1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,620 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,210 --> 00:00:18,190 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:18,270 --> 00:00:20,750 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:20,910 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,600 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:26,700 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting. And every day we come 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:32,260 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:32,970 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: This week, our prayer focus is goodness as we are 9 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: continuing to pray through the nine fruit of the Spirit 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: in nine weeks here on the Everyday Prayers podcast. Today's 11 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,780 Speaker 2: devotion is written and read by Tara L. Cole, author 12 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,970 Speaker 2: of Everyday Prayers for the School Year, which is our 13 00:00:48,030 --> 00:00:51,169 Speaker 2: book club pick for the fall. In today's episode, Tara 14 00:00:51,210 --> 00:00:55,550 Speaker 2: shares a prayer about goodness for our children. To learn 15 00:00:55,570 --> 00:00:58,670 Speaker 2: more about Tara, our ministry, or to grab your copy 16 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:03,620 Speaker 2: of the book, visit millionprayingmoms.com. Especially for our podcast community, 17 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 2: click shop. Use the code FALL20 for 20% off your order. 18 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 2: After a quick word from our sponsors, we'll pray together 19 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:11,470 Speaker 2: for our children. 20 00:01:16,770 --> 00:01:20,270 Speaker 1: Luke 6, 45. The good person out of the good 21 00:01:20,330 --> 00:01:23,649 Speaker 1: treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person 22 00:01:23,810 --> 00:01:27,020 Speaker 1: out of his evil treasure produces evil. For out of 23 00:01:27,060 --> 00:01:31,050 Speaker 1: the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Goodness and 24 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,910 Speaker 1: kindness are two sides of the same coin. To help 25 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:36,490 Speaker 1: me see the difference, I think of kindness as actions 26 00:01:36,550 --> 00:01:40,790 Speaker 1: taken while goodness starts internally. Even those we know who 27 00:01:40,890 --> 00:01:44,100 Speaker 1: aren't Christians are capable of kindness. Anyone can say a 28 00:01:44,140 --> 00:01:46,700 Speaker 1: kind word, help someone with a task, or give to 29 00:01:46,740 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: someone a need. On the other hand, goodness is not 30 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,260 Speaker 1: just actions but a state of the heart. Luke 6 31 00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: provides us with verses that show the difference between these 32 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,770 Speaker 1: two concepts. Before Luke gets to our key verse for today, 33 00:01:59,890 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: he shows us what goodness looks like. First, it is 34 00:02:03,140 --> 00:02:06,060 Speaker 1: demonstrated in the actions of Jesus as he heals those 35 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: who come to him. Then Jesus gives practical application saying, 36 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 37 00:02:13,260 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 38 00:02:16,780 --> 00:02:21,220 Speaker 1: Luke 6, 27-28 What follows is a list of actions, 39 00:02:21,490 --> 00:02:24,770 Speaker 1: turning the other cheek, lending without expecting anything in return, 40 00:02:25,230 --> 00:02:28,299 Speaker 1: and giving to everyone who needs it. These ideas were 41 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,450 Speaker 1: revolutionary then and they still are today. True goodness goes 42 00:02:32,510 --> 00:02:35,410 Speaker 1: against the grain. It is a way of acting contrary 43 00:02:35,450 --> 00:02:38,430 Speaker 1: to what culture tells us is right or fair. I 44 00:02:38,530 --> 00:02:41,270 Speaker 1: love that Jesus doesn't simply say, do all these things 45 00:02:41,430 --> 00:02:44,130 Speaker 1: and leave it at that, because a list in Luke 46 00:02:44,130 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: 6 is almost as hard as the laws of the 47 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 1: Old Testament. So how do we teach our children to 48 00:02:49,180 --> 00:02:52,340 Speaker 1: grow in goodness? Jesus says it comes from the goods 49 00:02:52,380 --> 00:02:55,460 Speaker 1: stored in our hearts. To use an analogy, to get 50 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:57,419 Speaker 1: cookies out of my oven when my kids come home 51 00:02:57,460 --> 00:03:00,660 Speaker 1: from school, I first have to put cookies in. To 52 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: share the goodness of our hearts, we must first store 53 00:03:03,210 --> 00:03:07,650 Speaker 1: goodness inside. J.L. Gearheart writes in her book, Think Good, 54 00:03:08,190 --> 00:03:10,290 Speaker 1: If you want the Spirit to give you good thoughts, 55 00:03:10,630 --> 00:03:13,690 Speaker 1: give Him something to work with. We have to help 56 00:03:13,730 --> 00:03:15,870 Speaker 1: our kids fill up their hearts with goodness so that 57 00:03:15,910 --> 00:03:18,889 Speaker 1: they can share it. This takes a commitment of years. 58 00:03:19,470 --> 00:03:22,130 Speaker 1: For our family, it looks like praying together, listening to 59 00:03:22,169 --> 00:03:27,730 Speaker 1: Christian music, consistent Bible study, memorizing verses and choosing good movies, books, 60 00:03:27,930 --> 00:03:31,030 Speaker 1: video games and TV shows. I try to fill up 61 00:03:31,070 --> 00:03:33,579 Speaker 1: my children's minds with good things so that as they 62 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: get older, goodness is a soundtrack in the background of 63 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: their life. As you seek to fill up your kids 64 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: with goodness, start small. Choose just one of the ideas 65 00:03:42,900 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 1: above and start today. God can do a lot with 66 00:03:45,650 --> 00:03:51,180 Speaker 1: your little. Let's pray. Father, may our children store up 67 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,660 Speaker 1: good treasure in their heart and produce good fruit. In Jesus' name, amen. 68 00:03:56,620 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 2: As part of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and 69 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 2: everyday prayers for the school year book club, Tara Cole 70 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,060 Speaker 2: and I created a free car conversations guide for your 71 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: family to use this fall. The car is sometimes the 72 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 2: best place for our most precious conversations with our kids. 73 00:04:14,490 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 2: As we are praying through the fruit of the Spirit, 74 00:04:16,950 --> 00:04:20,310 Speaker 2: our hope is that you can have meaningful conversations with 75 00:04:20,390 --> 00:04:23,990 Speaker 2: your kids about what living out these fruit looks like 76 00:04:24,110 --> 00:04:26,930 Speaker 2: in their daily lives. Tara and I created a series 77 00:04:26,990 --> 00:04:29,390 Speaker 2: of quick questions. She wrote some for the older kids. 78 00:04:29,610 --> 00:04:31,890 Speaker 2: I wrote some for younger kids. And we share a 79 00:04:31,950 --> 00:04:35,010 Speaker 2: prayer that you can share with your children about each 80 00:04:35,089 --> 00:04:38,350 Speaker 2: of the fruit of the Spirit. Download your copy for 81 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:40,969 Speaker 2: free on our website or the link in our show notes. 82 00:04:41,690 --> 00:04:45,690 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends. The Lord bless you and keep you. 83 00:04:46,730 --> 00:04:49,630 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 84 00:04:50,370 --> 00:04:53,180 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 85 00:04:53,220 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: you peace.