The Power of Prayer with Michelle Mitchell, Jo Beth Ellis, and Cindy Ritter - 3

Imagine finding an anchor in the stormiest seas of life. Michelle Mitchell, Jo Beth Ellis, and Cindy Ritter have each discovered that prayer can be this anchor. As integral members of the Rise Up Conference prayer team, they share how their devotion to prayer has shaped their journeys. These women exemplify how prayer transforms lives, offering hope and resilience.

The power of personal prayer is woven through the experiences of Jo Beth, Michelle, and Cindy over the past decade. Jo Beth speaks candidly about prayer as a source of strength and the importance of constant communication with God, even when life feels overwhelming. Michelle shares her journey through a challenging period that deepened her spiritual growth, making prayer a constant companion rather than a mere task. Cindy recounts how as a new believer, she could barely say a 5-minute prayer, but through the process of building an intimate relationship with God has come to realize we can have long conversations with God and how they can transform our daily lives. Their stories inspire us to integrate heartfelt, genuine prayer into every moment, transforming daily experiences and perspectives.

This week we discuss the powerful impact of praise and confession as we shine a light on how these elements invite the presence of God into our struggles. Drawing from biblical stories and personal insights, we reveal how praising God—regardless of circumstances—shifts focus from self to God. Regular confession is portrayed as a pathway to humility, clarity, and a strengthened relationship with God, providing peace during uncertain times.

Visit our website at www.itstimetoriseup.org for everything about the Rise Up movement and for information on how to contact us. We pray you are blessed by this week's episode!

Chapters

• 0:09 The Power of Prayer
• 16:41 The Depth of Personal Prayer
• 26:28 The Power of Praise and Confession
• 38:01 Continuation of Faithful Message

Transcript

Kim McIntire: 0:09

Welcome to the it's Time to Rise Up podcast. I'm your host, kim McIntyre. Thank you for joining us this week. If you're not familiar with our show, check out our website at itstimetoriseuporg. There you will find our social media links and for our podcast platforms, you'll find us on YouTube, apple Podcasts, spotify and anywhere else you find your podcast. We would humbly ask you to subscribe, leave us a comment, give a thumbs up or, even better, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Thank you again for joining us today.

Kim McIntire: 0:47

The Power of Prayer is the title for our show today, and with me here in the studio are three women who are mighty in prayer Jo Beth Ellis, michelle Mitchell and Cindy Ritter. All three of these ladies serve on the Rise Up Conference prayer team. They have each impacted my life in very different but profound ways. What they all have in common is their passion to live life in a rhythm of prayer, meaning it's part of who they are, it's not just what they do. Let me introduce you to our guests and then I'll have them share a little about themselves before we dive into this incredible topic of prayer. Michelle Mitchell, I remember meeting you at Cindy Ritter's house for the Bill Johnson study. Hosting the presence. It was the first time she had talked about you and I'm like she's like you know Michelle. I'm like I don't know Michelle, but thankfully now I do, so that's what I remember about meeting you. So why don't you tell us a little bit about?

Michelle Mitchell: 1:49

yourself, michelle. So I am married to an awesome man named Michael Mitchell and I have two kids. He has two kids and we have four grandchildren almost four grandchildren all together. We have one coming next month. So we're very excited about that, absolutely. Congratulations, thank you, we're very excited.

Kim McIntire: 2:11

Yay, family is growing. That's awesome. What about ministry work?

Michelle Mitchell: 2:21

What kind of ministry are you doing right now? Right now, I am doing a new believers class Awesome. I am part of Rise Up, of course, just also leading a small group at our house with my husband and just doing— and serving on discipleship in church Serving on discipleship team. Yeah, All the things that the Lord has me doing.

Kim McIntire: 2:40

That's awesome. Okay, thanks for sharing that. Our next guest is JoBeth Ellis. I've known JoBeth for 30 years. In 2025, it will be 30 years. We met in 1995. She's my oldest friend, but I don't mean that as in age. I mean that as time, like we have been friends for almost 30 years. That's incredible, and I love her so much. She's taught me a lot about prayer. Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, jobeth?

Jo Beth Ellis: 3:12

I have been married for 40 years. I have three children, a son and two daughters, and six grandsons. Life is good and God is good to me Amen.

