January 18, 2025 • 19 mins
Living low begins with understanding your heart's posture before God, emphasizing the importance of humility over pride. This episode explores the significance of authentic engagement in prayer through the lens of biblical parables and personal stories, inviting listeners to reflect on their own relationship with God.
• Exploring the concept of heart posture
• The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector illustrating humility
• Self-righteousness vs. surrendered hearts
• Understanding personal intentions when approaching God
• The struggle between pride and authenticity
• Personal experiences revealing the need for surrender
• Encouragement to reflect on what is being withheld from God
• Weekly Challenge: Is it yours? or God's?
• Next episode preview on the power of prayer
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Low Life Show, a space where we have
conversations about thestruggles of life, where we
declare war on pride and walkhumbly into renewed living with
a surrendered heart.
Where we take our past failuresand turn them into a roadmap
for you to live in peace andliving the low life.
Whether you're working throughpersonal struggles or simply
(00:22):
seeking a fresh perspective,this podcast will inspire and
equip you to live low and letGod lift you up.
I'm your host, dl the Low Life,a reformed professional dirtbag
who's here to tell you that Inow live a life of peace,
transformed through humility.
Join me, let's get low.
So so what's good?
(01:26):
Welcome back to the low Show.
If this is your first time here, welcome.
It's a privilege to have you.
You're in luck today becauseyou picked a good episode to
pull up on.
Today we're talking about thataction, the very first step in
living low, and that's posture.
I'm not talking about how yousit or stand nothing to do with
the spine, let's be real, thoughsome of us could use a reminder
(01:47):
to sit up straight.
I'm talking about posture inthe heart, your reason why, when
you come before God, are youready to surrender or are you
holding back?
And it's really not an if it'smore, what is it that you're
holding back?
Let's face it we all carryreservations when we're not the
focus and beneficiary of what wedo.
We've all been there showing upjust to check a box.
(02:09):
Showing up to church becauseyour mom or your grandfather or
your dad or somebody told you to, not because you're seeking.
And even when you pray, whenyou're seeking an answer from
Him more than you're seeking Him, it's the wrong posture.
But if you want to live low, itstarts with getting your heart
in the right posture.
So let's jump in, because thewater is warm.
(02:31):
We're going to begin in Luke,in a parable told by Jesus
himself.
This one is all about posture.
Two men went up into the templeto pray.
(02:52):
One was a Pharisee, the other atax collector.
The Pharisee stood and beganpraying this in regard to
himself God I thank you that I'mnot like the other people
swindlers, crooked, adulterersor even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week.
I pay tithes of all that.
I'm not like the other peopleswindlers, crooked, adulterers
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week.
I pay tithes of all that I get.
But the tax collector standingsome distance away, was even
(03:14):
unwilling to raise his eyestoward heaven, but was beating
his chest saying God, bemerciful to me, the sinner.
I tell you, this man went tohis house justified, rather than
the other one, for everyone whoexalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himselfwill be exalted, so let's talk
(03:43):
about this.
We've got two guys on one side.
There's talk about this.
We got two guys on one side.
There's a Pharisee, holy man,proud of what he does, for God
Wants everybody to know it.
The other side, tax collector,who won't even look God in the
eye, probably for shame.
He's a sinner, he claims it.
(04:05):
The Pharisee, though.
Look at his motivation, look athis reasoning and his intention
.
You can tell what informs hisactions.
Very, very proud, proud of whathe can do.
Look at me.
The other thing, though, is Idon't know he looks pretty
passive-aggressive.
If it's me, I would just tellthe tax collector I think he's a
piece of crap.
I wouldn't just pray it outloud, hoping he hears me.
(04:27):
Anyways, that's just me.
He says God, I thank you thatI'm not like the other people
robbers, evildoers, adulterersor even this tax collector.
Then he flexes about histithing Like he really wants to
be noticed, he wants to be seenand he thinks all of those
things mean something.
