Faith Without Walls

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One “small” choice can echo for years. We go to Colossians 3:23–25 and face the line many of us would rather skip: God rewards obedience, but wrongdoing is repaid, and there is no partiality. That means titles, gifting, reputation, and even ministry success don’t cancel consequences. It’s a hard word, but it’s also a hopeful one, because it calls us back to integrity, real repentance, and a life that is actually anchored in Jesus.

We pull threads from the lives of David, Saul, Joshua, and Gideon to show how sin and compromise create a ripple effect that reaches families, workplaces, friendships, and entire churches. We also challenge the slow drift from gospel preaching into motivational self-talk and why one degree of error can grow into a generational problem. Along the way we get painfully practical: flirtation at work, pornography, gambling, debt, alcohol, anger, and the daily battle of the tongue. Forgiveness is real, but we say plainly that forgiveness doesn’t always remove outcomes, especially where trust, finances, and relationships are involved.

We also talk about fear as unbelief, the power of deferred consequences, and how peace can act like a warning light from the Holy Spirit. When peace goes, it’s time to stop, pray, and ask whether you’re listening to the voice of God or the lesser voice of impulse and temptation.

If you’re weighing a decision or carrying the cost of a past one, listen through and then share it with someone who needs a straight conversation. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass this on, what consequence are you most determined to break today?

We talk straight about sin, forgiveness, and why consequences still follow even when God forgives. We track the ripple effect from the Bible into everyday life, then land on how to seek God’s voice, keep your peace, and stay rooted in sound doctrine.
• Colossians 3:23–25 as both promise and warning
• no partiality with God, consequences apply to all
• David’s downfall and the ripple effect into other lives
• church drift, motivational talks, and losing the gospel centre
• repentance and forgiveness, yet consequences remaining
• the tongue, speech, and actions flowing from the heart
• Eden and the lesser voice versus God’s clear instruction
• Saul’s impatience, Joshua’s camp, and shared fallout in community
• testing teaching by Scripture rather than leaders or trends
• everyday temptations like gambling, lust, debt, drink, anger
• bringing decisions to God, using wisdom, guarding peace
• fear as unbelief and learning to depend on grace
“we would ask you to um to consider this message and consider if you're out there consider embracing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and just turn away from anything wrong in your life uh and and um and turning to to God really and and and we'd ask you uh then to uh walk with him”

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Getting thrown into a fire you never chose is one of the most common human experiences and one of the hardest Christian ones to explain. We sit down and talk plainly about what “walking in the fire” really means: seasons that feel too hot, too long, and too unfair, where you’re tempted to believe you’ll never come out the other side. 

We build the conversation around key Bible passages that speak directly to suffering and endurance. Isaiah 43:2 gives us language for the promise of God’s presence, not just on the good days but through waters, rivers and fire. Daniel 3 brings it into full colour with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the furnace heated seven times hotter, and the shock of seeing a fourth man walking with them. We also wrestle with what happens when believers compromise, and why courage and faithfulness still matter for our culture and for the Church in the UK. 

From there we get practical and personal: Joseph’s long road from prison to purpose, refining fire that strips pride and builds character, and the potter-and-clay picture of surrender when God is shaping your life. We finish with Paul’s thorn in 2 Corinthians 12 and the line that steadies you when the struggle does not lift: God’s grace is sufficient, and his strength is made perfect in weakness. 

If you’re in a hard season, let this be a voice in your ear that says you’re not alone and you’re not finished. Subscribe, share with someone who needs courage, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

We talk about the courage it takes to keep walking when life feels like a furnace and everything in you wants to get out. We anchor hope in scripture and real stories that show God does not abandon us in trials, but strengthens us until the door opens.

• defining “the fire” as real-life trials that feel unbearable
• leaning on Isaiah 43:2 as a promise of God’s presence through waters, rivers and fire
• unpacking Daniel 3 and the fourth man in the furnace as proof God meets us in the heat
• challenging compromise and calling the Church back to faithfulness and courage
• learning from Joseph’s long season where God strengthens rather than shortcuts
• seeing trials as refining fire that shapes character, surrender and endurance
• reflecting on Paul’s thorn and the line we all need: “My grace is sufficient for you”
• urging listeners not to give up just before breakthrough and to keep trusting God’s leading

Please, please share these out. We do appreciate it.