Kim McIntire: 3:28

Tell us about your ministry work.

Jo Beth Ellis: 3:31

I am privileged to be on the discipleship team at church and I love it, and this past fall, this past fall, I got to help launch an Abide class. Yes, and right now it is absolutely a joy and a lot of learning and a lot of leaning into God and letting Him do you know what he does best.

Kim McIntire: 3:59

That's right, that's right. Yeah, jobeth is leading an Abide class, which is our discipleship piece for the Rise Up Conference, and there are going to be more classes opening in January. So more to come about that later. But welcome, jobeth, we're glad you're here.

Kim McIntire: 4:15

And our other guest is Cindy Ritter. She's calling in from Florida today. We're thankful she's safe from all the hurricane things that have been going on. I met Cindy in 2020. I started attending the church where she was on staff and she took me under her wing. She's one of my spiritual mamas, although she's 10 years younger than me. So just want everyone in the audience to know never underestimate someone younger than you, because a lot of times you can learn a whole lot from people 10 years younger than you. That's right.

Cindy Ritter: 4:53

And so Cindy you are one of my spiritual mamas. I don't think it's a full 10 years.

Kim McIntire: 4:56

Okay, well, I think it's more like five, but still. Oh, then I had your age wrong, because I'm not going to say it on the air but I thought you were legitimately 10 years younger than me Apparently not, but hey, that's okay. All I know is I've learned so much about leaning into the Holy Spirit, and a lot of that was just from you teaching me, loving on me and being really, really patient. So why don't you tell our listeners a little about you?

Cindy Ritter: 5:24

Yes, I have been married for 30 years to my husband, Steve. We have two adult children. We don't have any grandchildren, but we have a grand, well, two grand dogs, so I think they're my babies. My husband just a little bit real quick is the first 20 years of our marriage. We were in the Navy, or my husband was in the Navy, and so we moved around a lot, so I really gained a lot of perspective in different areas and cultures. So, but yeah, so married 30 years, two kids, two granddads, living in Florida, safe from the hurricane and loving the sunshine and the palm trees.

Kim McIntire: 6:03

Yeah, and tell us about your ministry work, cindy.

Cindy Ritter: 6:07

Well, currently I am our discipleship pastor at our main campus here in Florida and oversee all of our assimilations processes for three of our campuses. I also oversee prayer team on all of our campuses and oversee all discipleship groups on all of our campuses. I also oversee a prayer team on all of our campuses and oversee all discipleship groups on all of our campuses.

Kim McIntire: 6:30

So you're a little bit busy. It's a little bit. A little bit yeah, and yet you took your Saturday morning to be with us, so thank you so much for that. I really appreciate it, friend. So let's go to this. Let's talk about how each of you became history of Rise Up in episode one. I'm speaking to the listeners right now. You might want to tune into that, because Cindy was part of the beginning of Rise Up, so why don't you share about that?

Cindy Ritter: 7:14

Yeah. So we had been doing some life groups and one of my heart of life group was to raise up women, and so I had been doing some women life groups. And I got connected with Holly Hoyer, which I actually knew before this particular life group. We had served together, administered together, but we decided that we would love to be able to teach women how to pray. We felt there was a need to really just teach women not just to pray, but to pray the word. And so Holly Sawyer and I began a group in her home and it was fabulous. People were coming and they were just pouring out their hearts to the Lord, and God was just really transforming lives, right?

Cindy Ritter: 7:57

in her living room and it began to grow quite a bit actually, and so we moved it to my living room because it was a little bit bigger.

Cindy Ritter: 8:06

And during the time that we moved it to my house, we really wanted to point it more than just pray in the word, but we wanted to really teach women to pray but also operate in their gifts, which is where you talked about hosting his presence by Bill Johnson.

Cindy Ritter: 8:18

We did that video episode, but in it it wasn't just teaching about hosting his presence, it was also practicing the gifts of the Spirit. So we'd have times of video, times of teaching, times of discussion, but then at the end there was always time of worship and always a time of practicing the gifts, encouraging one another to flow in those gifts. And so from there we completed that group, but then the Lord called us to move to florida and, um, so when we did, I think really, kim, you were really transformed in that group, like that's. During the time, you were filled with the holy spirit and god just really began speaking to you and I just remember saying I don't know what all this is, but I'm hungry and I want it. If it's God, I want it, and that's really always in my heart as well. If it's God, I want it.