(04:47):
It shows that he's expectingsomething from God as a result
of his actions, that he's notdoing it with an open heart.
He's not doing it in honesty.
He's doing it trying tohighlight only the things that
he thinks are going to pleaseGod.
But you can see it in his wordshe's condemning, he's comparing
, he's trying to play the judgethat God is for himself and
(05:09):
convince God of something thathe believes, not what's right.
Then you got the tax collector,who doesn't even look at God,
but he beats his chest and heboldly proclaims that he's a
sinner and asks for mercy.
Why did Jesus say the taxcollector went home justified
before God, not the Pharisee?
It's because of the posture,his posture of humility.
It wasn't anything he did thatmade it better or worse.
(05:32):
It was his willingness to admithis sin.
It was his surrender right infront of God, saying I know I'm
a terrible person, I know thatI'm a sinner, I am unclean,
imperfect, and yet here I amasking you for mercy.
He went home justified becauseof his honest heart.
In that honesty he embraced hisimperfections.
He had nothing to hide.
(05:54):
That takes humility to embracethe things that you've done
wrong, to accept them and thento surrender them to God.
The Pharisee was unjustifiedbecause he was proudly bragging
about how good he thought he was.
Unwilling to see his flaws, ormaybe just trying to hide them.
Either way, it's the wrongposture.
What is your posture?
(06:27):
In the parable we have twopeople, a Pharisee and a tax
collector, with two differentpostures.
One was self-righteous, theother one was surrendered.
The Pharisee showed himself tobe self-righteous because he
thought he was doing God a favorby showing up.
He didn't show up for God'shelp.
He didn't show up for God'shelp.
He didn't show up seeking God.
(06:47):
He showed up to brag before Godand others just about how
amazing he is, how pious.
He also compared himself to thetax collector.
The tax collector who came witha surrendered posture.
The tax collector who hadnothing to offer but a repentant
heart.
Here's the good thing.
(07:08):
It's not like once you'repostured one way, it'll never
change and that's just the wayyou're going to be forever.
You can check that.
Here are some signs to find outif your posture is off.
Have you ever found yourselfcomparing your walk with others?
Like well, at least I'm not asbad as them.
You might be a Pharisee, ormaybe you're coming to God with
(07:28):
a checklist like, okay, I prayed, I went to church, now where's
my blessing?
The beauty of the way Godoperates is your life is going
to prove what your posture is.
One way or another, it'lleither show the fruit in this
case, fruit of the Spirit, andit'll show evidence that you
want Him for Him, or it'll showthe opposite, regardless of what
(07:49):
you say or how you pretend tobe no-transcript, it doesn't
matter if you fool people aroundyou.
If you feel like you can dothat to God, you know for sure
pride's sneaking in and if youfind yourself in that way, it's
very easy to fix, it's very easyto turn back.
It starts with being honest,honest with yourself and honest
(08:13):
with God, accepting of yourself.
Remember, god's not impressedby your checklist and there's
nothing you can do that hehasn't seen.
There's nothing that's reallygoing to impress him, because
it's by his grace that you have,that you can, that you ever
even will accomplish anything atall.
He's looking for your heart.
Keep it real with him.
He already knows anyways.
(08:34):
You're not going to impress himby lying, by hiding, by
highlighting things that youthink he'll enjoy.
You want to try to impress him.
Why don't you try by notimpressing him and see how that
works?
(08:57):
Let me take you on a journeyback in time.
I wonder if some of you maybeyou're like me, like I was Maybe
part of why you feel pain orhurt is because you're too smart
for your own good, might bebackward.
There's no such thing as beingtoo smart, right, it is when
(09:19):
it's combined with being tooproud.
See, I knew everything.
I had life by the balls.
I had cracked the code andfigured it all out.
When my life started to break,it was like nothing I did was
fulfilling enough.
Every time I had a great idea,right before I hit the start
button it lost its purpose.
