This conversation will help you find healing and power in the sacred space of prayer. Be ready to take notes, shed tears, and renew your hope as New York Times bestselling author Ann Voskamp gives us a masterclass on neuroscience, theology, and a deep dive into overcoming trauma, tragedy, and all the places where life can hurt,. We discuss Ann's new prayer journals, Sacred Prayer and Gifts and Gratitude, and Ann gives us a new way to think about how prayer affects our brains. Click here for the transcript of this episode (note: computer-generated transcripts are not perfect). Ann's bio Ann Voskamp is wife of one good farmer, mama to a seven exuberant kids, and author of the four New York Times Bestsellers,  The Broken Way, The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping The Greatest Gift, and One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, a New York Times 67 week bestseller which has sold more than 1.5 million copies, and is translated into more than 20 languages. Named by Christianity Today as one of 50 women most shaping culture and the church today, and a partner with Compassion International as a global advocate for needy children, Ann's a regular loser of library books, usually has a sink full of soaking pots, sees empty laundry baskets rarer than a blue moon, and believes that the sky and fresh mercy over the farm is large and all is grace. Her blog, one of the Top 10 Christian blogs on the web, has become a daily well for the weary and soul-thirsty. Chapters 0:12 Introduction to Sacred Conversations 1:59 The Importance of Prayer 7:31 Journey from Brokenness to Healing 14:11 Understanding Transactional vs. Covenant Relationships 21:33 Wrestling with God in Times of Loss 32:52 The Power of Gratitude and Prayer 41:46 The Sacred Prayer Acrostic 49:06 Finding Peace in Grief Five Ways You Can Support this show: Pray for us! Subscribe, like, and share the podcast with your friends! (We even have a YouTube channel!) Leave reviews and comments wherever you listen to podcasts! You can become a paid partner of the podcast and get special bonus episodes and lots more content by clicking here.  Visit one of our affiliate partners and consider using their products (we use them every day): Improve your gut health, immune system, and protect your brain with Pique! If you're a writer, podcaster, or content creator, you should check out Descript! It's the tool I use to produce every episode of this podcast, and their suite of audio, video, and production tools has changed my entire workflow. Descript will cut down your tech time and let you be more creative! Other Helpful Links: Click here to access the Hope Is the First Dose playlist of hopeful, healing songs! Be sure to check out my new book, Hope Is the First Dose! Here's a free 5-day Bible study on YouVersion/BibleApp based on my new book! Sign up for my weekly Self-Brain Surgery Newsletter here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices