. Maybe you’re wondering whether that prayer you’ve prayed again and again is ever going to be answered. Come pray with us. Lord, break off the weariness and replace it with anticipation. Strengthen us by Your Spirit. Teach us to trust You again—and help us expect You to move. 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week Ephesians 3:16–19 — Paul’s prayer that we would be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit in our inner being and rooted and grounded in love. Psalm 23 — Our Shepherd leads us beside still waters and restores our souls. We don’t have to spend our lives fighting the current alone. Hebrews 11:1 — Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen. Romans 8:28 — Even when we cannot see the whole picture, we can trust that God is at work. Revelation 12:11 — A reminder of the power of testimony and why telling the stories of what God has done matters. ✨ Made to Pray is a Christian podcast where we have honest conversations that lead you back to God through biblical encouragement, practical faith, and prayer. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode each week. 💜 If this episode encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with a friend? You never know who might need this conversation today.

  6. Sep 21

    Slow Down and Linger: Making Room to Encounter God

    What if the thing standing between you and a deeper encounter with God isn’t that He’s far away—but that life has trained you to move too quickly? We live in a culture of hurry. We rush, multitask, fill our calendars, check the box, and move on to the next thing. And sometimes that same hurry follows us right into our time with God. But encounter is slow and intentional. This week on Made to Pray, we’re continuing the conversation we began last week about repentance, surrender, and returning to the presence of God. Because sometimes redigging the wells means doing the work of removing what has blocked the flow—and then learning how to stay, wait, and linger again. We’re sharing some of our own encounters with God—the moments that marked us, changed us, redirected us, and became reminders we could return to later. Karrilee shares an unforgettable encounter that began with God repeatedly prompting her to read the book of Hosea. What she eventually discovered in Hosea 2:16 shifted the way she understood her relationship with God: He wasn’t simply calling her to obey Him as Master. He was inviting her into deeper intimacy. We also talk about: ✨ Why encounters with God can become markers we return to throughout our lives✨ What it means to truly know God—not simply know about Him✨ Why we may need to create intentional space to linger in His presence✨ Recognizing and responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit✨ Remembering the places where God has met us before✨ The beautiful picture of the Shepherd leading His sheep beside still waters✨ Becoming sensitive again to the presence and voice of God✨ Asking God to reawaken our hunger for Him—not simply for what He can do for us And then, as always, we pray. We pray for fresh encounters with God. For interruptions from the Holy Spirit. For old testimonies to be remembered and new ones to be written. For hearts that are sensitive to His voice. And for the willingness to slow down long enough to recognize that He has been near all along. Maybe this week isn’t about adding another thing to your spiritual to-do list. Maybe it’s simply about making room. Sit a little longer. Open your Bible without rushing. Take yourself on a coffee date with God. Turn on the worship music that once stirred your heart. Remember the places where He has met you before. And pray: “Lord, make me desperate for You again.” Because we don’t just need more information about God. We need His presence. 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week Hosea 2:16–20 — God’s invitation from merely relating to Him as Master into deeper covenant relationship and intimacy. Psalm 23 — The Shepherd who knows His sheep, leads them beside still waters, gives them a place to rest, and restores their souls. Psalm 24:1–10 — Clean hands, a pure heart, seeking the face of God, and opening the gates for the King of Glory. Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”—a reminder that God knew us before our days began. Matthew 11:28–30 — Jesus’ invitation to come to Him when we are weary and discover that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. ✨ Made to Pray is a Christian podcast where we have honest conversations that lead you back to God through biblical encouragement, practical faith, and prayer. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode each week. 💜 If this episode encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with a friend? You never know who might need this conversation today.

