1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: In the month of April, we are hosting the Everyday 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness book Club on the podcast to celebrate 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: our newest release, We're So Glad You're here Today. The 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: author of our new book and mom of three, Christy Thomas, 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: will lead our devotion in prayer to challenge us and 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: encourage us on our journey to grow in gentleness. To 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: learn more about Christy, our new book, and the Million 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a brief word 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, will pray together for our children. 18 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 3: Today's devotion is for your whole family, following this month's 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,759 Speaker 3: topic of gentleness. It comes from the book written by 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 3: me Christy Thomas, called Fruitful one hundred Family experiences for 21 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 3: growing in the fruit of the spirit. This devotion is 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 3: being read for you by me, the author, and has 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 3: been used with permission from Kregal Publications. If you love it, 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 3: the full book with a hundred devotions is available wherever 25 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 3: books and ebooks are sold. Okay, grab your family and 26 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 3: let's start. Matthew five thirty nine to forty one says, 27 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 3: do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you 28 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 3: on the right cheek, offer the other cheek. Also, if 29 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 3: you are sued in court and your shirt is taken 30 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 3: from you, give your coat too. If a soldier demands 31 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 3: that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it 32 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 3: two miles. When I read those verses, did something inside 33 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 3: you think I can never do that. It feels like 34 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 3: weakness to us, doesn't it. No one likes to feel weak. 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 3: Wuld you believe me if I told you that what 36 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 3: Jesus taught in this passage is actually a show of power. 37 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: In Jesus' example of getting slapped on the cheek, a 38 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 3: weak person would crumple into a ball and cry in 39 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 3: the corner. A powerful person would slap back, maybe with 40 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 3: an extra punch thrown in. But it actually takes enormous 41 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 3: power and self confidence to stand tall, refuse to take revenge, 42 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 3: and turn the other cheek. In the Bible, Jesus is 43 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 3: called the Lion of Judah. He's powerful like a lion 44 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 3: and has the ability to immediately force every human being 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 3: to bow down and worship him, but he doesn't. Jesus 46 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 3: is also called the lamb because he willingly allowed his 47 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 3: enemy to slap him on the other cheek and nail 48 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 3: him to a cross. Jesus didn't go to the cross 49 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 3: because he was weak. He allowed himself to be killed 50 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 3: because he had a mission to accomplish. The apostle John 51 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 3: received a vision of heaven. He wrote in the Book 52 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 3: of Revelation, chapter five, verses eleven to twelve. I heard 53 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: the voice of thousands and millions of angels around the throne, 54 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 3: and of the living beings and the elders, and they 55 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 3: sang in a mighty chorus. Worthy is the lamb who 56 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 3: was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and 57 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 3: strength and honor and glory and blessing. You know, no 58 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 3: one worships a weakling. Jesus is not sometimes the lion 59 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 3: and sometimes the lamb. He is one hundred percent Lion 60 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: of Judah. He has always had the power to blast 61 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,640 Speaker 3: his enemies to smithereens, or turn our planet to dust 62 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 3: and start again. But because he is also one hundred 63 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 3: percent Lamb of God, he chose to turn the other 64 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,160 Speaker 3: cheek and allow his own death because he knew his 65 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 3: death and resurrection were the only way to a relationship 66 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 3: with you. 67 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 4: Every day, you have the choice to react out of weakness, power, 68 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 4: or gentleness. 69 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 3: Choosing gentleness isn't going to be easy. If someone slaps 70 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 3: me on the cheek, my first instinct won't be to 71 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: turn the other cheek. And honestly, I get it wrong 72 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 3: a lot of times, and so will you. We are 73 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 3: going to mess up. We'll act at a weakness or 74 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 3: pretend to be powerful instead of showing gentleness. But Jesus 75 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 3: walked the path of gentleness so you could be forgiven. 76 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 4: Even though that path is impossible for us to travel 77 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 4: on our own. Never forget that because of the sacrifice 78 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 4: of the Lamb of God, the incredible power of the 79 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 4: Lion of Judah lives inside you. I'm going to give 80 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 4: you a couple of discussion questions that you can talk about. 81 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 4: Feel free to pause this podcast and talk about them 82 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 4: before moving on to the next one, and then I'll 83 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 4: have a prayer for you after question one. Has anyone 84 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 4: ever slapped you or taken something from you or forced 85 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 4: you to do something? How did you respond? And then 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 4: you can ask Jesus for the power to choose gentleness 87 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 4: next time something like this happens. And the question too 88 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 4: is are there times when you sh didn't respond in gentleness? 89 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: See if you can think of an example. Let's pray together. Jesus, 90 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 3: you are lion and lamb, powerful and gentle. Please teach 91 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 3: us to use our power gently in Jesus name. Amen. 92 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: As part of our book called this Month, we are 93 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 2: making all of the wonderful perks of our paid Patreon 94 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: members available. 95 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: At the free tier. 96 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: That's right, The daily devotionals in written form, bonus materials, 97 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: special previews, and more free to you this month only. 98 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 2: See the link in our show notes are on our 99 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 2: website to get connected. Until next time, Friends, the Lord 100 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 2: bless you and keep you. Make his face shine upon you, 101 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 2: and be gracious to you. May the Lord look with 102 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: favor upon you and give you peace.