 Welcome. Well, God is on the move. You know, he's up to something big and he wants you to be a part of it. And we're going to find out more about what God wants to do in our lives today. This is Hope Today. Thank you for joining us. I'm Tom Hollis. I'm here with Amanda Brocker and we have a great guest coming up. We sure do. Her name is Janet McHenry. I don't know. Have you ever been in a prayer circle and you're like, who's going to pray? Who is praying out? You know, we all have different prayer styles based on our personalities. Who knew? So Janet is going to reveal to us you're not going to want to miss one second of this interview. And I think it will just really enlighten you. We don't need to feel less than because we have a different prayer style. It's like, no, it's based upon the personality. Well, I know you well enough that you're going to pray. And I'm usually going to pray too. And I think a lot of people are more in the reticent to pray boat, you know, not, not ready to pray so often. It's going to be a great discussion. I'm looking forward to that. We also have a Testament Tuesday. Pastor Gary Simpson is going to share his story with us. You're going to want to hear this because God has plans for us, even when we don't see them and we don't know about them. God's got a good plan for us. Amen. I'm telling you, I am excited. You know, I had all of my kids. There's a test at the end of this book. A test. There is. So they all took it. My husband took it. I sent it to Tom. I'm like, we got to take the test. I was also mad to do it. I'm just giving me homework. It's very interesting. I don't know, you know, just different personalities. Some people feel like if they're not the outspoken prayer, they can look and be like, oh, they're going to pray. I hope they're going to pray. You know, those awkward moments. And it's like just making room for people and all of the different giftedness that God has made. It's going to be a great discussion. By the way, we do have people who love to pray called prayer partners that are standing by. And if you need prayer today, if you have a situation in your family, in your life, maybe in your spiritual life that you want prayer for, they are ones who are not going to be shy about praying. They're going to pray with you and take you to the throne room of God so you can call the number on your screen and get prayer that way as well. Amen. Well, praying to God is one of the most important things as Christians that we should be doing on a daily basis. Sometimes though, we can find ourselves struggling with what to pray for or even how we should pray. Our next guest believes we each have a unique praying personality. And in her book, Praying Personalities, she shares how we can flourish in our prayer life and find a deeper connection with God. Janet, welcome to Hope Today. Hallman and Amanda, thank you so much for having me. What a pleasure. Absolutely. All right, well, Janet, tell us a little bit about your personal salvation story. Well, you know, I grew up in a traditional church and we said prayers, you know, prayers over meals and prayer at bedtime. And they were usually kind of things that were memorized and just sort of repeated. But then when I went into college, I found that I could have a personal relationship with Christ. And that was through the Billy Graham organization, actually. And that was so inviting. I just jumped at that opportunity to know God personally. And it was as simple as that, just stepping into that relationship with him and gradually learning that his word could breathe truth into my life and that I could have conversation with the Almighty God that didn't necessarily have to be scripted. Amen, you talk about this in your book that there was a time where you began to walk for exercise, but there was a shift in your mindset that took place. So give our audience a taste of what that story looks like. Well, I sort of fell into the practice of prayer walking. I had been suffering physically and I walked out my back door, I found myself in a crumbled heap because my knee had given way. So I knew I needed to do something about that health. But I also knew that for some time God had been calling me to a deeper life of prayer. So I determined to get up the next morning and a little bit early and go walking. And then while I walked, I would pray. And there was a lot of minus in that, my kids, my marriage, my job as a high school English teacher. But that all changed one day. When I watched a young man hand over his little blanketed baby girl before six o'clock in the morning to the daycare worker downtown in my little place here in the Sears in the Sierra Valley. And that little girl said, bye, daddy, I love you. And I knew right then that God had me on the streets of my community less for the minus of my prayers, but more for the needs of others. So I began opening up my eyes and just praying for the businesses, the commuters heading off to Reno to go work, the loggers heading out into the woods. And God really brought about significant changes in my life. But I also began to see answered prayers in my community. Amen. So talk to us, this is being revealed to you personally, but then how did the inspiration come for you to write this book so that the rest of us could gain some understanding as well? Well, because I had experienced such dramatic change in my own life, physically, emotionally, spiritually, because of prayer walking, I became this crazy person who just felt like everybody in the world should prayer walk. I wrote a book about it and I began speaking about prayer walking and just trying to convince everyone that it's the best way to pray, you know? And, but there always would be someone who would come up to me and say, but Janet, I can't walk, what do I do? So that kind of hung with me for many, many years. And then I found myself speaking to a group of writers one day about trying to incorporate