The Dr. Leaf Show S2 E4: Is Prayer Scientific? (w/special guest Priscilla Shirer)

[Music] [Applause] hi I'm dr. Caroline leaf and welcome to the dr. leaf Oh today I have a very special guest in the studio with me priscilla shirer and we're going to be talking about prayer faith and the mind and we're also going to be diving into the science of pray joining welcome to the dr. leaf show if you haven't yet subscribed go to the little button at the bottom of your screen and subscribe and you'll be updated with all things related to mind and mental health well with me in the studio today I have one of my dearest friends one of the most amazing people on the planet someone that I have so much respect for and someone who so CENTAC and so genuine and so amazing priscilla shirer thank you so much my dear friend the studio so excited that you I'm so excited that you're here and you're so busy and I appreciate so much that you've taken the time to come and share but I know that everything you say are pearls of wisdom we all feel about you mutually love each others are so great with my family voted that you the best Bible teacher that we you know we could listen to you for hours hilarious you're brilliant you just make complex things so simple and you just have such a an incredible attitude to life and you're so real you know with your kids and your boys and your husband oh my gosh laundry laundry yes I have heard you teacher tell on that so many times I lose the laundry experience - oh my gosh there's so much laundry was children for kids you actually right exactly it's fishy when I do all the sports yeah constantly washing and folding clothes oh it's never ending story but for sorry you know and one of the things that I really wanted to dive into today is the concept of prayer because it's something that we all know it's a vitally important as you know this connection to God and I've been doing a lot of research on how we are designed physically at connect with a spirit of God in 15 seconds so it's literally you know when we talk about renewing the mind and bringing thoughts into captivity that is pray it's a constant communication with God it is and it reminds me of the scripture verse that says pray without ceasing you sort of wonder how is that possible so when you teach on connecting with the Spirit of God every 10 seconds it is that concept it's that scripture verse it is this constant moment by moment daily as you would say sort of getting into superposition and looking at yourself in relationship to how you're honoring God with this moment with this conversation how my body language how my the words that I'm saying are honoring to the Lord in this moment those constant check-ins yeah that's a prayer that's prayer it's it's so powerful because it's so much more than just as going a prayer closet in the morning like we've been kind of the most trained to do growing up in a very years and years of you know in within a religious environment right it's it's a constant lifestyle I think what's really and I don't have you found this because since the war room I know you get so much the film war and Priscilla did an incredible for me they haven't really seen that you need to see it warum you did that they came out two years ago he's been for years now oh yeah and you believe that maybe three gosh time just goes so quickly and their whole thing was really about pray wrs pray yes and pray is the last time pray as a solution and we get so many emails and I know you probably get the same thing of people saying your pray for me work with this problem or I need pray and most begin God and then I go to these churches and I'm teaching and people are like begging God for now I'm thinking doesn't the Bible already teach us that you know Jesus rose from the cross said it is already done yeah you know and this is God beyond space and time and and isn't the other Hebrews 11:1 that says faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet soon so praise really is pretty not accessing substance and evidence I think that's the key word is accents accent that is the word so Ephesians chapter one says that every spiritual blessing has already we already have every spiritual blessing yeah so what prayer does is it allows us to access the spiritual blessings that have already been allotted to us so you're right begging is not necessarily a posture for a child of God because the inheritance is already rightfully yours as a result of the price he's already paid so what prayer does really prayer is a god-given key that allows us to unlock the resources of heaven and have them unleashed on the landscape of Earth in our lives and our daily lives and so what war room did I think is kind of remind people about the intentionality of Prayer that it's not some afterthought or some theoretical thing that you should do on occasion or that other people do that or ocularly spiritual spiritual or that it's not supposed to be locked away into just the morning quiet time or the evening devotional very much it should be those times of concentrated prayer as well but like you said it's a lifestyle of intentionally thinking about how can I communicate with God intentionally deliberately and strategically to make sure that I'm applying what has been allotted to me does the promises of Scripture that I'm applying those to the the points of my life right actually I'm seeing that those promises need to be fleshed out and need to come to bear in regards to stuff I'm facing in this relationship or on my job or in my finances are in my health how can I intentionally make sure to grab hold of the promises of God and apply them and live in light of those promises in regards to what I'm facing in my life so prayer is not just a bunch of random words it is what has God already given to me and how can I say Lord I am ready now to receive this and have this apply to what I am facing in my life right now that is brilliant it's excellent explanation because what you're saying essentially is that people need to recognize that the solution exists but it's not either I always say it's all in a baked cake for God doesn't give us through ok leave actually yeah we actually have to get in that zone and really access and decide you know on the find it use our intellect work with God you know vessels good luck Jake build and really find those inheritances which is exist and I think one of the biggest miracles of Prayer is not necessarily that prayer you know that God through prayer can change our