#69 – High Intensity Prayer

Welcome to season seven of Presently Engaged with Mandy Pallock. Here you will find short, friendly, Jesus-focused encouragement to live intentionally right where you are. In this episode we will have a devotional thought source from life, and then we’ll end the podcast with a scripture reading. I’ll be reading from the English Standard Version of a passage, and this will give us the opportunity to center our minds on Jesus and our hearts on his word, because lives will change as we engage with God’s word.

Would you be willing to share this podcast with a friend or with someone that you’re mentoring? Listen in and then join me at presentlyengaged.com. I’m so grateful for your time and glad that you are here, because you, friend, are making a difference. The water bottle always goes into the left cup holder.

The sweat towel always goes on the right hand side, and the speed and incline buttons are accessible, ready to spin the belt speed and incline up or down depending on the desired settings. These indicators tell my brain and my body it is time for another hit workout. On the fitness front, I’ve used high intensity interval training as part of my workout routine. Hit means doing a movement like sprinting or burpees at full intensity for a short period of time, such as 20 or 30 seconds, and it then transitions to a specific period of recovery, such as 45 seconds of slow walking.

And when the timer has elapsed, the sprint starts again for a given number of repetitions. The clock directs the workout for the remainder of the time. Now, every time I end a workout like this sweaty and somehow both tired and invigorated, fitness experts online declare that this method is both efficient and beneficial, giving athletes benefits in a short period of time. Sign me up.

On the treadmill recently, partway through a hit workout and developing a flop sweat, I began praying for a specific person during the sprint segments, and I found that my prayer intensity increased with my exercise intensity as I talked with God for those 30 seconds about a special person in my life. I’ve tried this both on the treadmill and off since then, 30 seconds to a minute of intense prayer focused solely on one subject and then a time of quiet listening. So consider trying out this exercise of hit prayer with me this week, run or walk or row or bike all out for 30 seconds while praying intently for someone. Here’s something beautiful that Maya Angelou once said.

She said, if you must look back, do so forgivingly. If you must look forward, do so prayerfully. However, the wisest thing you can do is be present in the present, gratefully. And I feel like that’s what hit praying does for me.

Like all exercises, hit high intensity interval training is not for every day. Hit praying may not be for every prayer, but high intensity interval praying just might be an effective and focusing method for you that you could add to your spiritual discipline home gym. Let’s do it. This season, we’re reading what I call the apostle Paul’s power prayers.

So join me in reading 2 Timothy 1 verses 2 through 14. This is the word of the Lord. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

As I remember your tears, I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. I’m reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and her mother Eunice and now I am sure dwells in you as well. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the lane on of my hands for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God who saved us and called us to a holy calling not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do, but I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you’ve heard from me in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. Amen. So by now you’ve probably heard that I’ve written a book, right? You’ve actually heard that?

The question habit is all about building relationships with God and others one question at a time because asking questions and listening well can take every relationship deeper. So maybe you haven’t had a chance to read it yet because life is really busy these days. Will you friend are officially invited to our book club where we’ll go through the book in four sessions via zoom. We’re going to work our way through the question habit, have amazing conversations and make application to your own life and your own relationships.

This is a free book club and all you need is your own copy of the book. We’re going to kick it off on Monday, September 23rd. So drop me an email at mandy at presentlyengaged.com to register. It won’t be the same without you.