Cindy Ritter: 9:09

And so I know at that time when my husband and I moved, everything kind of transcended over to your living room and then of course, it grew even out of that and then you began meeting. I believe it was God's Resort, which I did not have a privilege to be a part of that, but I have remained in connection with Rise Up because I've just felt like this ministry was birthed out of our living rooms and it's so powerful. It wasn't just something oh, let's do this. No, it was bathed in prayer and God began doing a work in women and it began to grow and grow. And so every year you have the Rise Up Conference. I feel compelled, like I need to go back. I want to see what God's doing in this ministry. It's almost like, okay, it was birth and you have a baby for all you mamas out there, but you want to see it grow.

Cindy Ritter: 10:00

And it's just been incredible, even from a distance, to be able to hear of all the things that God is doing through the ministry and then being able to be a part of the actual conference. It's just been amazing to see what God is doing and what he's going to continue to do, and I just believe it's going to continue to grow for years to come.

Kim McIntire: 10:18

I just think back to that time in your living room and how I was so out of my comfort zone, and I feel like this would be a really good place to insert this. You know, if you become part of a community of women who pray and read the Word and seek the Lord, you're probably going to be uncomfortable. If it's a good thing, because the enemy doesn't want you to be in those atmospheres, and so I'm really thankful that I fought through the uncomfortable that I experienced, because everything was new, and so I don't have the words to thank you for inviting me into that space, but it's definitely been hugely impactful in my growth in prayer. So thank you, Cindy and Michelle. How did you become part of the Rise Up Prayer Movement?

Michelle Mitchell: 11:06

So I was actually one that came from the very beginning. I was there. I believe it was Cindy that had invited me to see women coming together, praying for one another, believing for one another, a community of women that truly wanted more of God and just being in that. It's powerful. It's powerful. It's life-changing Very much so Very life-changing, yeah, how about you, jobeth?

Kim McIntire: 11:42

When did you jump in? Very much so, very much so. How about you, jobeth?

Jo Beth Ellis: 11:44

When did you jump in. I would say I jumped in when the ladies started meeting at God's Resort. Okay, and I will say this I saw such a change in you and it stirred up a desire in me. I wanted that, thank you, and you know, I saw what God was doing in you and it made me hungry for more. That's amazing.

Kim McIntire: 12:15

That's so good. Yeah, Contagious. Yes, we talked about how we want to be contagious, Like when people are around us, let it be they see so much Jesus that they— want more. Like what do they have Taste and see that the Lord is good. And we were talking on the car ride over here to the studio. Michelle and Jo Beth were with me and we were talking about how it's our heart and I know it's Cindy's heart too when people hear us, let it be they hear Jesus. Let it be they see Jesus. And that's a prayer God will honor, you know, when you ask Him. So here's something I want us to talk about. I don't know who wants to start, so just anyone who wants to jump in. If you could just share with our audience what your journey of prayer has looked like over the past years, when did it begin and how has it grown to be what it is today, If everyone could just take a couple of minutes to share about that. Cindy, do you want to start? Do you want to lead out with that?

Cindy Ritter: 13:16

Yes, I actually love talking about this because I believe, no matter where you are, this would encourage anyone. So I did not grow up in church and so when I gave my life to the Lord when I was 25, my entire life turned upside down and from the very beginning I felt such a pull towards prayer and intercession, and the church we attended at that time had an intercessory prayer team and I wanted to be a part of it. So bad, and at the time I didn't know why, but I know now it was the Holy Spirit calling me and at the time I didn't know why, but I know now it was the Holy Spirit calling me and I was terrified. If I'm being honest, I was absolutely terrified, being 25 years old wanting to go to prayer with these women who are 50 and 60 years old, who were just mature in the word. I think I barely knew John 3, 16 at the time, but I had such a compulsion to want to go to prayer and so I made the steps to go and when I went, one of the ladies there was like I knew you were coming, and that was so encouraging because these are women of prayer and they they flowed in the prophetic as well and they're like I knew you were coming and that was so encouraging to me.