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Fear can look like a solid brick wall, but what if it’s only paper painted to scare you? We sit down with open Bibles and an honest tone to talk about courage, anxiety, temptation, and the stubborn patterns that keep tripping people up. The heart of our message is simple and confrontational in the best way: you do not overcome by force of personality, positive thinking, or religious performance. You overcome through Jesus Christ, because he has already overcome the world.

We unpack key Scriptures that ground real life: John 16:33 on trouble and peace, 1 Corinthians 10:13 on temptation and God’s way out, and Romans 8 on no condemnation and unshakeable love. We also walk through Galatians 5, naming the works of the flesh without flinching, then turning to the fruit of the Spirit and what transformation looks like over time. Along the way we challenge the trap of self-centred “overcomer” talk, the pride that steals God’s glory, and the burnout that follows when we try to do everything in our own strength.

You’ll hear personal reflections from ministry settings, including moments where we feel unworthy yet discover that God still speaks, still guides, and still loves. If you feel stuck behind fear, shame, addiction, or the pressure to prove yourself, let this be a steady, Scripture-led reset. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs courage today, and if it helps you, would you leave a review and tell us what you’re trying to overcome?

We talk straight about what it means to have the courage to overcome when fear, temptation, shame, or pressure feels like a brick wall in your face. We keep it anchored in Scripture and remind you that victory is through Jesus, not through self effort or spiritual performance.
• truth anchored in the Word of God rather than shifting voices
• the paper wall picture of fear and recurring struggles
• peace in Christ alongside real trouble using John 16:33
• being an overcomer through the blood of Jesus and our testimony
• temptation, addiction and escape routes through 1 Corinthians 10:13
• surrender and faith as the pathway to courage
• rejecting motivational self-centred thinking and putting Jesus at the centre
• burnout and the limits of living in the flesh
• spiritual warfare, the enemy’s accusations and Romans 8:1 no condemnation
• works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5
• humility, repentance and giving God the glory
• real-life ministry moments where God uses us when we feel unworthy

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

You can feel it in the air right now: decisions carry more weight, fear spreads faster, and certainty is being sold everywhere. We sit down during Christmas week and get honest about what it takes to make wise decisions as a Christian when the world feels unstable and even the UK church can seem weary or distracted. 

We keep coming back to a straightforward foundation for Christian living: Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. We read and reflect on Proverbs 3:5 to 6, challenge the habit of leaning on our own understanding, and talk about why Jesus must be our first port of call rather than a pastor, a friend, or the loudest voice online. Along the way we unpack the Serenity Prayer, the need to test teaching biblically, and the courage it takes to wait when God’s timing does not match our urgency. 

We also explore what “peace” really means in a biblical sense. It is not borrowed spirituality or a mood. It is the peace of Christ, the kind that settles you when you are about to move too fast, and the kind that warns you when a choice is not right. We close with a clear warning about horoscopes, mediums, fortune tellers, and profit-driven “prophets”, and a better way forward: ask, seek, knock, and trust God to guide you step by step. 

We talk about the courage it takes to make wise and godly decisions when fear is loud and guidance feels confusing. We test counsel against Scripture, come back to Jesus as our first port of call, and look for the peace of Christ as a clear indicator.
• courage as a daily discipline for decisions
• testing ideas against the Bible rather than emotion
• Proverbs 3:5 to 6 as a foundation for wisdom
• why church culture can drift into business thinking
• Jesus as first contact with leaders bringing confirmation
• patience and timing when God keeps us waiting
• stillness, repentance, and clearing what blocks prayer
• Gideon and the courage to ask for clarity
• inner peace as a check before acting
• grace when we make wrong choices and get back up
• rejecting horoscopes, mediums, and fortune telling as guidance
• warnings about online voices selling certainty and false prophecy

If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with someone facing a big choice, and leave us a review so more people can find Christian Straight Talk.

