1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, where we're dedicated to helping moms pray God's 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: word for their families in the areas they need at most. 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Nicolatte Bell. Over the last decade, we've 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: helped thousands of moms make prayer a priority for their families. 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: Our mission is to help you do the same. Prayer 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: is not a last resort. It's our first and best 8 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: response to the challenges of parenting, a partnership for the 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 1: hearts of our children that God invites us into. Today's 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: devotion is written by Rachel Adams, author of Everyday Prayers 11 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,599 Speaker 1: for Love, a part of our Million Praying Moms every 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 1: Day Prayers devotional series. This month, with Rachel as our guide, 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: we are walking through some excerpts from this book as 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: we focus on what it means to truly love God, 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: love others, and even ourselves. Our prayer and hope is 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: that this month our understanding of God's love would grow 17 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: deeper as we pray together. To learn more about Rachel, 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: or to learn more about how you can get involved 19 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 1: in the ministry of Million Praying Moms, visit today's show 20 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: notes or millionprayingmoms dot Com. After a brief word from 21 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray together for our children. 22 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: Praise the Lord. He is good. God's love never fails, Psalm, 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: Chapter one, thirty six, Verse one. I received my first 24 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,919 Speaker 2: Valentine's gift in fifth grade. I nervously approached my boyfriend 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: and handed him the mixtape i'd worked hard to compile 26 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 2: with what I consider it to be the perfect playlist. 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 2: In return, he handed me a heart shaped box of chocolates. 28 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: I was a little hungry, so I ate a few. 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: He sheepishly admitted to my dismay. I slowly opened the 30 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: red foiled container, only to discover a remnant of chocolates left. 31 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: I can laugh about it now, but my childhood heart 32 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: felt empty at that moment. His lack of care for 33 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 2: my feelings was evident in his actions. Needless to say, 34 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: that relationship didn't last long. Imagine your heart has also 35 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: been broken more than a time or two. In this life. 36 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 2: Human love has failed us and triggered so much pain. 37 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 2: It's likely that we have also caused heartache by our 38 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 2: lack of loving actions. Every affection we hope to receive 39 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 2: on earth has come up short of perfection because we 40 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 2: are fallen, sinful human beings. Our unmet expectations leave us 41 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: with unfulfilled hopes for what is possible. Due to our 42 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: hurtful experiences, we have a tainted understanding of love. Consequently, 43 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 2: we have a difficulty grasping the concept that God's love 44 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: is everlasting. When we struggle to see the evidence of 45 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: God's adoration in our lives, it's helpful to read accounts 46 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,519 Speaker 2: of His loving presence in the lives of our biblical ancestors. 47 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: Scripture is the story of the Lord love for mankind. 48 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: Psalm one thirty six provides one of the most concise 49 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 2: examples of his faithfulness to humanity. The contemporary English version 50 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: of the chapter repeats God's Love never fails twenty six 51 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: times in each verse, after recounting God's provision for the 52 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: people in the Old Testament. The author of this psalm 53 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: is anonymous, but scholars have concluded it may have been 54 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: a responsive reading, with the assembly saying these words in 55 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 2: unison after each sentence. While the repetition helped engrain this 56 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: conviction in the hearts of those ancient congregations, it is 57 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: a timeless truth. We must also take to heart. Since 58 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,119 Speaker 2: God's love never failed our forefathers, we can be confident 59 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: that it won't let us down either. In a world 60 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: of constant change, God says, I never change. He is 61 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: the same yesterday, today, and forever. In other words, God 62 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 2: has been and will be the same for all eternity. 63 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 2: He is, I am, endless and constant. If we believe 64 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: God's presence is continuous, meaning that he was, is, and 65 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 2: will be, then we can also trust his affection is 66 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 2: an inexhaustible toward us. It's helpful to reflect on our 67 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 2: lives and consider how God has displayed his infallible devotion 68 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 2: to us. Try making a list of all the ways 69 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 2: you've experienced evidence of His presence in your life. Then 70 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 2: after each statement right, God's love never fails. Let this 71 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: sentence become a mantra to remind you because of the 72 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 2: Laura's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassion 73 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: never fails. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. 74 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 2: If you feel empty today and disappointed by the absence 75 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 2: of love for the people in your life, I can empathize. 76 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 2: Our hearts have an insatiable longing that will always seem 77 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: to remain unfulfilled. Only God is capable of feeling the void. 78 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 2: Allow God to saturate you at the abundance to the 79 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 2: point you were overflowing into the lives of others. We 80 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 2: never have to worry that he will run out of 81 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 2: love because it flows from a will that never will 82 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: run dry. Let's pray Father, heal my broken heart. I've 83 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 2: been hurt by the people in my life who have 84 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 2: let me down. Help me to forgive them. I also 85 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 2: acknowledge that I have caused heartache. For that, I am sorry. 86 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: Make my heart more like yours. Remind me of the 87 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 2: ways that you have exhibited your affection for me. I 88 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: don't want to go to anyone else looking for the 89 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 2: love only you can give. Thank you for being steadfast 90 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: and never failing me in Jesus's name. Amen. 91 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: Are you a visual learner? Would you like to receive 92 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: our daily devotions and written form right to your inbox? 93 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: Then join our Patreon community of Praying Moms. Not only 94 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: will you receive the transcripts of each podcast devotional, you 95 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: will also receive a monthly prayer calendar and surprise bonus content. 96 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: Learn more about our Prayer Mom community in today's show 97 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: notes or at million Prayingmoms dot com. Till next time, friends, 98 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 99 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the 100 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.