circumstances of course he can he's a miracle working God but one of the biggest miracles of prayer is that in prayer he changes us that our perspective and our vantage point the promises we grab hold up the choices that we make we see ourselves clearly in prayer because we get a clearer view of God in prayer so then we face the circumstance that may not change our spouse may not change our marital difficulty may not change the financial struggle may not change our health may take a little time yeah it's right that those things may or may not change but we change our heart becomes different our mind is molded into the image of Christ Jesus we change in prayer so then our lives become you know a different sort of experience not because everybody else changed in everything else change but because we did that's what prayer does I love this I absolutely love this and that is so completely accurate because when you get into that love zone that always talked about the you having the fear zone you are gonna love it it's cool I love that we need lots of those in our heads when you get into that so we are getting a new perspective we are conceptualizing and looking at it in terms of love and you know what you're saying and I'm just in so deep it owes to the spiritual explanation that you're giving and and in my head as a scientist all the science is popping up and you know it's so it was very fascinating facilitate that I think you've heard me teachers before that this the Oxford mathematician Sir Roger Penrose he talks about the fact that we are embedded in love it's such a what does that mean you know you just said all the inheritance you've given all the Scriptures talking you not all of them you've mentioned certain scriptures about how the inheritance is the available for us and that we need to get in and get God's perspective so that we can access you know you said a key word access the problem is we got to realize that we have to do the work of accessing and then accessing and Sir Roger Penrose shows mathematically and with quantum physics that as humans we are embedded in ethical values of love and the solutions for in space time and beyond because there's multiple universes and there's this mathematical equate these these complex mathematical equations showing the beauty and the logic and the intelligence of what we actually are immersed in so God's showing us through science that we love in our solutions and that with prey we are learning to access our solutions and that is a working boat and I think that's another problem that I see in people really praying like they should in that they don't realize that you have to access with work there's work involved is you getting your mind it's not just going to put you know close your eyes on God's gonna give you the baked cake but someone lays on hands and now you know this is automatic transference osmosis versus happening these are working both yeah well that's you know the scripture says work out your salvation in fear and trembling and so your salvation in terms of eternity the price for that was paid you and I no longer owe the debt for our own sin once we accept Christ as our Savior we are receiving his gift so salvation in that sense is done it is finished but we're still on earth that's the water on earth if we want to experience life with God that's the part that requires work intentionality deliberate focus on the promises of God on living in a way that honors God on using the keys that he's given us the love letter of his word the key of prayer on humility garners you know in choosing a lifestyle of humility instead of pride humility so that we garner the the attention the support of God the favor of God in our life those are choices that we have to make so in the scriptures there are probably more than or up to 8,000 different promises that are given to sons and daughters but most of them he did not place in our hand most of them he placed in our reach meaning things we don't reach if we don't grab hold if we don't actually like he said to Joshua listen the promised land is already yours but every place you you put your foot down yes that you will have access to it's yours but you got to go put your feet down Exodus yeah you got to do it so lazy Christianity is not going to benefit us we'll get to heaven but we won't experience the heaven on earth that we were intended to experience unless we do the hard work of putting our feet down on the promises oh you said some incredible constant and one of the things you said that's very powerful see if we don't do the hard work if we don't choose to actually step into the promised land so using the Christianese stepping into the promised land in life we're going to have to choose to realize that we have ability to we have the ability to access the power of God step into that that loves oh and step into that that the promises that God has placed within the within within the atmosphere that we live in we immersed in God but we have to do the work and I think that's one of the biggest problems is there's such a mindset in the church of people wanting you to pray for them or someone else to pray for them and then I was talking about I was telling you this earlier on about pass the buck pray yeah and I've been teaching a lot on that Lake you were someone's I'll pray for you and there's kind of like a half-hearted little prayer he'll make me a genuine prayer maybe really heartfelt and in a sec I kept on my work but have you really because Vedas don't do that oh yeah we only have really when someone is saying will you pray for me aren't they saying something deeper aren't they saying can you connect with me can you somehow listen to me I need some kind of support in some way should we not be saying what's your story can I can I just listen do you need some time can join adjust talk you know and is and that's much more effortful you know as a you know it takes time it takes the effort it takes maybe some takes some phone calls some emails some time that you've got to give up of your own yeah but research shows that your own healing when you do that and all of us need healing constantly in every different level increases by a factor of 68% when we give to it quickly give to others so be me praying for others it's not just for the benefit of mankind it's for the benefit of well it's been for everything you benefit the other person benefits you start putting this whole laws of love into it even some I could be wrong on this reference but I