The Family Disciple Me Podcast // Discipleship Starts With a Conversation

What if confidence in prayer isn’t about saying more, but staying close? We trace John’s surprising journey from a fiery Son of Thunder to the beloved disciple whose life was marked by abiding. John remained near enough to hear Jesus and be formed by his words. That shift from reaction to relationship becomes a practical framework for anyone who wants a steadier, deeper prayer life.

In this episode, Tosha Williams walks us through some of the moments that shaped John’s heart: God's command to “Listen to Him,” Jesus' rejection in Samaria, and the quiet choice to reflect glory rather than chase recognition. Instead of retelling the Transfiguration he witnessed, John lived it. He leaned into proximity, let Scripture root his desires, and recorded more of Jesus' words than anyone else in Scripture, including what Jesus said in John 15:4:  “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” 

From his Gospel to the book of Revelation, John shows what it looks like to abide with Christ. This abiding led John to more and more confidence in prayer, which he reminded us of in 1 John 5:14, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

As we look at John's example, we learn why abiding redefines we encounter prayer, how listening aligns our wants with God’s will, and how private devotion becomes our public witness. We offer simple, repeatable steps—silence, a short passage, one honest question—to help you start or restart an abiding rhythm that holds in real life. If you’ve felt hurried, reactive, or spiritually thin, this conversation offers language and practices that can anchor your days and shape your words with grace.

Ready to let heaven meet here in your rhythms of prayer? Spend some time ABIDING with Jesus using the devotion-driven discipleship guide that goes along with this episode HERE.

Follow the podcast, share this episode with someone God has entrusted to you, and abide Jesus in this week.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

What kind of pray-er are you: a talker, a listener, or somewhere in between? We step onto the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, then follow James down the mountain and into the real world where faith is tested and shaped. While Peter speaks, the Father issues a single command, "Listen to Him," and that command becomes the turning point for James, a Son of Thunder whose life eventually moves from ambition to obedience.

Join Tosha Williams in this conversation as we explore how James’ fiery impulse to call down judgment gives way to a life marked by prayer and  courage. We look at the scenes that formed him:  from the glory on the mountain, the prayerful waiting in Acts 1, and eventually the courtroom where he paid the ultimate price. Though none of James' words are recorded, we learn from him a willingness to follow Jesus no matter what. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and FOLLOW Me" (Matthew 16:24), and "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they FOLLOW Me" (John 10:27). You’ll be inspired how a life of prayer speaks loudest through faithful steps: listening to God along the way, praying when God feels silent, choosing obedience when quitting seems easier.

This episode offers a fresh vision of spiritual strength: not louder words, but a deeper willingness. We draw practical lines from James’ story to our own rhythms, shifting from “God, give me” to “Jesus, where you go, I’ll go." Along the way, we honor the quiet force of a life that outlives words and invite you to let your steps become a wordless amen that echoes beyond today, too.

Spend some time with the Lord using the accompanying devotion-driven discipleship guide that can be found at James Teaches Us to Follow.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

When Heaven interrupted Peter on the mountain and the cloud declared, “Listen to Him,” the story of prayer turned from our effort to Jesus’ intercession. Peter’s very human story shows us what happens when we speak before listening, when pressure breaks us, and when grace rebuilds us. 

Strength doesn’t flow from having it all together; it comes from time with Jesus, who is the One who steadies fragile faith and restores calling. Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32, NIV)

In this episode, we look at Peter’s example to learn what it means to be strengthened by Jesus in prayer—and then how to strengthen others through prayer. On the shoreline, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?”—not to shame him, but to send him.  "Feed My sheep" then became Peter’s calling: receive strength, then give it away. Turns out, Peter learned what Jesus showed him in faith and prayer, and now we can learn from Peter. 

If your hope feels thin or your prayers feel small, you are not out of reach. Lift your eyes from the models in prayer and fix them on the Messiah who still prays for you. Then take the next faithful step: strengthen a friend, pray with your child, encourage someone who’s weary.

Spend time with Jesus and see what He wants to say to you through Peter’s story and the key Scriptures in this conversation. Access the devotion-driven discipleship guide about Peter and the key verses HERE.

May your faltering faith and even your failures be met by a faithful Savior who still strengthens His faithful followers today.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

What if the loudest moment of faith isn’t when fire falls, but when we quietly choose to believe before anything happens?

In this episode of Transfiguration Prayer: Where Heaven Meets Here, Tosha Williams leads us to look at the prophet Elijah’s journey from Mount Carmel to the Mount of Transfiguration and discover how his hidden life with God produced public courage that turned hearts back. Elijah’s story teaches us that faith grows in the asking and strengthens in the believing, especially when our prayers aim for God’s glory rather than our own wins.