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Sin rarely announces itself as disaster. It usually turns up as something small, attractive, and “just this once” and then the consequences start rippling outward. We sit down with Colossians 3:23–25 and face the tension many Christians feel: God is full of mercy and forgiveness, yet He also says wrongdoing is repaid and He shows no partiality. That truth is not meant to crush us, but to wake us up and pull us back to hope, peace, and wise choices.

We walk through Bible examples that make the point painfully clear. David’s fall shows how one moment in the flesh can wound others for years. Saul’s impatience reveals how disobedience grows when we cannot wait for God. Joshua’s camp reminds us that hidden sin never stays private, and Ezekiel’s watchman warning challenges us to take responsibility rather than outsource discernment to leaders. Along the way, we talk about what happens when churches drift from sound doctrine and swap the gospel for polished motivation, and why that shift carries consequences for generations.

Then we bring it right down to street level: gambling, pornography, adultery, debt, drink, anger, moving house too quickly, and the everyday power of conversation. We lean into James and the tongue, and we also wrestle with fear and anxiety as unbelief, using Gideon’s fleece as a picture of slowing down, checking the voice you’re hearing, and refusing the “lesser voice” when temptation is loud. If you’ve ever felt your peace disappear in seconds, you’ll recognise the warning light we describe and the way back to the Lord.

If this helps you, subscribe so you do not miss the next conversation, share it with someone who needs a steer, and leave a review to help others find Christian Straight Talk. What consequence are you trying to avoid right now by choosing courage today?

We weigh the hope we have in Jesus against the hard truth that sin still carries consequences, even when forgiveness is real. We walk through Scripture and real life examples to help you spot the ripple effect of choices before they land.

• Colossians 3:23–25 as both promise and warning
• no partiality with God regardless of status or gifting
• David’s sin as a case study in ripple effects
• how shallow preaching replaces the gospel with self
• why repentance is often neglected yet essential
• forgiveness received without consequences being removed
• the Garden of Eden and reacting to the lesser voice
• Saul’s impatience and the cost of disobedience
• Joshua and sin in the camp affecting everyone
• testing what we hear against Scripture as our responsibility
• everyday temptations like lust gambling debt and anger
• the tongue speech and action shaping outcomes
• Gideon’s fleece as a model for slowing down
• fear and anxiety framed as unbelief and loss of peace
• choosing peace and listening to the Holy Spirit’s warning

“we would ask you to um to consider this message and consider if you're out there consider embracing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and just turn away from anything wrong in your life uh and and um and turning to to God really and and and we'd ask you uh then to uh walk with him”
“You will find us on Amazon Music and uh you will find us on other platforms, but please, if you've got anything that you need to talk about, please just talk about it”

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

A single choice can change a life, yet most of us make decisions under noise, pressure, and fear. Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck sit down during Christmas week to talk plainly about courage and the hardest part of it: having the courage to make wise decisions when the world around you is pushing quick fixes, strong opinions, and constant reaction. We bring it back to a biblical foundation and ask what happens when the counsel offered by culture, institutions, or even church settings does not line up with the Word of God.

We lean heavily on Proverbs 3:5–6 and the need to trust the Lord rather than our own understanding, because without Scripture we get tossed about by whatever sounds convincing on the day. We talk about where people really go for advice, why Jesus must be our first port of call, and how patience protects us from impulse and buyer’s remorse. We also unpack Matthew 7:7–11 carefully, warning against twisting “ask, seek, knock” into materialism, and instead framing it as a personal walk of faith where God provides what we truly need at the right time.

A major thread is discernment through peace: not a vague spiritual mood, but the peace of Christ that settles the heart and exposes false direction. We also challenge the temptation to look for guidance in horoscopes, mediums, and “prophets for profit”, pointing to the clear biblical warnings and the freedom found in trusting God with the future. If you are in a corridor season, waiting for the next door to open, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone facing a big decision, and leave a review with the question you want us to tackle next.