Cindy Ritter: 14:33

But then when I got there, these women were just praying, like they were just amazing in prayer. They would pray for 10 and 15 minutes. I'm like I can't do that. I don't know enough word. I don't know what I'm doing. And the pastor's wife took me under her wing I'm going to cry thinking about it and she said to me Cindy, if you would just pray two words out of obedience of what the Holy Spirit is asking you to pray, it is just as powerful as any woman in that room that's praying. She said you just have to be obedient to what the holy spirit is asking you to pray. And I had such a fear of the lord and such an all the lord at the time that I began to do it, even if I felt like I didn't measure up. And so how did that journey continue, kim?

Cindy Ritter: 15:30

You actually said a little bit ago, getting out of your comfort zone, being obedient to what the Holy Spirit is asking you to do, no matter how comfortable you feel, because if you can do it in yourself, it's not led by the Lord, right, it is when you get out of your comfort zone is when you're going to grow and the Holy Spirit has a way of moving you and shaking you and getting you out of your comfort zone to accomplish His will through your life.

Cindy Ritter: 15:57

And when you're out of your comfort zone, you have no option but to lean upon the Holy Spirit to lead you and to guide you. And I've been doing that now for 24 years. And from that one moment in a prayer room of just praying two words to now leading prayer teams and prayer moments, I couldn't have done it on my own. I couldn't have done it on my own. So I would just say, like my journey has just been a life of being obedient to the Holy Spirit and being moved from my comfort zone. But don't ever despise small beginnings, because God can do much if you just take a step of faith.

Kim McIntire: 16:37

Amen, that's such a good word. Thank you for sharing that. Jo Beth how about you Tell us about your journey of prayer? What's it looked like over the past decade?

Jo Beth Ellis: 16:49

You know, I was raised in church, right, and prayer was always there, it was in our home. But I don't think prayer really took on a really personal place in my heart. Prayer anchors me. Prayer anchors me. Prayer is where, when I'm troubled, heavy hearted, don't know what to do. Yeah, it is where I go. It is to God that I go, because he changes things. He is my strength, he is my hope, he's my tomorrow, he's my today, and my prayer time with Him is precious, it's valuable. It's so valuable to me, it's so valuable to me. And you know, when your morning sometimes gets turned upside down and you don't have the rhythm you normally have and you start a day out of your rhythm, I can tell a difference For sure, a hundred percent. I can tell a difference. So it's so valuable to me and it anchors my day, anchors my day, and it helps me rest at night. And that's what prayer does. That's what the journey has been. But this last decade for sure has absolutely changed. It's a more. I want more time with the Lord.

Kim McIntire: 18:31

Yeah, that's good. Time is really such. It's key to prayer, and it's not that it's a legalistic thing, but making time. We make time for everything, if you think about it. We set appointments, we make sure we talk to our kids, we make sure we're communicating with the people that matter our husband or whoever those important people in your circle are. How much more so the creator of the universe, amen, yes, and I feel like that's when things shifted for me, when that became utmost priority and it meant more to me to talk to God than anyone else, because that's how it should be. Actually, that's right. When I started ordering my life like that, everything started changing.

Michelle Mitchell: 19:17

Yeah.

Kim McIntire: 19:18

And most of all me, you know me. Like. Things may have still been kind of chaotic in areas, but when you're different inside, you view those situations differently. That's right. So thank you, jo Beth. Michelle, let's talk about prayer with you. What's your journey been like so?

Michelle Mitchell: 19:35

I grew up in church, like Jo Beth, like you. It really, for me it wasn't until about 10 years ago where my prayer life it wasn't so much relational and I probably went through one of the worst times of my life about 12 years ago and all I had was Jesus. That's all I had and my life really began to change and I could only go up and he was my rock. He was what I leaned on and my husband and I now. We had an amazing experience to travel with ministry and through that we learned so much from. I can't even explain it, but it took us to a whole nother level and then another level, and then another level, and we thought we were Christians. But we learned so much in such a short amount of time, in three and a half years, and prayer was such a pivotal point. It changed, it was relational, it was personal and it was just God. I want more of you, god. I'm hungry for you, god. I want to be with you. I don't want you to leave my side. I need you every second of every day.