Step by step, we trace Elijah’s believing prayers: oil that never ran out, a child raised, a nation called back. Each miracle points to Jesus’ words in Mark 11:24:  “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, BELIEVE that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Together we will look at Elijah's example and consider how to live that kind of faith today. We want to guard against name-it-claim-it shortcuts while still taking Jesus at His Word and letting expectancy shape how we ask. Along the way, we talk about how private communion fuels public courage, how panic gives way to peace in God’s presence, and how steady trust becomes contagious faith that others can see and follow.

From there, we lift our eyes beyond the prophet to Christ. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father says, “Listen to Him,” redirecting our focus to the One who fulfills everything Mount Carmel foreshadowed. Jesus doesn’t just call down fire; He becomes the sacrifice that bridges the gap and turns hearts back for good.

That’s why devotion-driven discipleship matters. When our Seek Him becomes our Speak Him, legacy takes root. Children, friends, and neighbors learn to believe God for more because they see it in us.

Ready to step into expectant prayer and a bolder, brighter faith? Spend some time in the accompanying devotion-driven discipleship guide, and spend time with God about what He wants to say to YOU through the prophet Elijah's example. The guide can be found at Elijah Teaches Us to Believe in Prayer.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

The story opens with Jesus radiant on a mountaintop, flanked by Moses and Elijah, while a voice from the cloud commands, “Listen to Him.” From that moment, we trace a surprising thread to the glory Moses once tasted on another mountain, a life of prayer that begins with knowing God and overflows into bold intercession for others.

In this episode, we walk through Moses’ journey from burning bush to parted sea to the daring request, “Now show me Your glory.” He had witnessed miracles, yet he wanted more than gifts; he wanted the Giver. That hunger changed him. When God proclaimed His Name and goodness, Moses came down shining, a living sign that prayer is not transactional but transformational. 

From mountain to mission, Moses came down to face the golden calf crisis. Instead of retreating or raging, Moses stood in the breach, reminding God of His promises and pleading for mercy. Moses is a beautiful example of what Paul reminded Timothy to do in prayer:  “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:1).

Moses sets an example, but then we then lift our eyes beyond him to Jesus. On the Mount of Transfiguration, the prophets fade and the Son remains as the true Mediator "who always lives to intercede for us" (Hebrews 7:25). We explore what it means to join His ongoing ministry: carrying names into the throne room with promise-shaped prayers and returning to daily life with quiet radiance and steady courage. 

If your heart longs for a prayer life that bridges heaven and earth, this conversation invites you up the mountain in prayer and back into the valley with purpose. Listen, reflect, and share it with someone you’re standing in the gap for.  

This episode goes along with a coordinating devotion-driven discipleship guide at Moses Teaches Us to Intercede in Prayer.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

In this message given at Vanguard Church of Colorado Springs, Tosha Williams shares how a pre-dawn vision sparked a new journey when God whispered two unexpected words: “Transfiguration Prayer.” From that moment, she invites us up the mountain where Jesus shines, showing that real prayer isn’t about polished words but about a surrendered heart that practices seeking God's presence.

Drawing from Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9, Romans 12, and 2 Corinthians 3, we discover that beholding Christ changes us and sends us back into the valley with courage, compassion, and power that truly help people. Along the way, Moses and Elijah step forward as mentors in intercession and faith, while Peter, James, and John teach us through both their weakness and their yes.

The Father’s voice reframes our priorities with the words “Listen to Him,” calling us to shift our focus from good things to the greatest thing. This message connects the dots between a private encounter and a public mission: from cloud to crowd, from awe to action, from seeking Him to speaking Him in our families, friendships, and neighborhoods.

This message also launches a week of intentional prayer featuring short daily podcasts, devotion-driven guides, and an open Encounter Room to make space for God. The goal is not hype but intimacy that fuels impact.

If you have felt stuck, tired, or wordless, let this be your invitation to go somewhere new with Jesus and to carry His presence into the places you live. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and ask yourself, Where will you meet with God this week? Your mountain might be a chair, a car, or a quiet corner. When you listen to Him, heaven meets here.

#TransfigurationPrayer
 #ToshaWilliams
 #VanguardChurch
 #PrayerAndTransformation
 #BeholdingChrist
 #ListenToHim
 #SeekHimSpeakHim
 #IntimacyWithGod

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

A quiet morning vision sparked a bold invitation: let prayer become the place where Heaven meets here.

In this episode, join Tosha Williams for a journey up the Mount of Transfiguration. Here we see Jesus radiant in prayer and listen to what He reveals about how we can pray. Together, we will introduce the biblical accounts in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9 to discover what God wants to show us about a transformed prayer life.

