How Prayer Works

What can Daniel's prayers in exile teach us about how we pray today?

In this episode of How Prayer Works, Dr. Dan Baetz reflects on the familiar song By the Rivers of Babylon and the Biblical story behind it. Living in exile, far from his homeland, Daniel remained faithful to God, offering an example of prayer that continues to speak to us today.

Drawing from Daniel chapter 9, Dan explores how Daniel's prayers were rooted in Scripture, shaped by humility, and concerned with far more than his own circumstances. Through fasting, confession, and an appeal to God's mercy, Daniel sought God's purposes for his people while trusting in His sovereignty and timing.

As Christians living in a world that is not our ultimate home, how can we follow Daniel's example?

Join us as we consider how prayer can move us beyond our own needs and help us seek God's will and purposes for the world around us.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

Could prayer be one of the most meaningful ways we care for one another?

In this episode of How Prayer Works, Dr. Dan Baetz explores the role of prayer in congregational care. The church is meant to be a place where people experience God's love and encouragement, but we know this isn't always the case. Dan considers how prayer can help us become a more loving and caring community, where people are strengthened in their faith and supported through life's challenges.

He explores how prayer can prepare the way for God's presence during corporate worship, and how we can encourage others to experience that same presence in their own lives. Drawing from Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush, Dan reminds us of the importance of helping people develop a personal relationship with God, rather than depending on others to lead them into His presence. 

Dan also shares practical ways to make prayer a more intentional part of congregational life - creating opportunities for people to pray for one another, sharing their burdens, and extending God's love and care to those beyond the church.

Join us as we explore how prayer can strengthen the church and help us become a community where God's love is both expressed and experienced.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

What does it mean to give thanks when there doesn't seem to be much to be thankful for?

In this episode of How Prayer Works, Dr. Dan Baetz explores what it means to move beyond seasonal gratitude and develop a lifestyle of thanksgiving. Drawing from the lives of David and Paul, the example of Jesus, and the teachings of Scripture, he looks at how thanksgiving can become a regular part of our prayer lives - even in seasons of difficulty.

At the heart of the episode is what Dan calls one of the hardest biblical commands: to give thanks in everything. This doesn't mean being thankful for suffering or evil, but rather learning to recognize God's presence and faithfulness even when our circumstances are far from what we would choose.

Dan also introduces the three-day Matthew Henry Challenge: an invitation to take a difficult situation and intentionally look for what we can still thank God for in the midst of it.

Join us as we explore how a life of thanksgiving can shape our prayers, keep us humble, and turn our attention back to the One from whom every good gift comes.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

When conflict arises, what role does prayer play in helping us find a way forward?  In this episode of How Prayer Works, we talk about just that. 

Dr. Dan Baetz explores two tracks that can guide us through conflict: prayer and process. Prayer keeps us attentive to God - seeking His wisdom, listening for His direction, and making use of the spiritual tools He has given us. At the same time, prayer doesn't replace thoughtful action. God can also lead us through practical wisdom, good counsel, and the skills and resources available to us.

Drawing from the example of Nehemiah and experiences from his own leadership, Dan shares how these two tracks can work alongside one another, particularly when conflict is complex or comes from within ( or “is deeply personal” or “involves the people closest to us”). Sometimes prayer changes the situation itself; other times, it gives us the clarity and confidence we need to take the next step.

Join us as we explore how prayer can shape the way we navigate conflict as we seek God’s wisdom for the way forward.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

What happens to our prayer life when we're discouraged, frustrated or simply don't feel like praying?

In this episode of How Prayer Works, Dr. Dan Baetz sits down with Salvation Army officer Clarence Ingram to explore Jeremiah 20 - a raw and deeply human passage where Jeremiah brings his frustration, disappointment, and even anger directly to God. 

Their conversation explores what it means to be truly honest with God especially in seasons when prayer feels difficult. Jeremiah's story reminds us that faithfulness doesn't require us to pretend everything is okay. We can bring our frustration to God and trust that He remains present with us, even when we struggle to recognize it.

Drawing from his years in ministry and leadership, Clarence also reflects on the importance of coming alongside people who are discouraged. Sometimes that means simply listening, praying for someone when they don't have the words themselves, and reminding them that they aren't alone.

If you've ever felt too discouraged, or overwhelmed to pray, this conversation offers a simple encouragement: start where you are. Honesty with God can make room for prayer again and, in time, lead us back to worship. 

Join us for a conversation about honest prayer, staying faithful through discouragement, and opening ourselves up to God's presence when prayer doesn't come easily. 

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

What happens when God’s anger is stirred by our grumbling, disbelief, and rebellion? In this challenging episode of How Prayer Works, Dr. Dan Baetz explores the complex relationship between God’s holiness, justice, and mercy - and how prayer and intercession play a vital role when God’s righteous anger is revealed.

Drawing from three powerful examples in the Book of Numbers, we see how the Israelites’ complaints and disobedience provoked God’s wrath, yet Moses’ humble intercession mitigated judgment and demonstrated the power of compassionate prayer. Discover how intercession is not about settling scores but about appealing to God’s reputation, mercy, and mighty power.

This episode also offers practical insights for leaders and intercessors today:

• Why complaining often reflects deeper struggles and can be dangerous if left unchecked
• How to respond to complaints with prayer, humility, and spiritual authority
• The importance of discerning genuine issues from mere grumbling
• How to pray through difficult situations until God’s peace and guidance are clear
• The balance of justice and mercy in God’s character and how it shapes our prayer life

Whether you’re an intercessor standing in the gap, a leader facing criticism, or simply someone seeking to understand God’s heart better, this episode will challenge and encourage you to approach prayer with a renewed sense of reverence, compassion, and trust.

Join us as we learn to navigate God’s anger with prayer that honours His holiness and embraces His mercy.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

Have you ever felt that your prayers are a struggle? One of the most unusual accounts in the Bible recount when Jacob, facing an impending crisis, wrestles with God. 

As we grow in our understanding with prayer, wrestling with God  moves beyond a metaphor to spiritual reality. We can battle our own flesh, the world and the evil one himself. Ultimately we must learn to pray tenaciously - to see God's kingdom expressed on earth, or to say 'your grace is sufficient for me'.

This episode features a reprise of an interview with Dr. Dan MacKinnon as he transparency shares personal examples as well as principles of engagement.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

This episode features an interview with Nick and Cassandra Baetz, who share tips on integrating prayer as part of parenting practice. They offer practical advice and encouragement for families spiritual and holistic development.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

This episode focuses on Jesus' stark warnings on what to avoid in our prayers. He then transitions to some key prayer patterns. This is an important episode in our growing in effective prayer!

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show

Movements rarely disappear overnight - they fail when successive generations fail to preserve the vision, conviction and passion of their founders. In this episode we trace the history of prayer ministry after the death of the Apostles - to discover how believers carried forward - and sometimes shifted - the legacy entrusted to them.

Don't forget to follow on social media, check out our webpage (praypatterns.ca) or reach out to us at [email protected].

Support the show