How do you usually begin your prayers?

For many of us, prayer starts with requests—needs, worries, burdens, and long lists of things we hope God will do. And while God absolutely invites us to bring those things to Him, the early church showed us a different starting point.

In Acts of the Apostles 4:24, after being threatened by the Sanhedrin, the believers gathered together to pray. But before they asked for protection… before they asked for boldness… they began with worship:

“Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.”

In this episode of Detours, we explore why adoration is such a powerful starting place for prayer and how beginning with worship can completely shift our perspective. You’ll also be introduced to the simple and helpful ACTS model of prayer—Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication—not as a rigid formula, but as a gentle guide to deepen your conversations with God.

Whether your prayers feel rushed, repetitive, or uncertain, this episode offers encouragement and practical reflection to help you slow down, lift your eyes, and remember who you’re speaking to.

Because sometimes the most powerful change in prayer happens before we ask.

To avoid the "disappointed wife look", here's Deb's devo we based our episode on: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11f60uJNoRDVvfJWnx9NutwZcLscUPWvw1dmdAaNVaMo/edit?usp=sharing

What does it mean to say that God chose humility?

In The Humility of God, we examine one of the most uncomfortable images in Scripture: the worm. Drawing from Psalm 22, Isaiah 66, and Jesus’ own words in Mark 9, this episode explores how the Bible uses an image of weakness, decay, and insignificance to reveal something shocking about God’s character.

We look closely at the crimson (coccus) worm—a tiny creature whose life cycle involves self-giving, suffering, and a blood-red stain—and why ancient readers would have immediately understood its symbolic weight. Far from being accidental or grotesque, this imagery points to a God who does not cling to power, but willingly lowers Himself for the sake of others.

This episode invites us to reconsider greatness, strength, and glory—not as domination or distance, but as sacrificial love. The humility of God is not a contradiction. It is the revelation.

In this episode, we explore the tension between ambition and calling and why confusing the two can lead to burnout, frustration, and misplaced identity. Is ambition inherently bad, or can it coexist with a God-given calling? How do you discern whether you are pursuing something because it fuels your ego or because it aligns with God’s purpose for your life?

We unpack the differences between personal ambition and spiritual calling, how culture often rewards achievement over obedience, and the subtle ways ambition can masquerade as faith. This conversation dives into biblical perspective, practical self-reflection, and real-life examples to help you evaluate your motivations and realign your pursuits with what truly matters.

If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about purpose, success, career, ministry, or direction, this episode will challenge you to slow down, listen closely, and ask whether you are chasing what you want or responding to what God is calling you to do.