  7. Sep 14

    The Gift of Repentance: Coming Back to a Clean Heart

    What comes to mind when you hear the word repentance? For some of us, it may sound heavy—shame, condemnation, or a list of everything we've done wrong. But what if repentance is actually a gift? In this episode of Made to Pray, we're talking about the Day of Atonement, the practice of repentance, and the invitation to live with a clean heart and a short account with God. As Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—approaches, we're looking at what this ancient biblical observance can remind us about reverence, surrender, holiness, forgiveness, and our need for God. As Christians, we aren't putting ourselves back under the law or suggesting that believers must observe Yom Kippur. Instead, we're remembering that Jesus fulfilled what the Day of Atonement pointed toward: He became the sacrifice, shed His blood for our sins, and made a way for us to draw near to God.  And because Jesus already paid the price, repentance isn't about earning forgiveness. It's about receiving it. We talk honestly about how easy it can be to recognize the “big” sins while overlooking the quieter places where we've ignored a prompting, spoken carelessly, held onto an offense, relied on ourselves, or simply gotten a little off course. Sometimes keeping a short account with God means allowing the Holy Spirit to show us the small things before they become bigger things.  And there's an important difference between conviction and condemnation. Condemnation attacks who you are and pushes you away from God. Conviction tells you the truth—and leads you toward the forgiveness, restoration, redemption, and security that are already available in Christ.  So we're praying the words of Psalm 51: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. We're asking the Holy Spirit to search us, reveal anything that needs to be laid down, soften our hearts, and draw us closer to the presence of God.  Yom Kippur begins at sundown on September 20, 2026, and ends at nightfall on September 21. If the Lord leads you, consider setting aside intentional time during this season to pray, fast, repent, forgive, and simply meet with Him.  Not because you have to earn your way back to God. Jesus already made the way. Come with a humble heart. Lay it down. Receive His forgiveness. And experience again the freedom and joy of drawing near. Because repentance isn't an invitation to shame. It's an invitation to come closer. 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week Psalm 51:1–12 — A prayer of repentance: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Leviticus 16 — The Day of Atonement and the biblical picture of atonement, cleansing, and sacrifice. Romans 3:23–26 — We have all fallen short, but we are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:1–2 — Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 2 Chronicles 7:14 — Humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, and turn from our ways. The prayer at the end of this episode brings several of these truths together beautifully: asking for clean hands and a pure heart, receiving forgiveness, and choosing to live surrendered and ready to partner with what God is doing.  ✨ Made to Pray is a Christian podcast where we have honest conversations that lead you back to God through biblical encouragement, practical faith, and prayer. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode each week. 💜 If this episode encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with a friend? You never know who might need this conversation today. Make room for real conversation with Him this week... invite Him to come closer, to search you and know you!Be blessed,~Karrilee & Lori~Made to Pray Podcast

  8. Sep 7

    When You're Weary: Finding Rest in the Presence of God

    🎙️ When You're Weary: Finding Rest in the Presence of God What do you do when you're tired—not just physically tired, but weary from carrying the weight of everything happening around you? Sometimes the pressure seems to come from every direction. There are circumstances we can't change, people we can't fix, questions we can't answer, and situations we've prayed about for so long that we're simply tired. In this episode of Made to Pray, we're talking and praying about what it means to stop striving and find our refuge in the presence of God. We pray through the promise of Psalm 91 and ask the Holy Spirit to teach us how to dwell under the shadow of the Almighty—not rushing in and out of God's presence, but learning to stay, rest, listen, and receive what we need for today.  We also pray about surrender, repentance, spiritual weariness, and allowing God to strip away the clutter, confusion, and heaviness we've picked up along the way. Instead of carrying it all with us, we're invited to come through the door, lay it down at Jesus' feet, and let Him refresh and restore us.  And then, in the middle of prayer, God gives Karrilee a beautiful picture. A hammock. In her familiar secret place with Jesus—beside a stream, surrounded by green pasture and trees—she sees a hammock and senses Jesus inviting her to lie down. “I am the hammock. You can lean back and rest in Me and trust that I will hold you.” Weightless and free—but still tethered. What a picture of what it means to rest in God.  Maybe that's what your soul needs right now, too. Not another answer. Not another strategy. Not another thing to fix. Maybe you need to remember that you are being held. Toward the end of our prayer, we're reminded of Jesus speaking to the wind and waves: “Peace, be still.” Sometimes He calms the storm around us. And sometimes the circumstances are still swirling, but He gives us supernatural peace right there in the middle of them. Either way, the One who commands the wind and waves is still with us in the boat.  If you're weary today, come pray with us. Let's step into His presence. Let's lay down what we've been carrying. Let's remember who God is. And let's allow Him to remind us: You don't have to hold everything together. You can rest in the One who is holding you. 💜 📖 Scriptures to Spend Time With This Week Psalm 91 — Dwelling in the secret place; God as our refuge and fortress Psalm 23 — Green pastures, still waters, restoration, and walking through the valley of the shadow of death Mark 4:35–41 — Jesus calms the storm: “Peace, be still.” Galatians 6:9 — Do not grow weary in doing good ✨ Made to Pray Made to Pray is a Christian podcast where we have honest conversations that lead you back to God through biblical encouragement, practical faith, and prayer. 🎧 Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you never miss a new episode each week. 💜 If this episode encouraged you, would you consider sharing it with a friend? You never know who might need this conversation today.

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About

Our co-hosts, Karrilee & Lori, believe that all of us are made to pray! They are both passionate about prayer and believe it is a lifestyle & it should be our first response, not our last resort! In this podcast, they will talk about prayer, and then they'll actually pray! Sometimes it will be just the two of them, but sometimes they will invite a special guest to the podcast to share a teaching or testimony as well as to join in with them in prayer! So whether you are an intercessor and are passionate about prayer already - or just curious about what prayer looks and sounds like and how to start a conversation with God... we invite you to come along with us on this journey of prayer! Listen, Lean In, and Pray Along!

Information

  • Creator
    Made to Pray Podcast
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    251
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Made to Pray Podcast
  • Show Website
    Made to Pray Podcast