We talk about the courage it takes to make wise, godly decisions when fear is loud and culture is pulling hard in the opposite direction. We keep it simple: test everything by Scripture, go to Jesus first, and let the peace of Christ confirm your next step.
• courage to make wise decisions in everyday life and under pressure
• recognising ungodly decisions in government, denominations and church culture
• treating the Bible as the non-negotiable anchor rather than picking and choosing
• using the Serenity Prayer idea to separate what we can change from what we cannot
• going to Christ as our first port of call and taking human counsel as confirmation
• practising patience and waiting for God’s timing rather than acting on impulse
• clearing the airways through repentance and removing what blocks prayer
• handling Matthew 7:7–11 without twisting it into material “name it and claim it”
• using peace as a marker for guidance, including the story of Thomas and “Peace be with you”
• confidence that God can catch us even after wrong decisions and lead us forward
• avoiding horoscopes, mediums and fortune tellers and rejecting “prophets for profit”

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Sometimes the hardest thing God asks us to do is not to move.

It is to wait.

When you know God has placed something on your heart, when you carry a vision, when you want to serve, build, lead or move forward, patience can become a real spiritual battle.

In Part 7 of our Courage series, Rev. Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck talk honestly about the courage it takes to wait on God when everything inside us wants results now.

The temptation is to run ahead.

To force the opportunity.

To kick the door open.

To convince ourselves that because something feels urgent, it must be God's timing.

But sometimes faith does not look like moving faster.

Sometimes faith looks like standing still and trusting God.

We begin with Psalm 27:14:

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

Waiting is not weakness.

Waiting can require enormous courage.

We also look at Psalm 37:7, which calls us to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, and Isaiah 40:31, where we are reminded that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.

Biblical patience is not passive.

It is active trust.

It is obedience.

It is believing that God's timing is better than ours, even when we cannot understand the delay.

This becomes particularly important in Christian leadership and ministry.

When you carry vision, you naturally want to see it happen.

You want the ministry to grow.

You want people reached.

You want doors opened.

You want to see the thing God has placed in your heart become reality.

But impatience can quietly change our motivation.

Without realising it, ministry can move from pointing people towards Jesus to building our own platform, reputation or profile.

That is why patience is also connected to humility.

We explore Galatians 5:22–23 and the fruit of the Spirit, including patience, and contrast this with the desires of the flesh and selfish ambition.

The question becomes:

Am I waiting for God's timing, or am I trying to manufacture my own?

We also talk openly about modern church culture, trends, numbers and the pressure to measure success by how large something becomes.

But God's definition of faithfulness is not always the same as the world's definition of success.

Sometimes a closed door is not rejection.

Sometimes God's “no” is protection.

Sometimes His “not yet” is preparation.

And sometimes the season of waiting is where He is doing the deepest work in us.

Patience also gets tested in far more ordinary situations.

Traffic.

Queues.

Relationships.

Work.

Technology.

People who move slower than we would like.

Plans that suddenly change.

Those everyday moments reveal what is happening inside us.

Can we slow down?

Can we listen?

Can we allow the Holy Spirit to lead rather than allowing frustration to lead us?

There is a peace that cannot be purchased, manufactured or forced.

It comes from knowing that God is in control.

In this episode

• Why patience takes courage
• Waiting when you feel called by God
• The danger of running ahead of God's timing
• Psalm 27:14 and waiting on the Lord
• Psalm 37:7 and learning to rest in God
• Isaiah 40:31 and renewed strength
• Patience as trust rather than passivity
• Leadership, calling and the pressure to move quickly
• Galatians 5 and the fruit of the Spirit
• Recognising selfish ambition in ministry
• When ministry becomes about profile rather than Jesus
• Church trends, numbers and worldly measurements of success
• Practising patience in everyday life
• Waiting through queues, traffic and relationships
• Why God's “no” can sometimes be protection
• Trusting God's timing when you cannot see what He is doing

Scriptures

Psalm 27:14
Psalm 37:7
Isaiah 40:31
Galatians 5:22–23

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome, Gratitude and the Book
03:30 – Unworthy Feelings and God's Glory
07:20 – What Patience Really Means
12:30 – Calling, Vision and Waiting to Be Sent
19:00 – Scripture on Waiting and Trust
26:30 – Fruit of the Spirit Versus the Flesh
33:40 – When Ministry Becomes Ego and Trend
40:20 – Practising Patience in Daily Life
46:50 – Prayer for Strength, Peace and God's Timing

Find Faith Without Walls

You can listen to Faith Without Walls through Buzzsprout and across major podcast platforms including Spotify and iHeartRadio.