Michelle Mitchell: 21:03

And in the prayer it's not just setting aside the time in the morning, it's how we live our life, it's in everything that we say, it's in everything that we do, it's the things that comes out of our mouth, it's the words that we speak, and I sit there in my car and I talk to God when I am at work. I talk to Him. Lord, I need a word for this person. They are hurting, or whatever is being brought to my attention through the individual sitting in front of me. It's all through prayer. It's in communicating.

Michelle Mitchell: 21:41

Prayer is communicating with the Lord and so, therefore, it spills out into every part of our life. It's not just the time and the way, although that is the precious time. That's where you get your anointing, for the day is when you're really alone with Him and you have no distractions. The phone isn't near you. You have your worship music going through those things. So my prayer life has definitely changed in the last 10 years. Life has definitely changed in the last 10 years, and now I have the privilege to share that with others, to teach others. Hey, it's not just sitting on the pew on a Sunday morning. It is so much more than that. It's a lifestyle.

Kim McIntire: 22:22

And if you're only experiencing the Lord within the walls of the church, let me just tell you and we would all agree, I know you are missing the sweetest parts of time with God because he wants to meet us in the secret place, and I love what you spoke, michelle, about how prayer shouldn't just be in that time alone with Him in the secret place, but it should flow all through the day the shower, the car work, family, you know, in the interchanges that you have throughout the day, the shower, the car work, family, you know, in the interchanges that you have throughout the day, the exchanges with people, and so, wow, ladies, I love all of that. I know there are people listening that have a passion for prayer. I also know there are people who really struggle to pray, and so what we're hoping today is to broaden the vision of prayer, because I think sometimes people at least I will speak for myself for many, many years my prayer life was boring, and I'm just going to admit that Because I think it's just really important to be honest with yourself and with God. God already knows. So just be honest. You can't really go anyplace if you stay stuck.

Kim McIntire: 23:33

So I got to a place in my life with the Lord, where I realized my prayer life is basically me just asking God to do things, and I got convicted that I was presenting the Lord with a checklist of all the things I needed Him to do and he was the only one who could do it. And while that is all true, no wonder people get bored with prayer and I think about how would you guys feel? You guys are all very close friends of mine. How would you guys feel you guys are all very close friends of mine? How would we feel if, when we are together, I'm literally just asking one of you a checklist of questions of could you, jo, beth, could you do this for me? Michelle, can you do this? Cindy, could you do this? And that's all you heard from me. That's not a relationship, and so what?

Kim McIntire: 24:30

We're hoping to unpack, and this is a two-part episode. So if you only hear part one, you're going to miss a lot, and if you only hear part two, please go back and listen to part one, because we are going to unpack prayer and it's going to be amazing, and these three women are definitely the anointed ones that God picked to talk about it. So let's dive in. Let's talk about different ways we can pray other than the checklist, which is petition, and it's the way most people pray. Unfortunately, I call it kindergarten-level praying, and that's not to insult anyone, but the point of that is to express growth is needed. Yes, if you are in that place, you're in good company.

Kim McIntire: 25:17

Many people are I was one of them but we're going to talk about the layers of prayer and we're going to talk about first, thanksgiving and praise, and a lot of people may not think of that as prayer, but anytime we're expressing something verbally or in our heart or spirit to God, that's a form of communication and that's a way to pray. So, cindy, why don't you talk a little bit about thanksgiving and praise? I did want to speak this scripture over this particular part of our discussion, because Psalm 100, verse 4, says Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. So what a great invitation to thank God and praise him. Cindy, what would you like to speak into this?

Cindy Ritter: 26:04

Well, you know, first of all, I want to say praise is prayer. Anytime you're communing with the Lord, we want to give him praise and as we're praising him, the word of God says that he inhabits the praises of his people and so if we are in communion with him, he's going to inhabit our praises and he's going to go before us in everything. And some people wonder well, is praise a part of prayer? Absolutely. Not only is it a part of prayer, it is an an amazing weapon. And I was, as I was praying this morning. I was like lord, how can I incorporate praise to help people understand how powerful it is? And he said that it's a weapon and it's very effective in prayer and in battle. So, for those who are really going through something, we want to praise the Lord as if it's already done.