think it's Luke 6 or Luke 8 somewhere in there that says give and it will be given back to you whatever it is that you need we'll give it and it will be given back to you okay so if it's time or if it's attention or if it's caring or whatever it is that you need give it and that's what comes back to you which is what you're saying that it increases your healing by a certain percentage because you offering it to somebody else and it's just one of the laws of our God return that to you you know you're feeding in that greedy bad place and you feel like you want someone to pray for you but you asked and if someone says please would you practically all please and you think I don't have the energy or that I know how that's the time when you really should say yes absolutely what can I do and you don't have to do much you just have to certain listen very often the orphans may be just five minutes of it of listening but that's that's part of print as you listening you can be talking to the Spirit of God saying lord help me here what do I want yes and just think about that person was I think so often when we listening to other people or even when you're talking to God we're so busy thinking about what we want to say and what we need that we or what we want to say about our experience about mother's person that person is telling us about the experience that we're not tuning into they need so it's a matter of get rid of your own need for a moment tune in to that other person 100 percent lift the Spirit of God moved through you so that you can speak that word in season and as you give it 100 percent watch the what's the change inside of you because research shows that your brain chemistry actually changes when you do that so you and when you pray your brain chemistry changes your brain goes into the highest states of intellectual function when you get into that state of pray and worship which is in love going into the rate of love but you know what I find I've found recently that I have been asking God what to even pray well that's good what what what do you want me to pray because see we always feel like I always feel like I've got the solution for that person I know what to pray you know to me are they they think they know I want this job or this promotion what we're asking God for that house or so they tell you basically what they want you to pray for them and obviously his ways are not our ways his thoughts are not our thoughts and most of us have our prayer requests are so small we don't we don't realize it at the time because in our category of solutions that's the top of the line but he's got categories we don't even know exists thank you so if and if just one simply expand that's right so we just pray in our category we're actually limiting what could be a breathtaking experience because we want this and God's got stuff we don't even know how to pray for so I've been thinking even in regards to my sons you know Lord I I've got this picture in my head of what I'd love for my boys but instead of just praying that you would do that yes I just want to pray a little bit that you would tell me what you would like for me to pray for my kid I'm thinking about when Jesus was with Simon Peter and you know he knew that there was gonna be a little tug of war going on yes spiritually with Peter and he did not pray that he would not have the struggle Jesus didn't pray that Simon would not have the struggle yes he prayed that his faith would be strengthened he said I'm gonna pray that your faith is strengthened not that you won't go through what you're about to go through right so you had that you had the resilience you know that's right to get through it he preferred to pray that his resilience and faith would be strengthened more than he wouldn't have the trouble and what we pray is Lord take it away just no struggle just make sure my kid doesn't go through struggle I don't want to go through one big happy story but that's not life but if we pray and say Lord actually what are you trying to get out of this situation for this person or for me then it probably will change all of change our requests so that we're just praying the mind of Christ for a particular person or for I know I love that so actually asking God what is it that you know it but you actually want here now they they they one is more involved it's definitely wouldn't be a pastor by pre you actually tuning into that person you you're not thinking about yourself we're just you know like working off a prayer you're actually tuning into the need of that person via that that connection with the Spirit of God right and getting that that infant then that's that's critically brilliant as well I think we will always pray for what is easy and convenient and makes us comfortable cuz we're humans were flesh we want life to be especially in the western part of the world where our conveniences are just so you know accessible yeah and so we we pray anemic prayers feeble weak prayers because we really just want a happy life that's what we want so it will bring unnecessary to do anything for a depth of character and personality makes this quite selfish yeah and you realize it when really when you travel to other parts of the world do you meet people that come from other parts of the world and you see a depth of character you see a strength of faith through horrible tragic circumstances you see them still standing firm and having a peace that passes all understanding there's a smile still on their face they can still sleep at night despite the fact that they're going through things most of us will never even yes and you're trying to forget how did that happen it's because convenience was not their top priority they would like convenience they would like comfort it doesn't water down those things it's just their top priority is how do I honor God and what does God want in this situation for me and for my family and so it kind of conforms their perspective on life's difficulties totally different angle totally different perspective as opposed to so I agree with you Pacific was what I see so much when I go around doing what I do is people really I mentioned in the beginning begging God for you know change my husband change my charge is this meanwhile this that's not even prayer that's just you trying to put your impose your will meanwhile we need to be looking at that China looking at it from totally different perspectives I'm seeing that there is that solution available that's already tuned in and we've