I would have a great idea for apainting and 90% through it.
I'd wipe the entire thing outand start over.
(09:40):
Every time I had a designconcept, it'd be dope.
I'd get kudos when I shared itand I would be riding on that
high of compliments and then Iwould just have no interest in
it.
It even happened in my criminallife.
I'd have a great idea on a lickto hit, work through it,
develop it.
I'd even get agreement fromothers on the odds of success.
(10:02):
We were about to make somemoney and then I'd abandon it at
the finish line.
I used to think it was justfear of failure.
After losing my promising career, I didn't want to fall again.
That might have been chumpchange to some, but it was
everything for a poor kid fromVallejo.
After a while I did what Icould to turn my brain off.
Sometimes that meant notengaging in any meaningful
(10:23):
thought process.
Mostly it just meant hella,weed and nothing serious.
It got to this point where mymind scared me and I didn't like
that.
So that led me to tons of TVtime.
I rationalized it, as at leastit keeps me out of trouble.
This was the trend I wentthrough to get through grief,
probation, prison, parole, evenboredom in everyday life.
(10:45):
Just ignore it by focusing on afake reality.
Turn on the TV.
Only recently have I been led todo life a little differently.
So what changed?
I was given something, everysingle thing I have and ever had
Time, and breath included.
It's all been given, didn'tearn it, didn't work for it.
(11:07):
So this realization, it cameduring a time of understanding
that God led me through, to helpme realize that nothing is mine
.
Everything I have is and alwayswill be his, my life included.
I'm just keeping this body warmfor him.
Problem was I wasn't even doingthat right.
(11:27):
All the accolades andachievements meant nothing,
because the glory is his.
I was seeking it for myself.
This revelation got me thinkingabout what I do with my time.
Even Time is his and I'm notspending it with him.
What am I doing, would yourealize?
I found out that I watchedabout 8 to 12 hours of TV a day.
(11:49):
I guess you don't realize thatmath is mathing when you took a
blunt to the face and you'rejust spaced out on the screen.
The other thing that got myattention was the constant
distraction I had of needing tohit my vape to smoke a cigarette
.
Sometimes I'd be inconversation fondling that thing
like it was.
Anyway, you get my point.
(12:09):
Even during prayer, sometimes Iwould have my hand in my pocket
holding onto the vape, justwaiting for the amen so I could
run outside and hit it.
I had not been acknowledginganything other than what I
wanted and expectations andpreferences for my life.
Acknowledging what's his andbeing willing to return it to
him is the posture I had beenmissing, this posture of no
(12:31):
expectation of me, because I'mnot even my own.
It could look like a bunch ofdifferent things.
For me, it made sense after Godwalked me through actually
quitting the nicotine.
You know, since I startedsmoking, I'd always quit until I
bought a new pack.
I remember saying to God I knowthat when it's time for me to
be done with this, I'll be done.
(12:51):
When you want me done with this, I'm not going to smoke it
anymore.
I know that you won't let mecrave it.
I know that you won't let methink about it.
I know that you won't let mecrave it.
I know that you won't let methink about it.
I just know.
And then I said well, pleasemake sure that I'm down to my
last cigarette or lastpercentage of juice in the vape,
don't do it.
When I got a fresh pack in mypocket.
(13:11):
So this was the beginning ofposture.
I removed myself and whateverindependent strength I thought I
had, and I leaned on God forthe entire process.
And so it went.
This is where God's funny.
I had about 85% juice left inmy vape and I felt this strong
desire to toss.
(13:31):
It Didn't make no sense becauseI had just spent my last 20
bucks on it.
So I went down to the dumpsterand I paced around it for about
20 minutes maybe 30, trying toconvince myself that I was
tripping.
Then I tossed it because Icouldn't shake the feeling, I
couldn't shake that notion thatthis was the moment I was
(13:53):
leaning on him.
For After that, though, I havenot had one craving for it at
all, and that was five monthsago by returning to him what was
his, in this instance, my life.