The Christian Straight Talk books mentioned in the conversation can also be found through Amazon.

If you are in a season of waiting, this episode is for you.

Share it with someone who is frustrated by delay, follow Faith Without Walls, and join us for the next part of the Courage series.

Faith Without Walls — real conversations, biblical truth and faith that reaches beyond the walls of the church.

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Forgiveness can be one of the hardest parts of the Christian life.

It is easy to talk about forgiveness when the hurt is small. It becomes much harder when the wound is deep, the memories remain sharp, or the person who hurt you has never apologised.

In Part 6 of our Courage series, Rev. Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck talk honestly about the courage it takes to forgive when the pain is real.

Family hurt.
Workplace bullying.
Broken relationships.
Control and manipulation.
Words that still echo years later.
Memories you wish you could forget.

Forgiveness does not mean pretending those things never happened.

It does not mean saying that what somebody did was acceptable.

And forgiveness is not weakness.

Forgiveness takes courage.

We begin in Matthew 18:21–22, where Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him.

Jesus' answer — seventy times seven — challenges the human desire to place limits on forgiveness.

We also look at the Lord's Prayer, where forgiveness becomes deeply personal:

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Then we come to the centre of the Christian faith: the cross.

In Luke 23:34, while Jesus is being crucified, He says:

“Father, forgive them.”

If we want to understand Christian forgiveness, we have to begin at the cross.

Grace is not something we earn.

It is undeserved favour.

And because we have received forgiveness through Jesus Christ, Scripture repeatedly challenges us to extend forgiveness to others.

We explore Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32, which call believers to forgive as the Lord has forgiven us.

We also look at Mark 11:25 and Matthew 6:14–15, confronting the uncomfortable truth that forgiveness is not an optional extra in Christian discipleship.

But what happens when you simply do not feel capable of forgiving?

We talk about how holding tightly to resentment can leave us emotionally and spiritually trapped in what happened, even while the person who hurt us may have carried on with their life.

Unforgiveness can become like carrying something toxic around with us every day.

Jesus calls us towards freedom.

A Practical Way to Begin Letting Go

We discuss a simple two-chair exercise.

Sit somewhere quietly with an empty chair opposite you.

Imagine the person who hurt you sitting there.

Speak honestly.

Say what happened.

Say how it affected you.

Bring the anger, disappointment and pain before God rather than pretending it is not there.

Then begin the process of releasing that person into the hands of the Father.

You may eventually reach the point where you can pray:

“Lord, I release them to You.”

And perhaps, with time and God's help:

“Lord, bless them.”

That does not erase the past.

It means the past no longer has to control your future.

We also address another form of forgiveness that many people struggle with:

forgiving yourself.

Some people have accepted that Jesus forgives them but continue punishing themselves for things Christ has already dealt with.

Guilt and shame can keep us looking backwards.

The cross invites us to lay them down.

Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom about what needs to be said, what needs to remain between you and God, when an apology may be appropriate, and how to move forward without simply transferring your pain onto somebody else.

Forgiveness can be a process.

But freedom can begin with the decision to place the hurt into God's hands.