more prayer in our lives. And I heard myself say, perhaps it has something to do with our God-given personality. And so I went to God's word and I said, God show me, you know, is there just one way to pray? How do your people pray? And so I saw that people like Moses argued with God. We have two chapters of Moses arguing with God, you know? And then he complains later. And then we have someone like Gideon who negotiated with God. And we have people like Job who simply needed to understand his pain. You know, he complained. And even though he was called righteous, he was the most righteous man on earth. You know, there's kind of a negative tone in the way you approach God. So I found freedom in God's word and just began looking through those pages to learn more about how God has created each of us uniquely and perhaps that there in fact is grace and freedom in the way that we can approach him. Amen. I really love that, Janet. You know, I grew up in a traditional church where they prayed with these and vows. And I knew that I was never gonna really be able to pray that way. And, you know, you see some people that are great prayer warriors. I've always admired when I've heard about them or known some of them. I kind of knew I was never gonna be that either. So what's the hope for the person that says, you know, I'm not gonna be able to be EM Bounds or one of these great long prayer warrior type person. Where does our personalities fit into that? Well, I began, you know, after I studied through God's word and looked at all the different kinds of prayers and the way people were praying, I then kind of thought, well, perhaps let's look at the personality theories that have been created. Now we need to keep in mind that those are theories. They are man-created and the best way for us to know ourselves is certainly to read God's word and have it speak truth into our lives. But I think that also just as, you know, we talked earlier about, you know, the different ways that people love to give to one another. There are different ways that God has created us. And so if we examine some of those personality theories and we resonate perhaps with one of them, we can learn more about our strengths, more about our weaknesses, and then find a praying lifestyle that will sync with that God-given personality. So important. So we're not in competition with each other. There isn't one praying style that is more important than another, and I love how you just, you free us from all that comparison that we do a great job of doing. But talk to us about the four types and how did you come to the conclusion that there were really four main types of prayer? I think most of those personality theories kind of fall into a system of four of some kind. Some have 16, but there are four basic personalities. And even as I looked at God's word, I saw, wow, that there were some that were more cerebral in orientation, some more emotional, some more devotional or disciplined, and then some more physical. So that freed me to create a quiz that I call the praying personality quiz that helps people find out whether they perhaps are one of the four praying personalities, which are the problem solver and the problem solver goes to God to have problem solved. We are kind of natural problem solvers in our personality, but we see God as that person who really, when we hand over those concerns to him, he really can take care of them much better than we can. But then we also have people like I call the friend of God and they go to God because they're highly relational. They're very outgoing, they're sociable. When they walk into the room, there's a party. So they go to prayer to have relationship with God. And then there's also the organized prayer, also called the lamentor. This person has disciplines, perhaps is artistic, maybe has organized systems such as a journal. And so this person goes to God because they simply see God to have that passionate, loving relationship with them. And then lastly, there's the peace seeker and the peace seeker goes God to have peace in his or her life. They need that calm, they need that assurance, they need that daily sense that God is certainly with them all day long. I love it. And I just have to tell you, we took the test. We did. And I am the friend of God. Yes, when you said relational and outgoing, I was like, well, that's why she's friend of God. She's very much like that. I was the problem solver, which sort of surprised me. I kind of was like, well, I guess that is true though as I think about it. Yeah, I do go to God when there's issues in maybe people I love lives or my own life or in the ministry here to pray to say, like entrust and gain peace because you leave them with God. Yes, it is so enlightening. And you also taught us a little bit about generational personalities. And I found that interesting as well. If you could talk a little bit about those generations. You know, Tom, you're like in the baby boomer. That's right. I'm in the next generation and my family's in the, I don't know them all. Gen X is me. You're Gen X, then Gen, then Millennial, and Gen Z. Yes, so break that down because the time frame we were born in affects our personality in prayer as well. Well, I think, you know, part of that section in the book, the middle section of the book on different kinds of personalities. I included a chapter on learning styles, but I also included a chapter on generational praying practices because it occurred to me that what might seem the right way to pray as we view it in our minds, and there really is no necessarily right way to pray, just the fact that we go to God, that's the right thing. It's more about access than answers. But because of our background, the way that we were raised, maybe we're, you know, maybe baby boomers are raised in a very traditional kind of church setting, you know, with more rote kind of prayers, and maybe that's more of a comfort zone for