He allowed me to lean on him andhe literally did all the work.
Nicotine and all the toxins andcigarettes were not doing my
(14:14):
lungs or lifespan any favors.
I was putting something he gaveme at risk, and I've been doing
it since I was 12.
Then he got to work on myleisure TV time.
That was way easier than Ithought.
I was very dependent onescaping reality through TV, but
he did it all.
One day I was watching a movieand I just found myself
disgusted.
I don't even remember the movie, but it wasn't anything crazy,
(14:38):
just your standard PG-13 movieon Netflix.
So I shut it off and I openedup the Bible, just thinking why
not give it a shot?
That day began a dailyreplacement in hours in the
Bible instead of on the TV.
It began a daily six to maybeten hours total of reading every
day.
It became my go-to for boredom,sleeplessness, anytime I felt
(14:59):
in need of satisfaction.
His words just gave it to me.
I didn't know it then, but hewas also teaching me.
Teaching me how to know and seeand hear and feel what his will
and purpose are for me.
Teaching me how to be obedientto his calling.
Teaching me to accept that hereally was calling me and it
didn't make it up in my head.
Teaching me how to sit with him.
He was teaching me posture, aposture of placing him above
(15:23):
myself, letting him be God andshowing him that I know this
because my life is surrenderedto him, remembering that time is
a finite thing and wanting tospend it with him.
Remember tomorrow's notpromised, when he knows that
you're aware of this and youchoose to spend your time with
him anyways.
It's an honorable offering,it's a sacrifice of something
(15:45):
valuable.
Whatever your wants are, youhave to lower them.
Put his will above yours andput him above you.
Take a moment to consider yourposture.
(16:06):
Ask yourself where you're comingfrom when you pray.
Are you praying because youhave to?
Are you hiding anything?
If that's the realization youcome to, then it's time to make
a shift, time to stop trying tohide.
Remember he sees you, no matterhow many masks you put on.
You could fake a voice, youcould do all those things.
He sees you.
So be comfortable in your mess.
(16:27):
Mess and when you are there,cry out to him, lean on him, be
helpless and know that it's okaybecause he's not.
He's all the help you'll everneed.
Pause for the cause.
(16:49):
This week Weekly challenge.
This week in prayer.
Take some time and ask God whatin your life do you think is
yours?
What in your life do youwithhold from Him?
Where are you unwilling toinvite Him or where have you not
even thought about it?
Remember Proverbs 3, 5, and 6says to acknowledge him in all
(17:13):
our situations, in all our ways.
That means inviting him, thatmeans remembering him, that
means thanking him and knowingthat it's his and it's not yours
.
Remember, be honest withyourself and when he does
respond, ask him to help youwith whatever it is, to inform
(17:33):
your posture.
Write it down if it helps, andthen we will see you next week.
Thank you for hanging out withme today.
Remember, living low startswith your heart.
Next week, though, we're goingto get into some real stuff the
superpower prayer.
We're going to dive into thereal stuff, the superpower
prayer.
We're going to dive into theLord's Prayer, break down the
format, the intention, thereasoning, and we're going to
(17:56):
learn what it really means toget low before God in prayer.
You'll hear why it's more aboutrelationship than routine, more
posture than ceremony, and moreintention than structure, and
it's all going to come from themodel that Jesus gave the
disciples.
Let's pray, father.
We thank you today for posture,for your willingness to wait
(18:17):
for us patiently and eveninforming us on how we need to
be to approach you.
We thank you for showing up anddoing all the heavy lifting,
all of the work for us.
Bless the listener.
We ask that they would grow onestep closer to you this week.
Thank you, and we praise you inJesus' name.
Amen, you won't want to missany episodes, but if you have to
(18:42):
pick just one to tune into,tune into next week.
Prayer is something I holddearly to, something that I find
as part of my goal, my mission,my calling, my purpose, my all,
everything To steward well,prayer is the only reason I'm
alive today, the only reason I'mhere.