In this episode

• Why forgiveness takes courage
• Forgiving without pretending the hurt never happened
• Forgiveness without carrying malice or revenge
• Matthew 18:21–22 and “seventy times seven”
• Forgiveness within the Lord's Prayer
• Luke 23:34 and Jesus forgiving from the cross
• Understanding God's grace
• Colossians 3:13 and Ephesians 4:32
• Why unforgiveness can keep us emotionally and spiritually trapped
• Releasing people into God's hands
• A practical two-chair forgiveness exercise
• Learning to bless rather than remain bitter
• Forgiving yourself
• Laying down guilt and shame
• Asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom before speaking or apologising

Scriptures

Matthew 18:21–22
Matthew 6:9–15
Luke 23:34
Colossians 3:13
Ephesians 4:32
Mark 11:25

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and Why Forgiveness Takes Courage
05:35 – Forgiving Without Forgetting the Hurt
11:50 – The Biblical Benchmark for Forgiveness
18:25 – “Father, Forgive Them” – The Cross
26:15 – Forgive Others as Christ Forgives
33:40 – When Unforgiveness Keeps Us Trapped
38:55 – A Practical Way to Release Someone
45:35 – Forgiving Yourself, Wisdom and Closing Prayer

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If this episode has spoken into something you have been carrying, share it with someone who may also need encouragement.

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Faith Without Walls — real conversations, biblical truth and faith that reaches beyond the walls of the church.

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Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

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Dead situations rarely announce themselves as “dead”. They just go quiet: hope dries up, confidence slips, your words turn negative, and you start living as if nothing can change. We come to Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones to confront that moment head-on, because God’s instruction to the prophet is not complicated, it is demanding: speak.

We read the passage aloud and keep pulling on its meaning for real life in the UK and beyond. We talk about the power of spoken words, the danger of toxic voices, and how spiritual pressure often comes through ordinary people and everyday culture. We also challenge a faith that stops at “structure” and never reaches breath, because religion without the Holy Spirit leaves you formed but powerless.

Then we get painfully practical: if you are staring at price tags, finances, fear, sickness, or a situation that “stinks” like Lazarus’ tomb, what do you do next? We choose to speak the Word of God, keep speaking, and refuse to settle for a boneyard mindset. We end at the table, breaking bread, praying for fresh faith, and putting our focus back where it belongs: on Jesus.

If this stirs something in you, subscribe, share it with someone who needs courage, and leave a review to help others find the podcast. What is the one dry place in your life you are going to speak over today?

We read Ezekiel 37 and sit with a hard question: can dry bones live when hope feels gone. We push back against toxic words, fear, and money-driven thinking by speaking the Word of God over our lives and trusting the Holy Spirit to bring breath back into dead places.

• reading Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones as a living picture of dryness and renewal
• the power of the tongue and the daily rhythm of our language
• refusing toxic voices and rejecting messages that say you cannot change
• speaking faith over sickness, fear, and blocked situations
• religion as structure without breath and the need for the Holy Spirit
• challenging materialism and choosing faith over money and price tags
• keeping on speaking until the breath comes and the situation moves
• breaking bread together and closing in prayer with eyes on Jesus

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...

Send us Fan Mail

Courage – Part 5: Handling Conflict & Confrontation

Conflict can appear without warning.

A tense moment in public.
A difficult family situation.
A workplace disagreement.
A disagreement over money.
A conversation that suddenly becomes heated.

In Part 5 of our Courage series, Rev. Ben Cooper and Simon Pinchbeck talk honestly about the courage it takes to handle conflict and confrontation as Christians without becoming a walkover — but also without allowing anger, pride or ego to take control.

The question is not whether we will ever face conflict.

The question is:

How will we respond when it comes?

Biblical courage does not mean shouting louder, winning every argument or getting even.

Sometimes the strongest Christian response is to pray, hold your peace, choose your words carefully and trust God with the outcome.

Throughout this conversation we return to one simple principle:

Pray first. Then act wisely.

We look at Matthew 5, where Jesus gives one of the hardest instructions in Scripture:

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

That sounds straightforward until the person has genuinely hurt you, mistreated you or treated someone you love unfairly.

We also explore Romans 12, which reminds us not to repay evil for evil and to leave vengeance in God's hands.

Retaliation may feel natural.

But retaliation rarely produces peace.

We discuss Proverbs 16:7, the possibility of God bringing peace even between enemies, and James 1:19, which challenges us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

That becomes especially important when confrontation moves from theory into everyday life.