Cindy Ritter: 26:58

We want to praise him for the outcome before it even comes, because we're a people that don't live by sight, we live by faith. And so I was looking up scripture and in second Chronicles 20, it says it's talking about a battle says early the next morning, the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekeah, On the way to Joseph, had stopped and said listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, believe in the Lord, your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in the prophets and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in the prophets and you will succeed.

Cindy Ritter: 27:31

And after consulting the people, the king appointed singers and praisers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. And this is what they sing Give thanks to the Lord, His faithful love endures forever. And here's what's really cool, it says at the very moment they began to sing and give praise and the Lord caused the armies of Amun and Moab and Mount Seir to start fighting amongst themselves. The armies of Moab and Amun turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them and after they had destroyed the army, they began attacking one another. In other words, that praise began to bring confusion in the camp and the Lord went ahead of them and they began to destroy each other. And we often think that we have to fight the battle.

Cindy Ritter: 28:25

So we have to remember. We praise from a place of victory, not to victory. And so when we are lifting praise to the Lord, he goes before us and he battles on our behalf as we lift him up. So if God is for us, who could be against us? It's already done.

Cindy Ritter: 28:43

It's already won. So just to encourage people, when I think of praise, I think of battle. I think, lord, if you're for me, who could be against me? It is a weapon, it is praise, because praise is upward, it's not inward. You can't praise inward, you have to praise upward. And that brings the presence of God right into our very situation no matter what we're battling.

Kim McIntire: 29:06

That's good. Yeah, I can wake up like on the wrong side of the bed and just get into like three or four minutes of praise and I mean it will turn the day around so fast when our eyes are off of ourself or whatever. We're dreading, you know, or maybe we just don't feel well when we wake up. But setting the heart to praise it's a weapon. I feel like it moves the focus from self to Him and that's always the best place for our focus to be so thank you for that.

Kim McIntire: 29:38

Do you guys want to add anything to Thanksgiving and praise as a way to pray? To pray, I'm sorry.

Jo Beth Ellis: 29:45

I will just add to this that in 2020, and we all remember what 2020 was you know it was a year of unsurety. It was a year of, you know, unknown and a dear friend of mine and I that was actually a season. I'm going to say that I really learned to praise. To say that I really learned to praise and it was through a lot of writing down, you know, praise cards, praying and God moving, and that has always changed for me how valuable praise is, and thanksgiving, to have a heart of praise and thanksgiving, and I learned that through a horrible season.

Kim McIntire: 30:27

So praise God for that, yeah, for sure it's a good memory.

Kim McIntire: 30:32

It's a really good memory to look back and think look how many things I had to praise God for during COVID Hallelujah, that's so good Confession. We're going to talk about confession as a way to pray First. John 1.9 says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And I'll just share with listeners this is a regular practice of mine. There's a psalm and I failed to look that up this morning, but it says if I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. And so I feel like it's really important to allow the Holy Spirit to search us and to know us, to test us and try us, to see if there be any wicked way in us. And I just go before the Lord regularly I can't say every day, but on most days and just say search me, o God.

Kim McIntire: 31:32

And confession is a beautiful thing. It's cleaning. It cleanses you, it helps you know like you're loved. Conviction and discipline from the Lord is a beautiful gift, but I think sometimes we fail to see it as such. But if you are not practicing regular confession, I would encourage you to do so, because God is happy to forgive us of our sins. He invites us in to that kind of relationship. Think about, like as a parent to a child, like as a parent to a child, when your child admits they're wrong or says they're sorry. Like, aren't you so proud of them Because I am? And if you aren't a parent yet, maybe you can relate this with someone in your life that you're close to. But how much more so does the Lord delight in our just admitting I was wrong. God, I have failed here, and so I wanted to just personally share that. That is something I practice regularly. Anyone else have any thoughts about that?

