About the film:
A Bara Church Prayer documentary. We documented the lives of four people as they prayed over the course of 2015 and into 2016. This is what we found.
Julie Lyles carr
As a mom of eight, I'm practically always praying under my breath. It's a survival tool in these wilds of parenting. But prayer is, of course, more than that. It's connection. It's discipline. It's conversation. It's an essential component of my connection to God, my daily invitation to have Him present and centered and speaking into my life. I don't always get it right. I'm not always consistent. I'm not always focused. But He is always there.
My participation in the making of "When We Pray" landed at such a critical season. I was in the middle of finishing my first book, Raising an Original, for Harper Collins/Zondervan. I was cramming composing into a chaotic schedule. I was juggling the creative process with the practical chores of running a large family and working full-time in ministry. Prayer was front and center and then a last minute of the night remembrance. And the journey of filming this prayer year was a memorable one. It made me more conscious of my prayer life than ever and also more aware of where my devotions were lacking. It's a unique experience, to talk about what you're talking to God about.
Austin "Chili" Martinez
Thank you for taking the time to become part of my spiritual walk. I don’t claim to have the strongest of faith, but it is there nonetheless. I’m a wildly outgoing 23 year old trying to find my place in the world. I am a son to my parents Craig and Elizabeth, a brother to my younger sister Shelby and a coach to hundreds of elementary school children!! I have a burning desire to teach the world to view with their hearts and not with one’s eyes, working every day to slowly achieve that desire.
This documentary gave me a chance to truly be open, and honest with my struggle to find my identity in Christ. Almost everything has changed about my persona from the very first scene. For example, I no longer volunteer as part of the B.L.T. at BARA Church and as of this moment no longer frequent a church. However, due to this filming I am finally at one with my spiritual life. I was taught a valuable lesson. God cares about what is in your heart and how you go about showing it. I hope my story gives you even the slightest bit of relief as you find your own spirituality.
Kate Bradley
My husband, Ryan, and I have been married for 8 years, and serve together at Bara Church. I am at stay at home mom to our two children, Eva and Jensen. Before having children I was a school teacher, but it was always my vision to be at home with children, teaching them more about God through the busy days and the slow days. I have been mentored and pointed to Jesus by some important women in my life, therefor it is my passion to do the same for other women (teens and adults), as well as young families. I get by on coffee, chocolate, and lots of grace.
Doing the prayer documentary was challenging, as it feels quite vulnerable to open up your home, family, and struggles on film. I am thankful I did though, because it allowed me to go back and see the faithfulness of God as he led me over the course of 2015. Prayer and walking with God daily are essential to me as I seek to lead my children and others closer to Christ.
Colby Sias
My name is Colby and I am a child of God. My identity is rooted in Christ. I love saying that because it reminds me that I am not defined by my job, social status, mistakes, or failures. My worth is based in Christ alone and knowing that is one of the best things ever! I went to church for 18 years when I was a kid and I learned about Jesus, but I never really knew him. I never really prayed before this documentary, but fortunately that changed when one day my friend said “Hey! Let me film you praying for a year”.
Working on this film was an awesome experience because it helped me grow my faith in God and also grow my desire to live for him. It’s crazy to see how far I’ve come in my prayer life and in my walk with God since this all started. Doing this film and praying for a whole year helped me realize and understand my purpose in God’s Kingdom and I would not be where I am now in my walk with Christ if it wasn’t for this prayer documentary.
Have a question about prayer? Ask us here!:
Do you have a story about prayer? We want to know about it!:
