Episode Details...
Let's Pray
Faith Beyond Politics
On election night in the United States, Season Cromwell sits down with Pastor Marlon Reid at the historic Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church to wrestle with a question many are afraid to ask: can genuine trust in God actually change the way we feel and respond on election night? Drawing on the story of Daniel, Pastor Marlon Reid explores what it looks like to care deeply about justice and community while remaining spiritually anchored.
This episode of Let's Pray places Season Cromwell and Pastor Marlon Reid in an honest, unscripted conversation about faith, politics, and emotional resilience at the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in Maryland. The episode opens by acknowledging the full range of emotions surrounding election outcomes, including hope, anxiety, and resignation, and asks whether a believer's trust in God can genuinely inform those responses or whether it remains merely a theological idea. Pastor Marlon Reid turns to the book of Daniel throughout the conversation, examining how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego maintained their faith inside a system that contradicted their convictions, and how Daniel's deeply cultivated relationship with God allowed him to serve with wisdom and integrity even under Nebuchadnezzar's rule.
The episode probes the mystery of divine providence, including the uncomfortable idea that God may allow difficult circumstances for larger spiritual purposes, and asks what it means to be a "living sacrifice" in that tension. The conversation also wrestles with the human tendency to place outsized hope in political leaders, the loss of compassion across political divides, how to love neighbors whose votes feel threatening or harmful, and the role of prayer when anger makes prayer feel impossible.
Both Season Cromwell and Pastor Marlon Reid speak candidly about their own ongoing struggles with these questions, and Pastor Reid shares a formative moment from a prayer meeting where he was challenged to pray aloud for leaders he found deeply difficult to support.
Videos
On election night in the United States, Season Cromwell sits down with Pastor Marlon Reid at the historic Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church to wrestle with a question many are afraid to ask: can genuine trust in God actually change the way we feel and respond on election night? Drawing on the story of Daniel, Pastor Marlon Reid explores what it looks like to care deeply about justice and community while remaining spiritually anchored.
What does it look like when the person who prays for everyone else finally gets to share their own story? In this playful episode of Let's Pray, Season Cromwell and producer Phil Riley take their conversation to a basketball court, using a game of H.O.R.S.E. to swap questions and open up about faith, family, and what keeps them doing this work.
What does it look like to build a ministry out of a 30-year friendship? Season Cromwell sits down with Ricky Venters and Marlon Madden, the founders of Success Journey Sports, to explore how two friends who met at a church camp in the '90s turned decades of shared faith and life experience into a community hub serving youth, families, and those in recovery. Their story raises a bigger question: what happens when God's call grows far beyond what you originally prayed for?
When Dora Desamour's life was already upended by divorce and single parenthood, a friend suggested something she never expected: uprooting her family to serve as an HR director on the island of Guam. Season sits down with Dora as she recounts how she resisted, negotiated, and ultimately stepped into a calling she never asked for, only to see God's leading through a broken ankle and a custody hearing thousands of miles from home.
Season Cromwell sits down with Jasmine Brann, the new principal of Tacoma Academy, to talk about what it really means to lead a school through prayer. Jasmine shares how her personal prayer life, including original songwriting and prayer walks, shapes the way she serves students, staff, and families. The conversation explores how prayer can genuinely transform a school culture, especially for young people navigating mental health challenges, big life decisions, and a world full of distractions.
Singer Chayah Miranda shares her journey of choosing to give her talents to God—and the incredible ways He has guided her life along the way.
Pastor Mike Speegle, joins Season to discuss his co-authored book "Big Questions," which tackles faith's hardest doubts, including whether God exists, why people suffer, and how to find purpose in life. The conversation explores honest, practical approaches to prayer and doubt, emphasizing that uncertainty is a natural and valuable part of any faith journey.
Shelley Ringstaff, social worker, missionary, and pastor's wife, joins Season to share how God has guided her through poverty, bullying, and seasons of uncertainty. She reflects on simple, honest prayer, the power of compassion shaped by hardship, and a remarkable story of God providing food for refugee communities during Covid.
Jerry shares his remarkable journey from atheism to faith, recounting how a series of unexpected nudges led him to buy a Bible, discover the Sabbath, and eventually get baptized. Season and Jerry discuss the realities of new faith, including a serious health crisis shortly after baptism, an honest prayer life, and the beauty of answered prayers for community and marriage.
Justin Woods, a long-time Hope Channel team member, shares his remarkable journey of waiting on God through years of unanswered prayer. From a dinosaur dig in Texas to a surprise call to India, Justin recounts how bold, specific prayers led to unexpected doors, a career in Christian media, and a family he never imagined he would find in Maryland.
In this episode of Let's Pray, Ruthie Reeves shares her personal journey from a faith-filled Kansas upbringing through a serious situation in her teen years, into a place where scripture promises and prayer carried her through. The conversation turns practical, exploring how to "claim the promises" of God's word, with a concrete example of applying James's wisdom promise during high-stakes academic testing. The episode closes with two heartfelt prayers: one for those needing to apply God's word, and one for those longing for a trusted Christian friendship.
Pastor Shawn Boonstra joins the Let's Pray program to share his personal journey from a rebellious youth to a television evangelist, tracing how prayer shaped every turning point in his life. He discusses the importance of building a genuine relationship with God rather than treating prayer as a wish list, drawing on Matthew 6 and his own experiences in public evangelism. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer for anyone hesitant to take a step of faith toward Jesus.