Michelle Mitchell: 32:39

I just feel like it keeps us humble. You know, we're not a perfect people by any means. Right, you know. And to admit our faults, to admit our wrongs, it's okay, there's nothing wrong with it, it just keeps us humble, yeah it's really difficult for pride to creep in if you're acknowledging on a regular basis your failures before the Lord.

Kim McIntire: 33:03

And it's not a condemning thing either, Like oh, I'm just a terrible person and I failed again. You know that gets out of balance, but it's really just an act of posture, of humility, you know humbling yourself.

Cindy Ritter: 33:16

Can I say?

Kim McIntire: 33:17

something, please do.

Cindy Ritter: 33:19

So here's something that I've always believed Confession exposes the tactic of the enemy in your life.

Kim McIntire: 33:27

Oh, sure, yes.

Cindy Ritter: 33:29

And I've always felt that. Well, not that I felt, but the enemy, his tactic, is to isolate us. He wants us not to confess those things out into to someone, to the Lord, because if he can keep us isolated in our sin, it can continue to fester and keep us hindered from our relationship with the Lord.

Cindy Ritter: 33:52

But as we search our heart and we want Him more than anything else and we begin to confess our sin, it brings exposure to the darkness in our life, and then light is now shed, and that is what God can work with.

Cindy Ritter: 34:05

So, I just think it's just important that we know like confessions more than just confessing to the Lord and humility, but it's also bringing exposure to the tactic of the enemy in our life so that we have authority and can conquer those things, and it brings healing and deliverance to each and every one of us. We're transformed from glory to glory.

Kim McIntire: 34:24

Right and I feel like you know, during confession is the time when I can say to the Lord Lord, I need your Holy Spirit, because this is an area of weakness and struggle, temptation, whatever the case may be. Maybe it's a stronghold and I'm really like leaning into the Holy Spirit for that stronghold to be broken. And I would go even farther and say, sometimes this involves confession to a sister in Christ or confession to my husband that I'm struggling. And the women around in this circle today, they've all heard me say this is a struggle and I need you to pray for me. So, not just confession to the Lord, but a practice of confession to others. And the Bible says that confess your sins one to another that you may be healed, and oh, it's a beautiful thing. So don't shy away from confession. I would say, run to it, because there's layers, as you can see, to this, because there's layers, as you can see, to this.

Kim McIntire: 35:29

We're going to talk about one more prayer practice before we conclude episode one, and so we are going to talk about persistent prayer and I think about the parable of the persistent widow, and that is found in Luke 18, verses 1 through 8. And I would encourage listeners to go to that if you're not familiar with that parable. But when I think about persistent prayer, I think about my friend Jo Beth. She is relentless in persistent prayer. I know she's prayed for specific things for decades. She's not stopped asking God for it. I don't think she ever will stop asking God until it happens. So Jo Beth, what keeps? Think she ever will stop asking God until it happens?

Jo Beth Ellis: 36:14

So, jobeth what keeps you motivated to never stop asking? Jobeth, I don't think I ever want someone to ask me the question why did I stop praying? Because then I gave up on God and the prayer that I have prayed for decades and decades. Eternity is at stake with it, right, yeah, and I can't stop praying. I just can't. It's in me and God is faithful and it keeps me close to Him because he may answer the prayer tomorrow and you know you're that close to it and I can't shrink back from it. I will always keep praying and keep asking.

Kim McIntire: 37:10

I love that, and it's an example to other people. I think sometimes we don't always recognize what example we are to others in our community of faith, and so to me, I think a lot of times, man, I just I'm giving up on this situation, but then I'm no, jo Beth's not giving up, I'm not giving up, you know. I mean, shouldn't that be how we are for each other though? Yeah, like linking arms with other strong women and men of faith and just man.

Kim McIntire: 37:42

Sometimes we feel weak, but we can look to someone and be like but Lord, if you can do it for Jobe, if you can put that spirit of persistence in her, you can put it in me, because you are no respecter of persons, right? That's the goodness of our God. He's amazing. So we're going to conclude this part of this episode, but we will be continuing it in our next episode, so please stay tuned. I want to thank you for listening today. Be sure to check us out on our website, itstimetoriseuporg, our Facebook page or Instagram at the underscore official underscore rise, underscore up. May God's grace and peace be with you In Jesus' mighty name.