some of us from that generation. Whereas the younger generations are gonna find that they fall into conversational styles, you know, with God in terms of how they approach Him, that's gonna be more natural for them. And as we even get down to, you know, the millennials and Gen Z and Generation Alpha, these young people growing up right in schools right now, that they might turn to their phones. They might turn to apps, you know, to give them prayer prompts to help them start their day off right. It's all so wonderful. And I love how you put it together in this beautiful little book. And how can our friends in viewing audience get ahold of this book? Where is it available? Well, it should be in your local brick and mortar bookstore. And it's also on all of the online places where you traditionally buy your books. That is amazing. So it is praying personalities. And Janet, we are so thankful to have you with us today. Common Amanda, thank you for having me. You guys are awesome. I just have one last question. Which prayer style were you, Janet? Along with Tom, I'm a problem solver. And I naturally see now when, for example, I'm scrolling Facebook or I'm in line in Walmart and I see a problem. I just go, God help, help this person. I turn this over to you. I turn this over to you, God. Well, thank you so much. And God bless you, Janet. Thank you. Well, today is Testament Tuesday and we have a powerful story of how God moves in each of our lives. Let's take a look. First starting the program, the TV station. And I was working for Teen Challenge, a Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. And we met a Christian businessman named Harold McCamish. He was one of the founding board members here. And we had a small construction company called New Life Builders. And we built the very first building that was up here. So that goes more than 45 years ago. So it's been a long, long time that I've interacted with Cornerstone Television. And then I pastored a church, Christian Life Church, Trafford for 34 years. It's just down over the hill here. My there were more than a dozen people that attended my church that worked here. And I remember coming up here and working on a telephone and answering phones. And so it's been a long and wonderful relationship between myself and my church and Cornerstone Television. My wife worked here in partner services for 26 years. She loved working here. And we have so many close friends, Rhett Metta, Russ and Norma, many years ago. And Paul and his family are good friends of ours. And so we've just had this connection that's gone on for a long, long time. I'm involved in a ministry called Caring Hearts Ministries, which was founded by Harold McCamish when he was living in Phoenix, Arizona. And he was attending church and he met a retired pastor named Oliver Nell. Pastor Nell said to him one day, he said, let's go bless some people down in Mexico. They had an old 1969 pickup truck and they threw a bunch of stuff in it, clothing and food and whatnot. And they drove the four hours down into San Luis, Sonora. They just started driving through the streets and they came upon an orphanage and they got involved with this orphanage. And through that one encounter, this ministry of Caring Hearts was born and it just spread out and blossomed into what we have now of 12 core ministries. Cornerstone Television, which has been involved with us, with Caring Hearts for almost 25 years. As a pastor nearby and as a person having interaction with Cornerstone, I think it's important to see how far reaching the ministry is. A lot of people think, okay, it's a Christian television station in Pittsburgh that ministers to people in Pittsburgh. Well, it ministers to a lot more people than just Western Pennsylvania or even just the United States. There's one great story, young man was sitting around on New Year's Eve and just didn't know the Lord and wasn't living right and into all kinds of things that were harmful and came home on New Year's Eve and supposed to be a happy, fun time, plopped down in front of the television. He was miserable, depressed, discouraged. He started flipping around the dial and he came across CTV and he started watching and they gave a salvation message and he prayed to receive Christ as his savior and he came down to the station a couple of days later and he met with Tom Hollis and he told him what happened and Tom said, well, you need to be in a church and he gave him a list of churches to look into and he came to our church, Christian Life Church. Long story short, he became a member, went on to be one of our elders, one of our deacons and has attended there now for more than 20 years. So you have that happening right here in Pittsburgh. This man was just from a few miles away from here. Your partnership with us in Caring Hearts is 2,500 miles away in a little town called San Luis Sonora, Mexico where so many people in such great need are having those needs met, are hearing the gospel, are coming to Christ and having their lives transformed. So when I see this interaction with the station, myself, our church and all the people that have been involved and the lives that it's touched, I see that, I think of Jesus talking about the mustard seed. It's the smallest of all seeds and yet when you plant it, it becomes one of the largest garden plants and like a tree where the birds can come and rest in it and find shade. And I see that seeds planted here that go out over the airwaves and provide this ministry that is so huge that so many people find Christ, find healing, find deliverance, all through the one seed that's planted, the one word that's spoken. One seed that's planted, one word that's spoken. I love what Pastor Gary had to share there. I love that story of the fellow Mark that had stopped up here and had received the Lord by watching one of our programs here on Cornerstone. He actually asked for a Bible and then Amanda asked, I