Who knows, tune in.
It might just set your prayerlife on fire.
Until then, stay low, stayblessed and stay ready.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Until the next episode of the Low Life Show,
peace.
We'll get to the low life, lowlife.
We'll get to the low life, lowlife.
Welcome to the Low Life Show, a space where we have
conversations about thestruggles of life, where we
declare war on pride and walkhumbly into renewed living with
a surrendered heart.
Where we take our past failuresand turn them into a roadmap
for you to live in peace andliving the low life.
Whether you're working throughpersonal struggles or simply
(00:22):
seeking a fresh perspective,this podcast will inspire and
equip you to live low and letGod lift you up.
I'm your host, dl the Low Life,a reformed professional dirtbag
who's here to tell you that Inow live a life of peace,
transformed through humility.
Join me, let's get low.
So so what's good?
(01:26):
Welcome back to the low Show.
If this is your first time here, welcome.
It's a privilege to have you.
You're in luck today becauseyou picked a good episode to
pull up on.
Today we're talking about thataction, the very first step in
living low, and that's posture.
I'm not talking about how yousit or stand nothing to do with
the spine, let's be real, thoughsome of us could use a reminder
(01:47):
to sit up straight.
I'm talking about posture inthe heart, your reason why, when
you come before God, are youready to surrender or are you
holding back?
And it's really not an if it'smore, what is it that you're
holding back?
Let's face it we all carryreservations when we're not the
focus and beneficiary of what wedo.
We've all been there showing upjust to check a box.
(02:09):
Showing up to church becauseyour mom or your grandfather or
your dad or somebody told you to, not because you're seeking.
And even when you pray, whenyou're seeking an answer from
Him more than you're seeking Him, it's the wrong posture.
But if you want to live low, itstarts with getting your heart
in the right posture.
So let's jump in, because thewater is warm.
(02:31):
We're going to begin in Luke,in a parable told by Jesus
himself.
This one is all about posture.
Two men went up into the templeto pray.
(02:52):
One was a Pharisee, the other atax collector.
The Pharisee stood and beganpraying this in regard to
himself God I thank you that I'mnot like the other people
swindlers, crooked, adulterersor even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week.
I pay tithes of all that.
I'm not like the other peopleswindlers, crooked, adulterers
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week.
I pay tithes of all that I get.
But the tax collector standingsome distance away, was even
(03:14):
unwilling to raise his eyestoward heaven, but was beating
his chest saying God, bemerciful to me, the sinner.
I tell you, this man went tohis house justified, rather than
the other one, for everyone whoexalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himselfwill be exalted, so let's talk
(03:43):
about this.
We've got two guys on one side.
There's talk about this.
We got two guys on one side.
There's a Pharisee, holy man,proud of what he does, for God
Wants everybody to know it.
The other side, tax collector,who won't even look God in the
eye, probably for shame.
He's a sinner, he claims it.
(04:05):
The Pharisee, though.
Look at his motivation, look athis reasoning and his intention
.
You can tell what informs hisactions.
Very, very proud, proud of whathe can do.
Look at me.
The other thing, though, is Idon't know he looks pretty
passive-aggressive.
If it's me, I would just tellthe tax collector I think he's a
piece of crap.
I wouldn't just pray it outloud, hoping he hears me.
(04:27):
Anyways, that's just me.
He says God, I thank you thatI'm not like the other people
robbers, evildoers, adulterersor even this tax collector.
Then he flexes about histithing Like he really wants to
be noticed, he wants to be seenand he thinks all of those
things mean something.
(04:47):
It shows that he's expectingsomething from God as a result
of his actions, that he's notdoing it with an open heart.
He's not doing it in honesty.
He's doing it trying tohighlight only the things that
he thinks are going to pleaseGod.
But you can see it in his wordshe's condemning, he's comparing
, he's trying to play the judgethat God is for himself and
(05:09):
convince God of something thathe believes, not what's right.
