1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million 2 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, helping you pray God's word for your family 3 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 1: in the areas you need it most. I'm your host, 4 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: nicolatte Bell. Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. 5 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: It's our first and best response in parenting, and every 6 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,919 Speaker 1: day we come together to partner with God for the 7 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: hearts of our children. This fall, we are praying through 8 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: the nine fruit of the Spirit in nine weeks, using 9 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: devotions adapted from our Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: prayer focus is peace. I hope that as you listen 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: this week, you get an overwhelming sense of the presence 12 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: of God in the peace that flows from it. Today's 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: devotion is written and read by me excerpted from my 14 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: new book, Releasing an Octave, every Day Prayers for Moms. 15 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: It's now available for pre order wherever books are sold. 16 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: To learn more about our ministry or to grab copies 17 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: of our Everyday Prayer devotionals, visit Million Praying Moms dot 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: com and click shop. Use the code Fall twenty for 19 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: twenty percent off your order. After a quick word from 20 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: our sponsors, We'll pray together for our children Philippians four seven. 21 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will 22 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: the early days of mothering my first born, I felt 24 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: completely overwhelmed. I felt the weight of the responsibility of 25 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: caring for her and the weight of my inadequacy. One night, 26 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: when I was having particularly difficulty getting her to sleep, 27 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: I read verse three in Isaiah chapter twenty six. You 28 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on 29 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: you because he trust in you. I remember a few 30 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: words jumped out at me when I read this verse. 31 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: The first word was perfect, meaning whole, complete, and lacking 32 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: in nothing. The second was stayed. There is such a 33 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: strong active tone to this word, so it really stood 34 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: out to me. The last word that jumped out at 35 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: me was trust. Perfect peace comes from God when we 36 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: trust in Him and focus on him continually. The next morning, 37 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: I wrote this verse on a piece of paper and 38 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: hung it on the mirror above Josie's changing table, a 39 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: spot I went to multiple times a day. I would 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: stop each time I laid her down to change her diaper, 41 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: take a deep breath, and read the verse aloud. Sometimes 42 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:40,680 Speaker 1: I felt peace wash over me and call me instantly. 43 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: Other times I didn't. But I read this verse so 44 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: many times a day, month after month, that slowly I 45 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: began to experience more and more peace in my heart. 46 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: Almost five years later, this verse still hangs on her 47 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: mirror to remind me how God truly guarded my heart 48 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: and mind with this peace. He was faithful to meet 49 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: me with his peace right when I needed it the most, 50 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: and He's faithful to continually meet me with his peace 51 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: again and again. Something to think about as the conversation continues. 52 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: Following Jesus's description of the Vine and the Branches in 53 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: John sixteen thirty three, he says, I have said these 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: things to you that in me you may have peace. 55 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: In the world you will have trouble. But take heart, 56 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: I have overcome the world. Jesus sums up his long 57 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: conversation with his disciples with the promise of peace. He 58 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: tells them that everything he has spoken to them in 59 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: these teachings in John chapters fourteen through seventeen, which is 60 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: known as the Farewell Discourse of Jesus, ends in the 61 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: goal of their peace. All of his teachings on the 62 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: Vine and the Branches on abiding, on loving others, on 63 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit as our helper and advocate, on the 64 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: trials they will face, on the events that are about 65 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: to unfold, culminate in their peace. He tells them that 66 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: they will face trouble and tribulation, but they can still 67 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: have peace and joy that come from Him. It's his 68 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: desire for us to have peace. In our opening verse, 69 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: Paul writes, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 70 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,919 Speaker 1: will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus 71 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: Philippians four seven. I love this image of peace guarding us. 72 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: I picture peace holding its sword and its shield, standing 73 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: at the door of my mind and warding off negative 74 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: thoughts from the enemy. Paul describes this peace of God 75 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: as something that surpasses all understanding. Have you experienced this 76 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: type of peace? Sometimes peace comes quietly and settles me 77 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 1: in moments. Other times I have witnessed the flooding of 78 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: God's presence of peace wash over me in a supernatural way. 79 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: One example that comes to mind is the day my 80 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: daughter had climbed up on our patty, fell off and 81 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: hit her head on the concrete. I had stepped inside 82 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: just for one minute. You know that sinking feeling. Neither 83 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: my husband nor I saw the fall, so we didn't 84 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: know exactly what had happened, but we had an idea 85 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: it was a pretty good blow to her head. My 86 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,719 Speaker 1: husband scooped Josie up and brought her inside. He was 87 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: comforting her and checking out her head when I heard 88 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: the words, A mama never wants to hear. She's seizing, 89 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: She's seizing. I had gone into the kitchen to get 90 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: some ice and sprinted back into the living room where 91 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: he had her laid out on the floor for what 92 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: seemed like an eternity but was probably only two to 93 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,600 Speaker 1: three minutes. Our baby girl wasn't with us. My husband 94 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: is a doctor, so he usually keeps his cool in 95 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 1: pretty much any medical situation, even with our family, but 96 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: this time he was worried, and I began to panic. 