1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms helping 3 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, nico Lette Bell. 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: first and best response in parenting, and every day we 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 2: come together to partner with God for the hearts of 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 2: our children. Today's devotion is written and read by Tara L. Cole, 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 2: author of Abide Forty Ways to focus on Jesus Daily 10 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: and everyday prayers for the school year. Today, Tara shares 11 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 2: a vulnerable moment from her early years of motherhood and 12 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 2: a prayer to move our weariness to worship. 13 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: To learn more about. 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: Tara or the ministry of Million Praying Moms, visit Millionprayingmoms 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: dot com. 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: There's a link in our show news. 17 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: After a quick word from our sponsors, we'll pray together 18 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: for our children. 19 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 3: John fifteen one four through five. I am the true vine, 20 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 3: and my father is the vine dresser. Abide in me 21 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 3: and I in you. As a branch cannot be a 22 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 3: fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither 23 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 3: can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine. 24 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 3: You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I 25 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 3: in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For 26 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 3: Apart from me, you can do nothing. One morning this week, 27 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 3: I woke up weary. It was my middle son's birthday, 28 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 3: and I felt like the day should be focused on him, 29 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 3: but my attitude was one of defeat. I even wrote 30 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 3: my journal, Father, I'm so tired. I was tired of 31 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 3: handling the kids by myself. I was tired of the 32 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 3: messes in the house that never seemed to go away. 33 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 3: I was tired of late nights to finish up projects. 34 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 3: I was tired of a summer work schedule that was 35 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 3: harder than I planned. I was tired of dropping my 36 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 3: boys off at summer camp on the way to work, 37 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 3: and the gill it brought every single time. I was 38 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 3: bone weary. So that morning, as I had my regular 39 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: morning quiet time, I sat there on my porch swing 40 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 3: and told God all about it. Then I got up 41 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 3: to get my boys ready for the day. Throughout my day, 42 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 3: Gog showed up in my prayer journal. He reminded me 43 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 3: that He's there in our tired messes. While reading the 44 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 3: book Abiding in Christ. God reminded me that it only 45 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 3: takes faith to abide. He does all the work. Listening 46 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 3: to music on the way to take the boys a 47 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,560 Speaker 3: summer camp, he reminded all of us that he's the 48 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 3: name that saves. On the drive to work. 49 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: Through the at home. 50 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 3: Mesallian Friends podcasts, God reminded me that I needed to 51 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 3: take more time for my friends and to expect miracles. 52 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 3: These reminders pointed me to the five ways to abide 53 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 3: that can really transform my days. When I'm struggling to 54 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 3: figure out what it means to lean into Jesus, to trust, gog, 55 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 3: and to abide, I find these five things give me 56 00:02:56,840 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 3: a good starting place. Number one prayer. It always begins 57 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 3: with prayer. God wants to help. He knows we can't 58 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 3: abide on our own. In John fifteen one through five, 59 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 3: that says He is the vine dresser and we can 60 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 3: do nothing without him. God cares for us just as 61 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 3: much as he ever cared for Jesus. Turning to him 62 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 3: in prayer to ask for help and praying throughout our 63 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 3: days helps us to stay connected to the vine and abide. 64 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 3: Number two the word we can't know someone we've never 65 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 3: taken time to learn about. Opening God's word helps us 66 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 3: to learn more about his character and how to live 67 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 3: in relationship with Jesus. It teaches us how much he 68 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: longs to help us and how we should treat each other. 69 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 3: It reminds us of our purpose and encourages us on 70 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 3: hard days. If we never open His word, we're losing 71 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: out on one of our biggest lifelines. Number three worship. 72 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 3: Worship requires sacrifice. It requires us to put someone else 73 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 3: first and to acknowledge that we're not the center of 74 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 3: our universe in hard times, it requires a sacrifice of praise, 75 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: reminding us to trust God even though we can't see. 76 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 3: When choosing to worship God, even when I want to 77 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 3: give up while my attitude is begging for chocolate in 78 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 3: a huge bag of chips, when the anxiety and depression 79 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 3: threatened overwhelm, it takes a sacrifice to choose faith and 80 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 3: worship over fear. Number four Community. We can't abide in 81 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 3: Jesus alone. As First Corinthians twelve explains, we are all 82 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 3: part of one body and we need each other. My 83 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: friend's prayers have often carried me through a hard day, week, 84 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 3: or month. Wise words from a mentor or author have 85 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 3: guided my way when I felt lost. Time with friends 86 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 3: has helped turn a week around. It can be hard 87 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 3: to reach out to others and build relationships during our busy, 88 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 3: busy lives, but it is worth it. Number five service 89 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 3: We were never meant to hoard our relationship with Jesus. 90 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 3: The first command is to love God in Mark twelve thirty, 91 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 3: and the very next is to love our neighbors of 92 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 3: ourselves in verse thirty one. There are many ways to 93 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 3: serve others, from writing a note, taking a meal, helping 94 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 3: with housework, babysitting kids. It really means just feeling the 95 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 3: need we see. If you're struggling with service, ask God 96 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 3: to open your eyes to those around you and give 97 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 3: you a heart to fill those needs. He loves to 98 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: answer those types of prayers. By the time I picked 99 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 3: the boys up that afternoon, I was in a much 100 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 3: better frame of mind and was able to celebrate my 101 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 3: sons instead of drowning in my weariness. Though I was 102 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,360 Speaker 3: still tired, I was no longer weary. I was reminded 103 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:29,799 Speaker 3: that even though I can't handle everything on my plate, 104 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 3: God can. I just need to lean into Him and 105 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 3: have faith He'll come through let's pray. Father, thank you 106 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 3: so much for seeking a relationship with us and reaching 107 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 3: out towards us first. Please move our weariness to worship. 108 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: Remind us of all you've done. Help us to remember 109 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 3: your character when the days are long. Please open our 110 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 3: eyes to all the ways we can abide in you 111 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 3: throughout our days. Thank you for your presence in our lives. 112 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 3: In Jesus name, amen. 113 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: I hope you're planning to join us for our summer 114 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 2: book club beginning on June fifteenth. Head to the homepage 115 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,679 Speaker 2: to our website to find out more. Until next time, friends, 116 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 2: May the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his 117 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 2: face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May 118 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,159 Speaker 2: the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.