How do we practice yoga to the glory of God? | with Miranda Jo Davis
BONUS Episode - Stephanie welcomes Miranda Jo Davis, author, speaker, Seminary-trained and Christian yoga instructor. Do the words "Christian" and "yoga" belong in the same sentence? Can one be a full-on, on-fire worshipper of the one true God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and practice yoga?
What happens if a Christian tells you that yoga is wrong, but your doctor tells you it is good for your body and your health? How do you reconcile these contradicting views? Can yoga be good for a Christian?
We realize this can be a hot-button topic. So, we encourage you to make your own discerned conclusion, based on this episode AND other sources. In this episode, we seek to bring you some interesting elements but do not seek to convince you. This being said...
How do you identify toxic practices in yoga? What are the red flags that indicate a worldview that dishonors Christ? What needs to be removed from the traditional yoga practices, and what do we replace it with, to align yoga practices with our faith?
Miranda brings her perspective, steeped in Scripture and worship. She has faced persecution from secular Yoga masters because of her "narrow-minded" faith. She chooses Christ every day as she serves through yoga with a Biblical perspective. She has learned to identify the elements of yoga that oppose our faith, and the ones that honor Christ.
Stephanie's favorite quote from Miranda: "you can be in the world of yoga, but not of it."
She has adapted secular yoga practices to align with Scripture, the one non-negociable cornerstone that will guide her every teaching. She does not dilute Truth as a very conservative Christian steeped in the Bible.
We talk about the dangers of crystals, gongs and chanting--a complete no-no. We talk about the blood of Christ that cleanses and purifies us. We talk today about worship and being truly grounded and rooted in Christ, and how this helps us identify lies from the world every day--on the yoga mat, and every area of life!
Miranda shares her story from agnosticism to yoga, and then to Christian faith. She explains how she reconciles yoga with faith. If Christ is truly sovereign and Lord over all, then He is Lord over yoga, and can redeem it too! There is a lot of lies in the secular world of yoga, but in Christ we can discern truth and safely experience the good of yoga to the glory of God.
NOTE - in this episode, we bring you a perspective on yoga that you may completely disagree with. That is FINE! Please know that we encourage you to research on your own and make up your own mind, based on Scripture. Do not take this episode as your conclusive statement about yoga. In this episode, we invite and encourage you to discern for yourself. Gospel Spice does not endorse nor condemn yoga practices as described in this episode.
If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:
The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/
The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE
If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:
PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/
PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward
PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!
Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.
Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!
Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.
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Find Miranda Jo Davis:
https://www.facebook.com/christiangirlintheyogaworld/
www.instagram.com/mirandajodavis
Miranda's book: Christian Girl in the yoga world on Amazon.
You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer
There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.
But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?
As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.
If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!
A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER
To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.
We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.
So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.
There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.
Let’s begin.
THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE
Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.
So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.
Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!
So, let’s get started.
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