Then you got the tax collector,who doesn't even look at God,
but he beats his chest and heboldly proclaims that he's a
sinner and asks for mercy.
Why did Jesus say the taxcollector went home justified
before God, not the Pharisee?
It's because of the posture,his posture of humility.
It wasn't anything he did thatmade it better or worse.
(05:32):
It was his willingness to admithis sin.
It was his surrender right infront of God, saying I know I'm
a terrible person, I know thatI'm a sinner, I am unclean,
imperfect, and yet here I amasking you for mercy.
He went home justified becauseof his honest heart.
In that honesty he embraced hisimperfections.
He had nothing to hide.
(05:54):
That takes humility to embracethe things that you've done
wrong, to accept them and thento surrender them to God.
The Pharisee was unjustifiedbecause he was proudly bragging
about how good he thought he was.
Unwilling to see his flaws, ormaybe just trying to hide them.
Either way, it's the wrongposture.
What is your posture?
(06:27):
In the parable we have twopeople, a Pharisee and a tax
collector, with two differentpostures.
One was self-righteous, theother one was surrendered.
The Pharisee showed himself tobe self-righteous because he
thought he was doing God a favorby showing up.
He didn't show up for God'shelp.
He didn't show up for God'shelp.
He didn't show up seeking God.
(06:47):
He showed up to brag before Godand others just about how
amazing he is, how pious.
He also compared himself to thetax collector.
The tax collector who came witha surrendered posture.
The tax collector who hadnothing to offer but a repentant
heart.
Here's the good thing.
(07:08):
It's not like once you'repostured one way, it'll never
change and that's just the wayyou're going to be forever.
You can check that.
Here are some signs to find outif your posture is off.
Have you ever found yourselfcomparing your walk with others?
Like well, at least I'm not asbad as them.
You might be a Pharisee, ormaybe you're coming to God with
(07:28):
a checklist like, okay, I prayed, I went to church, now where's
my blessing?
The beauty of the way Godoperates is your life is going
to prove what your posture is.
One way or another, it'lleither show the fruit in this
case, fruit of the Spirit, andit'll show evidence that you
want Him for Him, or it'll showthe opposite, regardless of what
(07:49):
you say or how you pretend tobe no-transcript, it doesn't
matter if you fool people aroundyou.
If you feel like you can dothat to God, you know for sure
pride's sneaking in and if youfind yourself in that way, it's
very easy to fix, it's very easyto turn back.
It starts with being honest,honest with yourself and honest
(08:13):
with God, accepting of yourself.
Remember, god's not impressedby your checklist and there's
nothing you can do that hehasn't seen.
There's nothing that's reallygoing to impress him, because
it's by his grace that you have,that you can, that you ever
even will accomplish anything atall.
He's looking for your heart.
Keep it real with him.
He already knows anyways.
(08:34):
You're not going to impress himby lying, by hiding, by
highlighting things that youthink he'll enjoy.
You want to try to impress him.
Why don't you try by notimpressing him and see how that
works?
(08:57):
Let me take you on a journeyback in time.
I wonder if some of you maybeyou're like me, like I was Maybe
part of why you feel pain orhurt is because you're too smart
for your own good, might bebackward.
There's no such thing as beingtoo smart, right, it is when
(09:19):
it's combined with being tooproud.
See, I knew everything.
I had life by the balls.
I had cracked the code andfigured it all out.
When my life started to break,it was like nothing I did was
fulfilling enough.
Every time I had a great idea,right before I hit the start
button it lost its purpose.
I would have a great idea for apainting and 90% through it.
I'd wipe the entire thing outand start over.
(09:40):
Every time I had a designconcept, it'd be dope.
I'd get kudos when I shared itand I would be riding on that
high of compliments and then Iwould just have no interest in
it.
It even happened in my criminallife.
I'd have a great idea on a lickto hit, work through it,
develop it.
