Praying to avoid God and the Pharisee danger

Tired of fake prayer? Discover the real, raw heart of connecting with God beyond perfection or performance! 

Want a deeper prayer life? We’re exploring how prayer is often misunderstood as a performance rather than an honest encounter with God. Josh Lewis welcomes Dr. Kyle Strobel, associate professor of spiritual theology at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University to explore spiritual formation, the messiness of prayer, and how Christian theology meets lived experience. 

In this episode of Remnant Radio, Josh and Kyle navigate the tension between seeking God’s presence and living by faith even amid spiritual dryness. We’ll explore spiritual warfare and examine why our wandering minds in prayer are actually gifts, revealing the longings of our hearts. Their conversation bridges scholarly theology with down-to-earth practical wisdom, equipping you for a vibrant Christian life marked by honest prayer, theological depth, and spiritual growth.

0:00 – Introduction
5:24 – "Where Prayer Becomes Real" overview
7:23 – Common confusions about prayer
12:16 – The performance mindset 
16:00 – How real honesty changes prayer
22:28 – Law vs. gospel distinction 
26:20 – Prayers that avoid God
29:53 – Biblical examples: authenticity vs. performance
33:01 – The path for Christian growth
45:56 – Tension: desiring spiritual experiences and God’s sufficiency
54:09 – Seeking God’s face
59:05 – The “dark night of the soul,” longing for God, and spiritual formation
1:00:56 – Closing

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Hey Guys, Josh Lewis here. Have you ever wondered if the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit—like prophecy, healing, and tongues—really stopped after the apostles? Cessationists claim they vanished throughout church history, but that's a myth. In Remnant Radio’s new ebook, History of Spiritual Gifts: The Myth of Cessationism, I dive into church history to reveal the active use of spiritual gifts by early church fathers

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