got to see the reality of reality of not just trying to be happy and peaceful but she makes you realize what what is it that they're going through yeah and get a different perspective and you so write about the whole concept of people that you are coming from Africa and seeing and working for 25 years in the most poverty stricken traumatic environments that you can imagine you know you just see the champagne lifestyles and the champagne praise is all from Corbin as well just which is what you describe there's you know it's it's you need some perspective it's like we need to go through certain things to be able to realize that life's not just about our comfort laughs is about being human but bringing heaven to earth with our minds or being yelled to us with our minds we literally by tuning into others of our community focused on your hearing for others that whole so the perspective of pre is really shifting away some from yourself to the needs of others right and in that way your own needs somehow if you don't there's a kind of shift of the space it's a completely different as a mom that's very easy to you often talk about your boys and your when you teach and use them as examples and it's so great because people can relate to that and you know what would you give us a practical tip in a moment praying for you in your boys and I would say you know there's a lot of guilt that we have about this quiet time about devotions and they are so important to carve out some time where you have a place of solitude of silence even if it's your bathroom so in place of silence you can get for a few minutes that you lock the door and you sit down and you spend 30 minutes with the Lord or 15 min to the Lord but I think sometimes when we're in seasons of life where our kids are very small or maybe we're taking care of elderly parents maybe the other side of the spectrum or we're just in a very busy season if we don't have an hour to spend with God we are so laden with guilt that we haven't done it the way we've been told it's supposed to be done that we do nothing so it's the enemy that makes us think if we can't do it this way then it's not worth trying it anyway and I think that that women who are and men who are right in the throes of raising a bunch of little kids and everybody's all over the place and most of the time you know when your feet hit the floor the possibility in the morning that's right and so you know there was an a wiser older woman in my life when my kids were much smaller who really helped me to see that this would be the time when the time of life when practicing the presence of God is so important that's a phrase that brother Lawrence gave years ago and it's basically what you've described in connecting with the Spirit of God all day long you're just mindful and thoughtful and you have to be intentional about that so what that means writing down scripture verses on three by five cards and posting them where you're gonna wash dishes and where you fold clothes and at the sandbox where you're gonna be watching your kid playing on your dashboard taping one there cuz you're gonna be running errands all day it's this intentional thought of how can i connect with God throughout the day instead of feeling guilty that I didn't have an hour carved out this morning and I just think people need to be freed up to know that a relationship with God is not just the more or evening it just be with them all day long that's really really was good to emphasize that in this in the show and you view verbalize that so magnificently how we need to have a constant ongoing discussion we said become you made from lovely immersed in love love yeah and we need to have this constant discussion to activate that so yes it's not that the religious laws of really blog people are believing they're praying because there's nothing wrong with things have devotions that don't even we're good for you but if you can't do the new last time don't let that you lifestyle you from no connect and it's not the only way so you can do that it doesn't mean that you then turn into a horrible person the rest of the day and you only nice and in free time but effective you maintain it through the day and it's really no I love using my reminders on my phone if I'm working on something you know there just pops up and it's you know you can set them to pop up as often as you want and it just keeps you focused well whenever I'm on whenever I get to take a little vacation maybe once a year I'm on vacation or I happen to be in some couple days where I you know maybe the kids went to Granny's house and I'm I'm at home and I get to wake up leisurely and have a cup of coffee whenever those moments happen I'm always thinking Lord can this right here last like how do I get how do I get this to go into regular life when when life is busy and we're running errands we got games and all that and that's what what you're describing about connecting with God that's the bridge of how to bring that feeling of I'm on vacation into the regular rhythms of life it can't just be we're waiting for that week in Mexico or that week all not cruise it has to be where I find out how to have a rhythm of grace and peace by God's Spirit that's why we have God's Spirit that's the that's the whole point of God being in us and with me is to have that rhythm and enjoy the abundant life he's given us access to throughout the whole year not just once a week when we get to go on vacation this is profound what Priscilla has just said is so incredibly profound that this is not just a now and then thing this is not just but that peace that you get when you have those moments of exceptional joy when you watching your kids are you with your husband and you on that holiday cruise that should be in our everyday moments we need to learn how to tap into that we need to be able to rest in our busyness and that's kind of what your syllabus and some pretty helps us doesn't it Priscilla to rest in that busyness yeah today we're not gonna be fun busy listen you won't it's 1:00 now because it's a great but not we always am you can do busy well you know the sign shows that we designed to do busy well but we can do that by keeping our souls focused and our brain is just going to respond to our mind yeah our bodies is going to respond to our mind it's the mind brain connection so when we talk about the mind brain connection we really are talking about pre we're talking about self-regulation we're talking about you know you think just the