I'd even get agreement fromothers on the odds of success.
(10:02):
We were about to make somemoney and then I'd abandon it at
the finish line.
I used to think it was justfear of failure.
After losing my promising career, I didn't want to fall again.
That might have been chumpchange to some, but it was
everything for a poor kid fromVallejo.
After a while I did what Icould to turn my brain off.
Sometimes that meant notengaging in any meaningful
(10:23):
thought process.
Mostly it just meant hella,weed and nothing serious.
It got to this point where mymind scared me and I didn't like
that.
So that led me to tons of TVtime.
I rationalized it, as at leastit keeps me out of trouble.
This was the trend I wentthrough to get through grief,
probation, prison, parole, evenboredom in everyday life.
(10:45):
Just ignore it by focusing on afake reality.
Turn on the TV.
Only recently have I been led todo life a little differently.
So what changed?
I was given something, everysingle thing I have and ever had
Time, and breath included.
It's all been given, didn'tearn it, didn't work for it.
(11:07):
So this realization, it cameduring a time of understanding
that God led me through, to helpme realize that nothing is mine
.
Everything I have is and alwayswill be his, my life included.
I'm just keeping this body warmfor him.
Problem was I wasn't even doingthat right.
(11:27):
All the accolades andachievements meant nothing,
because the glory is his.
I was seeking it for myself.
This revelation got me thinkingabout what I do with my time.
Even Time is his and I'm notspending it with him.
What am I doing, would yourealize?
I found out that I watchedabout 8 to 12 hours of TV a day.
(11:49):
I guess you don't realize thatmath is mathing when you took a
blunt to the face and you'rejust spaced out on the screen.
The other thing that got myattention was the constant
distraction I had of needing tohit my vape to smoke a cigarette
.
Sometimes I'd be inconversation fondling that thing
like it was.
Anyway, you get my point.
(12:09):
Even during prayer, sometimes Iwould have my hand in my pocket
holding onto the vape, justwaiting for the amen so I could
run outside and hit it.
I had not been acknowledginganything other than what I
wanted and expectations andpreferences for my life.
Acknowledging what's his andbeing willing to return it to
him is the posture I had beenmissing, this posture of no
(12:31):
expectation of me, because I'mnot even my own.
It could look like a bunch ofdifferent things.
For me, it made sense after Godwalked me through actually
quitting the nicotine.
You know, since I startedsmoking, I'd always quit until I
bought a new pack.
I remember saying to God I knowthat when it's time for me to
be done with this, I'll be done.
(12:51):
When you want me done with this, I'm not going to smoke it
anymore.
I know that you won't let mecrave it.
I know that you won't let methink about it.
I know that you won't let mecrave it.
I know that you won't let methink about it.
I just know.
And then I said well, pleasemake sure that I'm down to my
last cigarette or lastpercentage of juice in the vape,
don't do it.
When I got a fresh pack in mypocket.
(13:11):
So this was the beginning ofposture.
I removed myself and whateverindependent strength I thought I
had, and I leaned on God forthe entire process.
And so it went.
This is where God's funny.
I had about 85% juice left inmy vape and I felt this strong
desire to toss.
(13:31):
It Didn't make no sense becauseI had just spent my last 20
bucks on it.
So I went down to the dumpsterand I paced around it for about
20 minutes maybe 30, trying toconvince myself that I was
tripping.
Then I tossed it because Icouldn't shake the feeling, I
couldn't shake that notion thatthis was the moment I was
(13:53):
leaning on him.
For After that, though, I havenot had one craving for it at
all, and that was five monthsago by returning to him what was
his, in this instance, my life.
He allowed me to lean on him andhe literally did all the work.
Nicotine and all the toxins andcigarettes were not doing my
(14:14):
lungs or lifespan any favors.
I was putting something he gaveme at risk, and I've been doing
it since I was 12.
Then he got to work on myleisure TV time.