Along the way, six witnesses from the mountain become our guides:
 Moses teaches us to INTERCEDE and stand in the gap; Elijah teaches us to BELIEVE God for the impossible; Peter teaches us to STRENGTHEN and carry on; James teaches us to FOLLOW Jesus closely; John teaches us to ABIDE; and Jesus teaches us to SURRENDER. Each of these lives show us an aspect of prayer that can change how we pray for the rest of our lives.

This episode begins a spiritual journey for anyone hungry to move beyond quick requests and into a steady rhythm of presence and purpose. From mountain to mission, prayer is where transfiguration meets transformation.

Accept the invitation this week: let your prayer life be changed by the Mount of Transfiguration. Take what God shows you there and let it influence how you pray here. Seek Him Speak Him!

This episode goes along with a devotion-driven discipleship guide that can be found at Introduction to Transfiguration Prayer Conversation Guide.

______________________

The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

What if the chapter you’d rather skip is the one God is using to shape your calling? We open Genesis 50:20 and sit with Joseph’s bold confession—“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good”—to reframe detours, delays, and disappointments as ground where purpose grows. From betrayal to breakthrough, we trace how character formed in hidden seasons becomes strength for public assignment, and how that pattern is alive in our own eight-year journey with Family Disciple Me.

Joseph’s story gives language to what many of us feel: purpose doesn’t vanish in the pit and it isn’t guaranteed in the palace; it develops when God remains our focus through every season.

This is the story of Joseph, this is the story of the Family Disciple Me ministry, and this is the story each of us can have as we continue to walk with the Lord and "Seek Him Speak Him." So, be encouraged! Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a “but God” moment, and leave a review to help more families discover these tools. Let’s keep seeking Him, speaking Him, and trusting that God still intends it for good.

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The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

What if your “waiting place” is actually a greenhouse for growth? In this episode, we explore how God transforms seasons that feel stalled into fertile ground for spiritual, family, and community multiplication—starting with Israel’s long stay in Goshen and stretching into the explosive movement of the early church. Instead of treating delay as dead time, we look at how Scripture frames waiting as a season to settle, steward, and sow: settle into faithful rhythms, steward what’s already in your hands, and sow the seeds of discipleship that bear fruit over time.

We walk through the pattern of multiplication found in Genesis and Acts—the call to be fruitful and multiply, the Israelites acquiring property and increasing, the word of God spreading widely and growing in power. Along the way, we address a cultural reality: our world is downsizing vision, commitment, and responsibility. Against that tide, we cast a hopeful vision for kingdom growth that includes both physical and spiritual children. Whether you’re a parent, a single adult, a grandparent, or a young professional, you have a part to play: share the gospel, mentor someone younger, open your home, pray with a student, and bring Scripture into everyday conversations.

If your life feels like Goshen right now, take courage. Growth is not postponed until perfect conditions arrive. It begins where you are—one heart, one family, one home, one conversation at a time. We close with practical prompts to help you grow in grace, truth, love, and maturity, and a challenge to make Jesus more famous through ordinary faithfulness. 

Subscribe at familydiscipleme.org/subscribe for more thoughtful, faith-centered conversations, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others discover this message of fruitful waiting.

______________________

The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org 

Alarms blare, policies stack up, and yet the world still feels unsafe. In this episode, host Tosha Williams helps us look at what's sturdier than locks and warranties. We turn to Goshen—the story of how God set His people apart inside Egypt—and trace a thread of protection that runs across Scripture and into our lives and homes today. Not escape from our problems, but embracing God's Presence within them. 

In this episode, we start with Genesis then move to Scriptures like Romans 8:31, Hebrews 13:6, and Psalm 18:2, unpacking why confidence grows when we see God as our Protector. Jesus’ prayer in John 17:15 reframes safety: we’re not removed from the world; we are guarded from the evil one within it. And 2 Thessalonians 3:3 gives the pattern families need to coach our kids to build spiritual muscle in difficult times to prepare for evil times.

You’ll hear practical ways to teach this at home, move from anxiety to alert hope, and stand firm with a steady, non-anxious presence. We talk about training trust through disappointments, recognizing real threats, and holding tight to the promise of 2 Timothy 4:18: the Lord rescues from every evil attack and brings us safely to His kingdom. If you’ve been wondering how to live with courage in a chaotic culture, this conversation offers language, Scripture, and rhythms to help you and your family live “in Goshen”—set apart, not sealed off.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs peace in God's Protection today, and leave a quick review to help more families find their footing.

______________________

The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations  along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. 

Family Disciple Me  is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org