said, well, you need a church as Pastor Gary related. And I did give him a list, but I said, you should really check this one out because I knew he was from close by and that was Christian life. I met him a year and a half later and he says, Tom, I'm a deacon and I'm my wife. And I'm like, well, when we started following the Lord and let the Lord have his way in our life and it was all fresh to Mark, it was brand new. He didn't know anything really about following the Lord, but he began to follow the Lord and God did amazing things. When we yield to God, he gets involved in our situation. That is so true. And I just love the work of caring hearts and what they're doing. My family had the opportunity to go down. It was a couple of years ago and it is a phenomenal work. They are feeding the hungry. They are praying for the sick. We went and visited people in shacks. It's not like houses. It's nothing like what we have here and they don't have the social service number to call to get the help for the people. If the church, the body of Christ isn't doing something, then they just, and they don't care about them. They are left to die, to starve. So that work down there is super important to God and those people are so valuable to him. So thank you for your support to our network because we're able to empower other missions such as caring hearts. But something really special for me when I even see Pastor Gary, that it just brings me to tears, is it back in 2018 when our family was going through a very difficult season. He called me and he's like, the Lord keep showing me your face and will you preach on a Sunday morning at Christian Life? And it was a very difficult season. And I was like, I said, I thought you were just calling to check on our family. You know, like, I don't even know if I have anything in me. And he said, Amanda, the best messages sometimes that God has given me came out of moments that were valley moments. And so I told him, okay, Pastor Gary, can I call you on Wednesday? Can you imagine? He's the senior pastor on Wednesday. And I'll let you know if I get something from God, I'll be there Sunday. And lo and behold, God that morning at 2.30 gave me the message and I preached there. It was September 1st of 2018. It was the first time I ever like filled the pulpit for anyone. But and I only say that because he saw something in me that I didn't see in myself through the Holy Spirit. And we have that opportunity to place a heavenly demand on another life. You know, as good leaders, we need to be growing other leaders around us. Not just be like, look at me, I'm on the stage and I'm here and you're there. It's like, no, a good leader, a godly leader is going to bring out the giftings within. And yeah, he did that for me in that season where I just thought, I don't know what I have to share but God, his word is the truth, regardless of what we're walking through. And he had his way and praise God, that message changed my life. That makes me think, you know, you said that he saw something in you you didn't see in yourself at that moment, you know? And I'm just thinking about you. What does God see in you that you don't see? Maybe you don't have Pastor Gary pulling that out of you right now. I hope you have a pastor in your life. But we need those people around us that see those things in us that say, wow, you've got something here. You need to step into that. And I'm saying that to you. I don't know you personally, but I want to say that God has something that he wants to bring out of you. You have a unique gift. You have a unique gift to touch a life and use that gift. Don't sit on it, use it. God wants to do great and mighty things through you. He wants to change the world around you, maybe not far away, maybe not in Mexico, but maybe across the street. He wants to have you show the love of God to that person. Maybe it's someone you haven't gotten along with so well or maybe it's someone you get along with really well, but you've never really talked to them about the Lord or showed the love of God in that special way that can really open up the door. Do that today. Don't let this day pass. Don't let this week pass. Don't let this month pass without saying God, I want to step into everything you have for me to affect the world around me. Pastor Gary did. He did with Teen Challenge. He did with his church and he did with Caring Hearts. And God is doing that through you when you support Cornerstone Television, but also what you want to do, what he wants to do through you in your own life and in your own sphere of influence. Have a great day. Discover what God's word has to say about healing and deliverance. Bestselling author John Eckhart makes topical Bible study easy with his new book, Scriptures for Faith, Deliverance and Healing. This handy reference is for those who want to have a greater understanding of healing and deliverance to incorporate God's word into their prayers. Eckhart also includes targeted commentary to highlight key scriptures and life application. His spirit-filled perspective will enhance your time in God's word and encourages the spiritual disciplines of memorization and meditation. Request Scriptures for Faith, Deliverance and Healing as our thank you gift when you support Cornerstone Television this month. Request your copy today. If you want to strengthen the ministry of CTVN, share your best gift by visiting us online at ctvn.org slash donate or call us at 888-665-4483. Thank you for your partnership. Hope happens here. On tomorrow's Hope Today, discover who God truly is and who he desires to be for us. TV host and author Rabbi Kurt A. Schneider explores God's different prophetic and symbolic names in the Bible, which hold the keys to discovering God's will and character. That's tomorrow on Hope Today. Cornerstone Television wishes to thank all our faithful viewers whose consistent prayers and financial support have made this program possible.