1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million 2 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, helping you pray God's word for your family 3 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: in the areas you need it most. I'm your host, 4 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: Nicolette Bell. Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. 5 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: It's our first and best response in parenting, and every 6 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: day we come together to partner with God for the 7 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: hearts of our children. This fall, we are praying through 8 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 1: the Nine of the Spirit in nine weeks using devotions 9 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: adapted from our Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's prayer 10 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: focus is peace. How we all long for peace in 11 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: our own lives, in the lives of our children, in 12 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: our households, and in the world. Today's devotion about peace 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: is written and read by Tara L. Cole, author of 14 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: Everyday Prayers for This School Year, which is our book 15 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: club pick for the Fall. In today's ap so, Tara 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: shares a prayer for our children to know peace that 17 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: comes from God alone, exerted from her devotional. To learn 18 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: more about Tara our ministry, or to grab your copy 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,639 Speaker 1: of the book, visit Millionpraying Moms dot com click shop. 20 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: Use the code Fall twenty for all of our podcast 21 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: listeners for twenty percent off your order. After a quick 22 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our children. 23 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 2: Isaiah twenty six y three. You keep him a perfect 24 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 2: peace whose mind has stayed on you because he trusts 25 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: in you. Peace is a choice. My grandmother recently told 26 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: me that when my uncle was young, he got into 27 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: an argument with the boy next door. It was enough 28 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 2: of a conflict that the other mother got involved, and 29 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 2: she was pretty upset. The next day, Grammy collected some 30 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: fruit she had just bought and knocked on the neighbor's door. 31 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: She didn't mention the conflict. She just held out the 32 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 2: fruit and said, I just thought your son might enjoy 33 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 2: some bananas. The other mother looked shocked and accepted the fruit. 34 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 2: After that, she would wave when she saw Grammy and 35 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 2: their families got along. Learning to get along with others 36 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 2: is a choice. Our karate instructor once told my boys, 37 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 2: there is no conflict until there is a reaction. My 38 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: grandmother could have reacted poorly that day and let the 39 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: children's conflict become an adult conflict. She had the choice 40 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 2: to take up my uncle's side and go set the 41 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 2: record straight, but she chose peace instead. Jesus frequently chose 42 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: peace instead of violence. In John ten, he is in 43 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: Jerusalem and the people have asked him to tell them 44 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: straight out if he is a messiah or not. He 45 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: instead refers to the work he's done in my Father's name, 46 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: John ten, twenty five. The people are enraged and get 47 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: ready to stone him. Instead of defending himself, Jesus asks 48 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 2: them more questions and eventually walks away. He could have 49 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 2: defended himself physically, he could have justified himself verbally. Instead, 50 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: he asks questions and again refers them to the work 51 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: he is doing. Our kids have many opportunities to choose 52 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: peace too. So often the conflicts they find themselves in 53 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 2: with their siblings, friends, or classmates could have been stopped 54 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: if one of the parties chose to react differently by 55 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 2: choosing peace. Choosing peace is not easy, and Psalm twenty 56 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: nine to eleven we learn that peace is a blessing 57 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 2: from God. Then in Ephesians too, we learn that Jesus 58 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 2: is our peace from verse fourteen and has reconciled us 59 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 2: to God verse sixteen. Our kids trust Jesus and accept 60 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 2: God's gift of peace once they become Christians, but then 61 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: they have the daily choice to accept His gift of 62 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 2: peace too. Daily peace is harder and means trusting God 63 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: and being kind even if they want vengeance, And means 64 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: trusting God and doing the right thing, even if that 65 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 2: choice isn't popular. Sometimes it means trusting God and walking 66 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: away even when they want to defend themselves. As always, 67 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 2: it starts with prayer. Choosing a peaceful path doesn't come naturally. 68 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: It isn't easy without the supernatural strength of God's Spirit 69 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: working in our children's hearts and lives. But with God, 70 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: how peace is possible. Let's pray may our children trust 71 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 2: God and choose peace in Jesus name. Amen. 72 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: As part of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and 73 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,400 Speaker 1: everyday prayers for the school Year book Club, Tarah Cole 74 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: and I created a free car conversations guide for your 75 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: family to use this fall. The car is sometimes the 76 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: best place for our most precious conversations with our kids 77 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: as we are praying through the Fruit of the Spirit. 78 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: Our hope is that you can have meaningful conversations with 79 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: your kids about what living out these fruit looks like 80 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: in their daily lives. Tara and I created a series 81 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: of quick questions. She wrote some for the older kids, 82 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 1: I wrote some for younger kids. And we share a 83 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: prayer that you can share with your children about each 84 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: of the fruit of the Spirit. Download your copy for 85 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 1: free on our website or the link in our show notes. 86 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 87 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: Make face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 88 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 89 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: you peace.