the the the renewing of the mind the bringing thoughts into captivity this is and the implication is what you were saying it's a self-regulation yeah and it's a self-regulation that keeps us in a state of peace way I often explain what you just explained now is freaking out in the love zone so that the peace that you feel you can bring into that crazy moment of that crazy challenge that's crazy situation that crazy challenge whatever's going on it you can keep maintaining it it's been a constant goal of mine to try to you know minimize and downsize and you know not be busy busy busy on all the margins so I think there is you know we have to control our business we have to align it we have to think about priorities and but the reality is even when we get our priorities in order even when we put first things first and we're still going to be busy even if things are ordered you're still gonna be busy you know my boys are going to have games they're in three different sports we're gonna have games that we have exactly this one has this test coming up tomorrow that one has that test coming up tomorrow there is still dinner to be made laundry still has to be done yes so there's going to be busyness you've got a child so there's gonna be busyness so instead of being us instead of being you know upset that our life is busy the reality is like you're saying we having to find rest in the busyness and I had a handle and I capture ourselves when you feel ourselves as is too much bringing ourselves back if you make the mistake and get frustrated or get irritated by self-regulating by living a lifestyle of prayer by connecting to the Spirit of God every 10 seconds which is what we designed to do we didn't catch ourselves instead of falling apart from freaking out in those moments we actually can figure out in the love zone because they rule back on that I go to do this and you might be but you can still have that there's something in you that's just flowing and s that love that connection with the Spirit of God that there's connection with love and it's expressing I think that's what you what you saying and that we can all do you think we can strive with a P we designed for that now that's what I love about science prasada because everything you saying everyone who's watching knows that this is reality we know what Bristol is saying is what we all meet we know it instinctively you know what Priscilla has been saying what we've been discussing is something that you aspire to that you instinctively feel that's something that you can you believe in of how to bring it into your life how to bridge it into your life how to make it part of your life this is something you can do you you can do this but you have to choose to do it personally you had to give a closing statement it's something that would be how would you represent what would you do something practical that what would you do like a a way of its choice its accessing could you give us a wise statement a closing statement to Madison yeah just really say to make a decision like she said choice is the very beginning to make a decision that tomorrow or today I am going to start to self-regulate which means as she's described standing outside of yourself and monitoring in those moments when you're starting to feel frustrated and I'm starting to feel the stress overwhelm you and begin to dictate your actions in your words to take that moment to self-regulate but not only that to take out a pen and a piece of paper and write down literally write down what you're going to be mindful of throughout the day the moments that you already know that are coming conversations you already know you're going to be having to have with a boss or a co-worker or a spouse things that normally arouse something in you that you don't like the look of go ahead and write those things down and then praise specific to those things and ask the Lord in advance to prepare you for those moments and then ask him to already give you the piece already give you the tools that you can access in the moment that those things arise that will enable you to honor him and to honor those around you when those moments come thank you for joining us today and I look forward to seeing you next time this is the doxa leaf show thank you for joining me I hope you enjoyed that discussion and learned lots of information about pre faith and science and if you want to keep up to date with all things related to the mind and mental health don't forget to subscribe the little button at the bottom of your screen just press that and you'll be kept up to date thank you for joining me I'm dr. Caroline Lee are you tired of failing tired of not getting those good grades even though you studied for hours tired of having all these goals and dreams but not able to make them happen maybe you're just tired of failed relationships but the real key to success lies deep inside of all of us and that is in our mind if we don't get our mind right nothing else in our life will go right dr. Leif's latest book think learn succeed includes her gift profile and scientifically proven five-step learning process to help you understand and use your unique mind to find meaningful success in school work and life order your copy today [Music] thanks for joining us today doctor Leafs best-selling book will help you find the switch that will turn on your brain and enable you to be happier and healthier in your mind and body more prosperous and more intelligent no diet will work unless you have the right mindset in the book think and eat yourself smart doctor leaf will show you how to eat real food mindfully and develop a healthier body brain and spirit do you struggle to find your identity and purpose the perfect you will help solve life's questions by providing you with the blueprint for your unique mind detox your brain in 21 days with doctor Leafs best-selling online program the 21 day detox accessible from your phone tablet or computer this program will show you how your thoughts impact your spirit soul and body to stay up to date on all things related to the mind and mental health follow us on Facebook Twitter and Instagram thanks for watching today and be sure to tune in next week for another great episode

Channel: Dr. Caroline Leaf

Views: 281,532

Rating: 4.9223709 out of 5

Keywords: mind, brain, science, prayer, faith, spiritual, neuroscience, detox, motivation, family

Id: -14TuRmCx6k

Length: 31min 21sec (1881 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 05 2018