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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping

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Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas

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Speaker 2: you need it most.

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Speaker 1: I'm your host, Nicolette Bell.

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Speaker 2: Here, we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our

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Speaker 2: first and best response in parenting. And every day we

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Speaker 2: come together to partner with God for the hearts of

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Speaker 2: our children. Do you believe your prayers as a mom

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Speaker 2: make a difference?

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Speaker 1: I mean, like, really believe it?

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Speaker 2: Do you ever have the best intentions to be in

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Speaker 2: consistent prayer for your children but are unsure how to

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Speaker 2: get the habit to stick? You really try, but maybe

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Speaker 2: at the end of the day you realize you haven't

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Speaker 2: prayed at all. Friends, our newest devotional, Everyday Prayers for Moms,

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Speaker 2: Praying God's Word for Your Children from Newborn to Empty Nest,

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Speaker 2: comes out next week, and it addresses just that.

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Speaker 1: This devotional is an invitation to.

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Speaker 2: Spend 30 days praying God's Word over your children, understanding

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Speaker 2: the why behind why we do it, and creating habits

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Speaker 2: that last.

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Speaker 1: There's still some time left to get your pre-order bonus.

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Speaker 2: If you pre-order today, you will receive early access to

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Speaker 2: our new prayer video course, That is a great preview

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Speaker 2: or companion for the book.

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Speaker 1: Find a pre-order link in our show notes.

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Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written and read by Shannon Maracco, the

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Speaker 2: founder of Embrace Women's Ministry and the Impact Leadership Network

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Speaker 2: and co-author of her new book, Pelotalk. Today, Shannon shares encouragement.

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Speaker 1: For when we don't feel enough as moms.

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Speaker 2: To learn more about Shannon or more about our ministry,

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Speaker 2: visit millionprayingmoms.com.

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Speaker 1: After a quick word from our sponsors, we'll pray together

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Speaker 1: for our children.

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Speaker 3: Isaiah 41.10 Fear not, for I am with you. Be

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Speaker 3: not dismayed, for I am your God. I remember the

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Speaker 3: day my older daughter was born as if it were yesterday.

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Speaker 3: I had been battling severe preeclampsia and my doctor decided

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Speaker 3: to induce labor a month before my due date. When

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Speaker 3: she finally arrived, tiny at just 5 pounds 6 ounces,

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Speaker 3: I held her in my arms and was overwhelmed by

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Speaker 3: the sudden reality of becoming a mother. Her little ocean

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Speaker 3: blue eyes looked up at me as if I were

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Speaker 3: her entire world. Her tiny fingers curled around mine and

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Speaker 3: a thought hit me with full force. Everything I do

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Speaker 3: is going to matter in her life. Then came the fear.

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Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, she's mine. What if I mess this up?

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Speaker 3: The responsibility felt so heavy that it was almost hard

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Speaker 3: to breathe. But in that moment, the Lord reminded me

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Speaker 3: of something I have never forgotten. No, she is not yours.

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Speaker 3: She is mine. I've entrusted her to you. What a

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Speaker 3: difference that truth makes. Our children are a heritage from

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Speaker 3: the Lord. They are not ultimately ours to control. They

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Speaker 3: are lives God has entrusted to our care. We are

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Speaker 3: called to steward them, guide them, love them, teach them,

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Speaker 3: and point them to Jesus. But we were never meant

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Speaker 3: to carry the weight of their entire future on our shoulders.

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Speaker 3: Maybe you have felt the same pressure. Am I doing enough?

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Speaker 3: Am I praying enough? Did I handle that situation the

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Speaker 3: right way? What if my mistakes negatively impact my child?

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Speaker 4: Take a breath, mama. You do not have to be.

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Speaker 1: A perfect parent.

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Speaker 3: You need a dependent heart that keeps turning toward a

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Speaker 3: perfect God.

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Speaker 4: There will be moments when you don't know what to do.

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Speaker 3: There will be seasons when When every child needs something different,

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Speaker 3: there will be times when you make the wrong decision,

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Speaker 3: lose your patience, or wish you could go back and

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Speaker 3: do something differently.

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Speaker 4: But God is not asking you to parent alone.

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Speaker 3: He promises to be with you, give you wisdom, and

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Speaker 3: fill the gaps where you are missing it.

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Speaker 4: Let's pray.

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Speaker 3: Father, thank you for entrusting these precious lives to me.

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Speaker 3: When I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of motherhood, remind

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Speaker 3: me that my children are yours. Give me wisdom when

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Speaker 3: I do not know what to do, patience when I

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Speaker 3: am tired, grace when I make mistakes, and discernment to

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Speaker 3: know how to lead each child according to your purposes.

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Speaker 3: Help me release the pressure to be perfect and instead

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Speaker 3: become a mother who continually seeks you. Teach me to

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Speaker 3: trust you with my children's future and.

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Speaker 4: To faithfully steward the years you have given me with them.

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Speaker 3: Fill the gaps where I am missing it and let

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Speaker 3: my children see your love through me.

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Speaker 4: In Jesus' name, amen.

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Speaker 2: My guess is that if you're here listening to the

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Speaker 2: Everyday Prayers podcast, you kind of care about praying for

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Speaker 2: your children. My newest book, Everyday Prayers for Moms, Praying

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Speaker 2: God's Work from Your Children from Newborn to Emptiness, is

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Speaker 2: a great resource for moms who desire to pray for

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Speaker 2: their kids. I don't know if you've ever looked up

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Speaker 2: at the end of the day and realized that you

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Speaker 2: didn't pray at all. So often we have this desire

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Speaker 2: to pray. but we may not know how to put

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Speaker 2: that desire in to practice. I'm learning in motherhood that

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Speaker 2: my prayers adapt and change based on the season that

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Speaker 2: we're in as a family.

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Speaker 1: I'm also learning to give myself.

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Speaker 2: Grace in those different seasons. I know God isn't after perfect,

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Speaker 2: polished prayers. He's after my heart, and He's after yours too.

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Speaker 2: So my plan is to be intentional, whatever that looks like,

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Speaker 2: in this season.

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Speaker 1: I hope that is your plan. as well. God sees

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Speaker 1: our hearts.

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Speaker 2: He's honored by our desire to connect with Him. If

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Speaker 2: you're feeling stuck in your prayer life, I've got a

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Speaker 2: new free download, a five-day prayer reset. It's a great

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Speaker 2: guide to help you get started, jump back in, stay consistent, grow.

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Speaker 1: Deeper in your prayers for your kids.

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Speaker 2: It's also a great tool to share with with your

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Speaker 2: friends or with your family members that may be seeking

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Speaker 2: to know God deeper in prayer as they're wanting to

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Speaker 2: pray for their kids. I hope you will grab your

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Speaker 2: copy today at millionprayingmoms.com. We'll also put a link in

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Speaker 2: our show notes. Until next time, friends, may the Lord

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Speaker 2: bless you and keep you. Make His face shine upon

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Speaker 2: you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look

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Speaker 2: with favor upon you and give you his peace.