What happens when someone speaks badly to your wife or family?

How do you stand up for somebody without allowing anger to turn you into someone you do not want to be?

How do you respond when you have been treated unfairly over money?

What happens when workplace policies conflict with your Christian convictions?

How do you walk away from an argument without feeling as though you have lost?

We also talk openly about money and lending.

Financial disagreements can damage relationships for years. Sometimes giving freely, where appropriate and possible, can prevent the resentment and expectation that comes with lending.

Another major theme is the power of the tongue.

Words spoken in a few seconds can remain with somebody for years.

Christian courage therefore includes knowing when to speak — and knowing when not to.

Sometimes the most courageous response is:

Do not send the message.

Delete it.

Pray.

Bless the person.

Walk away.

We also turn the question back towards ourselves.

When conflict happens, it is easy to focus entirely on what the other person has done.

But spiritual maturity also asks:

What part have I played in this?

Is pride influencing my response?

Am I trying to restore peace, or am I trying to prove that I am right?

Finally, we discuss conflict within the church, the importance of sound doctrine and how to leave a church, ministry or leadership position well when God is moving you somewhere else.

Wherever possible, leave with peace.

Leave without bitterness.

Seek blessing rather than creating division.

In this episode

• Why conflict is an unavoidable part of life
• Choosing prayer before reaction
• Asking God for strength during trials and confrontation
• Loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you
• Leaving vengeance in God's hands
• Handling tense public confrontations wisely
• Standing up for family without being controlled by anger
• Responding when you have been treated unfairly
• Workplace pressure and Christian conviction
• Money, lending and avoiding long-term resentment
• Guarding the tongue
• Becoming slow to speak and slow to anger
• Examining our own part in a conflict
• Church conflict and the importance of sound doctrine
• Leaving churches and ministries well
• Protecting your peace and your Christian witness

Scriptures

Matthew 5:43–48
Romans 12:17–21
Proverbs 16:7
James 1:19–20

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and the Series Context
02:10 – Why Conflict Finds Every Believer
03:55 – Prayer Before Reaction
05:45 – When God Lifts You Over the Rocks
07:15 – Loving Your Enemies in Practice
11:20 – From Enemies to Brothers
16:05 – The Coffee Shop Confrontation Test
21:35 – Being Cheated and Trusting God
24:35 – Workplace Pressure and Christian Conviction
26:15 – Stop Lending, Start Giving Freely
35:10 – The Tongue, Anger and Self-Control
40:25 – Conflict in Church and Sound Doctrine
43:40 – Leaving Well and Seeking Blessing
48:15 – Family Conflict Next and Closing

If you are currently dealing with conflict, confrontation, family tension or pressure at work, this conversation is for you.

Please share this episode with someone who needs encouragement, follow Faith Without Walls, and keep the ministry in your prayers as we continue sharing biblical truth beyond the walls of the church.

Faith Without Walls — real conversations, biblical truth and faith that reaches beyond the walls of the church.

Support the show

Stay Connected with Daily Prayer

Before you go, we would love this to be the beginning of something more.

Faith Within Walls is part of the wider Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper ministry — a growing Christian prayer, devotional, teaching, and broadcasting ministry sharing Scripture, prayer, encouragement, and practical faith with people across the world.

Our heart is simple: to help people encounter Jesus Christ wherever they are and whatever they may be facing.

Throughout each day, Daily Prayer shares nine prayer moments, including our popular Five Minute Commuter Prayers — short, accessible moments designed to help you stop, refocus, pray, hear Scripture, and spend time with God in the middle of everyday life.

You may be driving to work.

You may be sitting quietly at home.

You may be walking, travelling, taking a break, sitting in a hospital waiting room, going through a difficult season, or simply needing five minutes away from the noise of life.

Wherever life finds you, there is a place for you here.

Nine prayer moments every day.
Reaching people across the nations.
Rooted in the Word of God.
Centred completely on Jesus Christ.
Sharing prayer, hope, truth, and encouragement every day.

Visit Daily Prayer and start listening:

https://www.dailyprayer.uk

Faith Within ...