More Than a Wishlist: Rediscovering Prayer as Conversation

Episode Description: If your prayer life feels like a transaction—a wish list you hand to God—you're not alone. In this episode, Brian Myers and Jenn Stiles Williams welcome Reverend Alex Shanks to explore prayer as something far more dynamic: an ongoing conversation with God. Together, they discuss how to pray honestly when we're tired, frustrated, or spiritually dry, and why silence might be exactly what our souls need. This conversation offers practical wisdom for deepening your prayer life, from centering prayers to "flash prayers" with strangers, and reminds us that prayer isn't about eloquence—it's about showing up as we are. Show Notes 02:25 - What is prayer? Moving beyond transaction to relationship 11:13 - What to do when prayer feels hard or God seems distant 21:56 - The gift of silence: Befriending the darkness in prayer 30:00 - Flash prayers and praying out loud in community 37:35 - Using tools like the Awaken to Grace devotional 43:48 - Closing with ACTS prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication For more information on the year-long Awaken to Grace series, visit awakenedtograce.org. Produced by Wesley's Revival, a ministry of Studio Wesley. Original music by the Institute for Modern Worship.