That was way easier than Ithought.
I was very dependent onescaping reality through TV, but
he did it all.
One day I was watching a movieand I just found myself
disgusted.
I don't even remember the movie, but it wasn't anything crazy,
(14:38):
just your standard PG-13 movieon Netflix.
So I shut it off and I openedup the Bible, just thinking why
not give it a shot?
That day began a dailyreplacement in hours in the
Bible instead of on the TV.
It began a daily six to maybeten hours total of reading every
day.
It became my go-to for boredom,sleeplessness, anytime I felt
(14:59):
in need of satisfaction.
His words just gave it to me.
I didn't know it then, but hewas also teaching me.
Teaching me how to know and seeand hear and feel what his will
and purpose are for me.
Teaching me how to be obedientto his calling.
Teaching me to accept that hereally was calling me and it
didn't make it up in my head.
Teaching me how to sit with him.
He was teaching me posture, aposture of placing him above
(15:23):
myself, letting him be God andshowing him that I know this
because my life is surrenderedto him, remembering that time is
a finite thing and wanting tospend it with him.
Remember tomorrow's notpromised, when he knows that
you're aware of this and youchoose to spend your time with
him anyways.
It's an honorable offering,it's a sacrifice of something
(15:45):
valuable.
Whatever your wants are, youhave to lower them.
Put his will above yours andput him above you.
Take a moment to consider yourposture.
(16:06):
Ask yourself where you're comingfrom when you pray.
Are you praying because youhave to?
Are you hiding anything?
If that's the realization youcome to, then it's time to make
a shift, time to stop trying tohide.
Remember he sees you, no matterhow many masks you put on.
You could fake a voice, youcould do all those things.
He sees you.
So be comfortable in your mess.
(16:27):
Mess and when you are there,cry out to him, lean on him, be
helpless and know that it's okaybecause he's not.
He's all the help you'll everneed.
Pause for the cause.
(16:49):
This week Weekly challenge.
This week in prayer.
Take some time and ask God whatin your life do you think is
yours?
What in your life do youwithhold from Him?
Where are you unwilling toinvite Him or where have you not
even thought about it?
Remember Proverbs 3, 5, and 6says to acknowledge him in all
(17:13):
our situations, in all our ways.
That means inviting him, thatmeans remembering him, that
means thanking him and knowingthat it's his and it's not yours
.
Remember, be honest withyourself and when he does
respond, ask him to help youwith whatever it is, to inform
(17:33):
your posture.
Write it down if it helps, andthen we will see you next week.
Thank you for hanging out withme today.
Remember, living low startswith your heart.
Next week, though, we're goingto get into some real stuff the
superpower prayer.
We're going to dive into thereal stuff, the superpower
prayer.
We're going to dive into theLord's Prayer, break down the
format, the intention, thereasoning, and we're going to
(17:56):
learn what it really means toget low before God in prayer.
You'll hear why it's more aboutrelationship than routine, more
posture than ceremony, and moreintention than structure, and
it's all going to come from themodel that Jesus gave the
disciples.
Let's pray, father.
We thank you today for posture,for your willingness to wait
(18:17):
for us patiently and eveninforming us on how we need to
be to approach you.
We thank you for showing up anddoing all the heavy lifting,
all of the work for us.
Bless the listener.
We ask that they would grow onestep closer to you this week.
Thank you, and we praise you inJesus' name.
Amen, you won't want to missany episodes, but if you have to
(18:42):
pick just one to tune into,tune into next week.
Prayer is something I holddearly to, something that I find
as part of my goal, my mission,my calling, my purpose, my all,
everything To steward well,prayer is the only reason I'm
alive today, the only reason I'mhere.
Who knows, tune in.
It might just set your prayerlife on fire.
Until then, stay low, stayblessed and stay ready.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Until the next episode of the Low Life Show,
peace.
We'll get to the low life, lowlife.
We'll get to the low life, lowlife.
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