97 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: I remember that I had just seen our neighbors across 98 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: the street outside their daughter has epilepsy, and for some reason, 99 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: I felt like they would help us know what to do. 100 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: I bolted out the front door and I called for them. 101 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,640 Speaker 1: They came running over. By this point, Josie had come 102 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: out of the seizure. We all agreed we needed to 103 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: take her to the children's hospital. I was in a 104 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: full blown panic trying to load her in the car. 105 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: I remember so clearly my neighbor putting a hand on 106 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: my shoulder and praying out loud as I was buckling 107 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: the car seat. I can't remember exactly what she prayed, 108 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: but when she said Jesus, a peace washed over me 109 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: so tangibly and so supernaturally at the sound of his name. 110 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: I can't explain it. I get tears as I think 111 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: about this and speak about it and remember it. Of course, Jesus. 112 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: In my panic, I hadn't even called on his name 113 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,799 Speaker 1: in that moment. My precious neighbor, a mom of three 114 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: and grandmother of four, with years of wisdom beyond mine, 115 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: did what I couldn't remember to do. She cried out 116 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: to the one who could heal and protect me, my 117 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:04,239 Speaker 1: baby girl, and through her prayer, my own prayers began. 118 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: I prayed out loud the entire way to the hospital, 119 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: and my prayers continued in my head as we went 120 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: through all the details at the hospital. Breathe in, Jesus, 121 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: breathe out, be with us. My prayers became my breath 122 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: and sustained me. This supernatural peace stayed with me throughout 123 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: the weight. In the emergency room, the CT scans and 124 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: tests and comforted me as I comforted her. Thankfully, the 125 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: CT came back clear, and after several hours we were 126 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: released back home with protocol to rest after a concussion 127 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: and seizure episode. I know this will not be the 128 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: last moment of panic we have from a fall, But 129 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: next time, I hope I pray sooner. I hope I 130 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: remember the peace of God that surrounded me in those 131 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,679 Speaker 1: moments and call out to Him in my time of trouble. 132 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: Peace isn't our natural state, our natural rehacs action. In 133 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: the chaos of our circumstances, peace can feel absent. In 134 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: Philippians four nine, Paul writes, practice these things, and the 135 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: peace of God will be with you. One of these 136 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: things that Paul says we should practice is prayer. In 137 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: verse six, he tells us, let your request be made 138 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: known to God. Friend's prayer is our pathway to peace. 139 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: Prayer ushers us into God's presence and reminds us that 140 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: our peace doesn't depend on us or on our circumstances, 141 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: but instead on who God is in what He has 142 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 1: done on our behalf may we rest in that today. 143 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: Let's pray together. Father, you are the God of Peace. 144 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 1: Thank you that you never leave us. You are always 145 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: with us. We have continual access to your peace from 146 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: your presence through the person of the Holy Spirit. Help 147 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: us to practice prayer so that we can experience more 148 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: of your peace in our lives. May your peace guard 149 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: our hearts, our minds, our children, our homes as we 150 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: trust in you in Jesus' name. Amen. As part of 151 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and everyday prayers for 152 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: the School Year book Club, Tarah Cole and I created 153 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: a free car conversations guide for your family to use 154 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: this fall. The car is sometimes the best place for 155 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: our most precious conversations with our kids as we are 156 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: praying through the Fruit of the Spirit. Our hope is 157 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: that you can have meaningful conversations with your kids about 158 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: what living out these fruit looks like in their daily lives. 159 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: Tara and I created a series of quick questions. She 160 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: wrote some for the older kids, I wrote some for 161 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: younger kids, and we share a prayer that you can 162 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: share with your children about each of the Fruit of 163 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: the Spirit. Download your copy for free on our website. 164 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: Are the link in our show notes. Until next time, friends, 165 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 166 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the 167 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.