Teach Us to Pray with Lori Roy
Episode Summary
In this episode of Teach Us to Pray, Brian and Cory sit down with Kansas City Underground Hub Leader Lori Roy to talk about her journey of learning to pray, and what she’s seen God do through years of persistent prayer. Lori shares how she came to faith after moving to Kansas City, how praying Scripture became a lifeline as she prayed for her husband and family, and how her understanding of prayer grew into listening to and responding to the Holy Spirit. We explore the importance of giving people permission to be clumsy in prayer, modeling simple prayer for new disciples, and creating spaces where everyday people can learn to hear from God.
Key Themes & Takeaways
1. Learning to Pray Before Knowing What to Say
Lori shares how she encountered Jesus after moving from Southern California to Kansas City in the early 1990s.
During a season of isolation as a young mom, an invitation to a church moms' gathering introduced her to a community of women who welcomed her and eventually helped lead her toward Jesus.
As a new believer with a husband who wasn't yet following Jesus, Lori didn't always know how to pray.
A mentor introduced her to praying Scripture, giving her a simple way to pray God's Word over her husband even when she didn't have the words herself.
Over time, Lori watched those prayers bear fruit as her husband began following Jesus.
2. Persistent Prayer and the Faithfulness of God
Lori's experience praying for her husband became part of a much larger story of persistent prayer for her family.
She prayed for years for her father, who eventually came to faith at age 72 and was baptized by Lori in Kansas City.
She has also watched other members of her extended family come to faith over the years.
These experiences have given Lori a deep confidence in continuing to pray without giving up, trusting God even when answers don't come quickly.
Prayer isn't about taking credit for what happens; it's about faithfully aligning ourselves with God's heart and trusting him with the outcome.
3. Growing from Praying Scripture to Listening to the Spirit
Praying Scripture gave Lori a foundation, but her prayer life continued to expand as she grew in relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Through experiences like the Alpha Course, Lori began learning that prayer isn't only about speaking—it also includes listening.
Prayer became a space to be quiet, pay attention, and respond to what God might be saying or doing.
This kind of prayer takes time, grace, equipping, and permission to learn.
A mature prayer life isn't necessarily more complicated; it's increasingly relational and attentive to God's presence.
4. Giving People Permission to Pray Imperfectly
Brian, Cory, and Lori reflect on how intimidating prayer can feel for people who haven't grown up around it.
What feels basic to an experienced believer may be completely unfamiliar to someone encountering Jesus for the first time.
One of the most important ways we teach prayer is simply by praying together and modeling it for others.
Lori shares the importance of giving people permission to be clumsy, uncertain, and real as they learn.
Prayer doesn't have to be polished or eloquent. Like a child talking with a parent, it can simply come honestly from the heart.
5. A City Learning to Pray Together
Lori shares about her involvement with Pray KC and its desire to help the Church of Kansas City pray together.
Through gatherings like Nights with God, believers from different churches, denominations, and backgrounds come together in worship and prayer.
For Lori, these gatherings offer a glimpse of the diversity and unity of the Kingdom.
Prayer becomes more than an individual practice—it can become something that unites the Church around God's heart for an entire city.
6. Where Prayer and Mission Meet
Lori describes prayer and mission as inseparable. Prayer without movement can remain inside a "holy huddle," while mission disconnected from prayer can become primarily human effort.
Something powerful happens when prayer and mission collide—when people seek God together and then allow their lives and actions to follow their prayers.
Cory reflects that extraordinary, "mountain-moving" prayers can reshape our posture toward mission. When we pray with greater dependence on God, we're often invited into greater steps of obedience.
The goal isn't simply to pray so that our ministry strategies succeed; it's to recognize that the mission belongs to God and depend on him to lead it.
7. Preparing for the North America Prayer Summit
Lori, Brian, and Cory look ahead to the North America Prayer Summit as a place where the prayer and disciple-making movement worlds can intentionally come together.
The gathering will bring together people passionate about prayer, mission, discipleship, and multiplication under one roof.
They express anticipation for learning from Shodankeh Johnson and his experience with extraordinary prayer and disciple-making movements.
Their hope isn't simply for a meaningful event, but for God to awaken everyday disciple-makers to greater dependence, prayer, and participation in his mission.
Lori closes with an encouragement from Galatians 6:9: don't grow weary in doing good. Continue faithfully pursuing what God has called you to, trusting him for the harvest.
Final Thoughts
Prayer is learned not only through teaching, but through practice, persistence, and relationship. Whether we're praying Scripture when we don't know what to say, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit, or crying out together for a city, the invitation is to keep showing up. As prayer and mission come together, we learn to depend less on what we can accomplish and more on what God can do.
