An Interview with the author, Autumn Miles
In episode 140, “How to Be a Gangster Prayer”, we interview author Autumn Miles and discuss what it means to passionately pray. and how that practically looks in your day to day life. Hear how God has blessings in store for you when you take the time and stay disciplined to pray wholeheartedly, full of faith. We begin our book study mini series over Autumn Miles’ Gangster Prayer in episode 131. Learn how to relentlessly pursue God with passion and great expectation.
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What is a Gangster Prayer?
It was such a wonderful experience getting to have Autumn Miles on the show. She is ray of sunshine and you will leave her presence smiling and learning a thing or two. We could’ve chatted with her all day! “Gangster Prayer” is Autumn’s third book, but the idea behind it came to her about 30 years ago. If you want to know how to be a gangster prayer, this book is the way to go.
Autumn was so tired of fake, halfhearted prayers, and she wanted a change. If Elijah could call down fire from heaven on God’s behalf, could we not have similar experiences here in our lifetime? Yes! You have a direct line with God, so use it instead of sticking with the unproductive “why try” prayer attitude that gets you nowhere. This was a driving force behind this book. She wanted others to be able to experience this foundation of faith when praying boldly.
Does Praying Make Any Difference?
ABSOLUTELY! We’ve all been in those stages of life thinking “God knows my heart”, or “He is going to do what He wants anyway.” But what does scripture say about prayer? Look and see how prayer is modeled, and the evidence will be clear. Prayer is a vital component to our growing Christian walk, so we better learn how to pray with a foundation of faith.
God is the ultimate gift giver, and He wants what’s best for His children. Remember that whatever God is for, Satan is against. The devil will try to throw lies at you to convince you that you don’t need to pray. If you know God is willing to give you victory, Satan is going to try to stop that from happening.
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20
Having faith is God’s will. Stop with all the barriers of fear of what God won’t do. God invites us to pray big. Want to know how to be a gangster prayer? Pray boldly, expect God to answer, and never doubt what great things God will do for you.
What does Bold Prayer Look Like?
In episode 140, Autumn advises us to grow confident in prayer. She says that “You have to get to a place where you say, I’m terrible at this prayer thing, and take it to God. “I’m so sorry I put you in a box, and lacked faith. Find that foundation of doubt and give it to God.” Now it’s time to rebuild that foundation of prayer on faith.
How does this practically look? You demolish all the doubt. When doubts rush in, capture them and align them with God’s truths. Pray to recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, and then listen for it. Once you learn to hear what God is saying to you, you will know the actions you need to take. Every giant faith is built on tiny asks built on top of each other. Growing your faith takes time and effort, and it’s worth it.
- humble yourself
- ask God to intervene
- be honest with where you are in your faith
- have consistent, deliberate prayer practices
God speaks to all of us all the time, and sometimes we discount it and think it’s our own thoughts. Learning to tune into the Holy Spirit is so important. When He talks, you learn to recognize it and act in obedience. If you feel the nudge to apologize, forgive someone, call that person you’ve been meaning to call, or anything you feel in your gut, learn to hear if that is the spirit moving within you, and then ACT. Follow those promptings from God.
How does this look with your family?
As Christian parents, we want each of our children to know how to be a gangster prayer. Once again, Autumn comes through with some amazing advice on how they live this out in the Miles home, so be sure to scroll back up and press play! Here is the condensed version, but let her wisdom in the episode speak for itself:
- let your kids handle hard things
- challenge kids spiritually
- teach about praying for peace or pause
- first step when in a difficult time is pray
- weave prayer into all facets of life
- be intentional and model it
We hope you enjoyed episode 140, “Be a Gangster Prayer, Interview with Autumn Miles” and that you have practical, actionable steps you can take. Be sure to check out this entire Gangster Prayer mini series about relentlessly pursuing God with passion and great expectation. You can do this! We’re here to help. Click the affiliate image below to get your copy of Autumn Miles’ book.
