1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written and read by Carol MacLeod, author 9 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 2: of her new book Today is a Verb. In today's episode, 10 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: Carol shares encouragement for us not to miss out on 11 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 2: what the Lord is doing this very day. To learn 12 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: more about Carol or the Million Praying Mom's ministry, visit 13 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find a link in our 14 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 2: show notes. After a quick word from our sponsors, we'll 15 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: pray together for our children. 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 3: But encourage one another day after day, as long as 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,399 Speaker 3: it is still called today, so that none of you 18 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 3: will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews Chapter three, 19 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 3: verse thirteen. If you can look at your calendar and 20 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 3: discern that it is today, then you are invited by 21 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 3: the Holy scriptures to use your tongue as a tool 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 3: of warm and sincere encouragement is it today, then your 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 3: assignment is easy and obvious. You get to be an encourager. 24 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 3: The word for encourage used in this unforgettable verse is 25 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: a compound of the words para and caalo. The word 26 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 3: para means alongside, and caleo means to call, to speak, 27 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 3: or to beckon. Therefore, the Greek word paracaleo can be 28 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 3: translated in this manner someone who has come closely alongside 29 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 3: another person to speak to him, console, comfort, or advise 30 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 3: when in doubt, Encourage someone. When a relationship is unraveling, 31 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 3: encourage this person. If someone has offended you, encourage this 32 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 3: person anyway. If someone is discouraged, choose to be an encourager. 33 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 3: Encourage those who are older than you are. Encourage someone 34 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 3: who is younger than you are. Look into a child's 35 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 3: face and tell this little one how simply amazing he 36 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 3: or she is. The verb tense utilized in this verse 37 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 3: calls for a continual action. Therefore, we are called to 38 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 3: a genuine lifestyle of encouragement. Encouragement is not just something 39 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 3: you do, but it is who you are to your 40 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 3: very core. Perhaps it would be helpful to understand why 41 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 3: the Lord equipped you with a tongue in your human body. 42 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 3: You were not given a tongue to spew forth negativity, 43 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 3: to criticize others, or to gossip. Our tongues were created 44 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 3: for three God given purposes. We were given a tongue 45 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 3: to praise the Lord every minute of every day. We 46 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 3: were given a tongue to declare the word and will 47 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 3: of God over our lives. And we were given a 48 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: tongue to encourage others. It is absurd to think we 49 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 3: would use a wrench to sign our names, isn't it. 50 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 3: Would you try to use a pair of scissors to 51 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 3: open a can of vegetables or a lawnmower to vacuum 52 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 3: our carpets. Perhaps it's just as preposterous to the Holy 53 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: Spirit when we use our tongues to spread a rumor 54 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 3: or as a weapon of intimidation. When our tongues are 55 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: solely used for their God given purpose, they become a 56 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:17,799 Speaker 3: powerful pen writing a beautiful story. It's not only your 57 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 3: tongue that must be used as an agent of encouragement, 58 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 3: but your heart must also be a deep well which 59 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 3: produces pure thoughts and loving words. When you feel judgment 60 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 3: stirring the waters of your heart. Make a quick decision 61 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 3: to bless that person instead. When the murky mud of 62 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 3: criticism endeavors to live in the cistern of your soul, 63 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 3: clear it away with the purity of scripture. You were 64 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 3: given a tongue to encourage others and a heart with 65 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 3: which to love others. We should never use these two 66 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 3: crucial components for any other purpose at all. If you 67 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 3: are feeling as if you are the one who needs 68 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 3: to be encouraged, let me challenge you to be the 69 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 3: encourager instead. When you encourage someone verbally, financially, or by 70 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 3: serving this person, your endorphin levels will rise. Endorphins are 71 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 3: the hormones which help you to battle depression, discouragement, and 72 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 3: emotional malaise. As you choose to encourage someone, the blessing 73 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 3: will come back to you in generous amounts. When your 74 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: lifestyle of encouragement collides with someone who is lonely or disheartened, 75 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 3: you will change the very atmosphere of their life. You 76 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 3: will usher health and healing into the atmosphere that surrounds them. 77 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 3: You will be giving to them the oxygen of hope 78 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 3: and restored joy. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for giving 79 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 3: me a tongue and a heart. Help me to use 80 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 3: both these tools as agents of encouragement and love. You 81 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 3: have the best ideas, Jesus, and I want to partner 82 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 3: with you in your amazing plan for my life. I 83 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 3: will embrace the role of being an encourager as my lifestyle. 84 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 3: In your name, I pray Amen. 85 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 2: May is the month to celebrate moms and we've updated 86 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: our mom shop just in time with some. 87 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: Of our favorite resources. 88 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 2: Be sure to check out our updated shop at Million 89 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,160 Speaker 2: Prayingmoms dot com, forward slash Shop, or click shop from 90 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 2: our homepage. 91 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: Until next time. 92 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: Friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his 93 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 2: face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May 94 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 2: the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.