1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 2: You are listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 2: where we're dedicated to helping moms pray God's word for 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 2: their families in the areas they need it most. I'm 5 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 2: your host, Nicolette Bell. Over the last decade, we've helped 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: thousands of moms make prayer a priority for their families. 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 2: Our mission is to help you do the same. Prayer 8 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 2: is not a last resort. It's our first and best 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: response to the challenges of parenting, a partnership for the 10 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 2: hearts of our children that God invites us into. Today's 11 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: devotion is written and read by Brooke McLoughlin, founder of 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 2: Million Praying Moms and author of Everyday Prayers for Peace. 13 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: To learn more about Brooke or to learn more about 14 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 2: how you can get involved in the ministry of Million 15 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: Praying Moms, visit Today's show notes or Millionprayingmoms dot com. 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: After a word from our sponsors, will pray together for 17 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: our children. 18 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: Tewod Kings five fourteen. So Nayman went down and dipped 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: himself in the Jordans seven times, according to the command 20 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: of the Man of God. Then his skin was restored 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: and became like the skin of a small boy, and 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: he was clean. When I was in my early twenties, 23 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: I started working at my first full time job. Each morning, 24 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: before I had to be at work, I snuck off 25 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: to a local coffee shop that was in the basement 26 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: of a downtown building in historic Stanton, Virginia. It was 27 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: such a cool atmosphere for a young twenty something who 28 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: wasn't married yet and had no responsibility to anyone except herself. 29 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: Even my boyfriend who would later become my husband, lived 30 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: several hours away. It was really just me. During that time, 31 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 1: I studied passages like Proverbs three five through six, which 32 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: says trust in the Lord with all your heart, and 33 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: do not rely on your own understanding and all your ways. 34 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: Know Him and he will make your path straight, and 35 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: saw him thirty seven to four, which says take delight 36 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: in the Lord, and he will give you your art's desires. 37 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: And I began the process of learning what it meant 38 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: to let the Lord change my dreams and use me 39 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: in ways I had never thought of. And then I 40 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: got engaged and my future husband's job forced him to 41 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: move to a remote part of Virginia near the Richmond area. 42 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: I went with his parents to visit one weekend and 43 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 1: to help find a place for him to live, and 44 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: I was floored at what I saw. In a matter 45 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: of minutes, it was clear to me that I did 46 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: not want to live there after our wedding. It was 47 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 1: absolutely nothing like beautiful, historic Stanton, not even anything like 48 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: the pretty small town I grew up in. Worse, it 49 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: was five hours away from our parents. If there's anything 50 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,120 Speaker 1: we'd been accused of that as one hundred percent accurate. 51 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: It said. I'm a daddy's girl and he's a mama's boy. 52 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: Neither of us liked it. But as my mama told 53 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: me on the phone, Brooke, if you want to marry 54 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: that boy, that's where you're going to have to go. 55 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: One Sunday, when I was visiting the area once again 56 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: looking for a place to live after we got married, 57 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: I decided to attend a church service just over North 58 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: Carolina Line. I walked into vibrant worship and felt immediately 59 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: like I was supposed to be there. I don't know 60 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: if you've ever had the experience of just knowing a 61 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: sermon was meant for you, But that day, in a church, 62 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: I randomly picked out of the Yellow Page's phone book, 63 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: no smartphone or web pages to look at during those days. Friends, 64 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: the sermon was just for me. God met me that 65 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: morning in a powerful way through the preaching of his word. 66 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: The passage was a random one I'd never studied before 67 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: from the Old Testament. It told the story of a 68 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: decorated military leader with the misfortune of having leprosy. In 69 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: the story, a servant girl of Nayman's wife knew about 70 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: the prophet Elisha and believed Elisha could heal her mistress's husband. 71 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: So Naman took off to Israel, loaded down with gold, 72 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: silver and clothing to find his healing. And when our 73 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: man of honor, highly valued in his own country, arrived 74 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: at the door to Elisha's home, Elisha sent a messenger 75 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: to open the door to him and tell him what 76 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: to do. Naymon got mad, insulted. He had come with 77 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: a display of riches and wealth in his mind to 78 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: show honor and deference to Elisha, and what did he 79 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: get in return? A servant of Elisha's who told him 80 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: to go dip in a muddy river seven times. Second 81 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: King's five eleven tells us Nayman expected a ceremony fit 82 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: for his level of importance, where Elishah would stand and 83 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: call on the name of the Lord his God and 84 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: wave his hand over the place and cure the skin 85 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: disease washing in the muddy Jordan River when there were cleaner, 86 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: grander rivers in his own home that were more befitting 87 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: of his station. No thanks. Had it not been for 88 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: Namon's own servants begging him to go and do what 89 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: the prophet advised, to lower himself and choose God's way 90 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: of doing things over his own, he would have missed 91 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: the blessing. So, according to our verse for today, Namon 92 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: went down and dipped himself in the Jordans seven times 93 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 1: according to the command of the Man of God, and 94 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: then his skin was restored and became like the skin 95 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: of a small boy, and he was clean. I sat 96 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: in my chair alone in the middle of a church 97 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: full of people I had never met but would come 98 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: to love, and experienced a direct answer from God to me. 99 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: Marrying my husband meant dipping myself in a place I 100 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 1: saw a bit like the Jordan River, and if I didn't, 101 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: I would miss the blessing God had for me. There 102 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: have been other muddy rivers that God has metaphorically asked 103 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: me to dip in since that time, but each time 104 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: I've fought him on it, wanting my will more than 105 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: his own, and each time, though not without struggle, heartache, 106 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: and even loss, his will has been proven to be 107 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: better than mine. Praying to the God who runs the 108 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: entire universe and who created you requires the ability even 109 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: when it's hard to actually embrace the answer he gives you. 110 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: As Elizabeth Elliott said, how shall I pray Thy kingdom 111 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: come unless I hold the world to be his? To 112 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 1: begin with, Nayman was insulted by what he was asked 113 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: to do to be cured, and sometimes we react the 114 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: same way to what God asks of us, offended when 115 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: God doesn't do what we think best. Once again, the 116 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 1: answer to this issue is one of prayer. If you 117 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: see yourself in this story, maybe even as a mom 118 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: who feels like God has asked her to completely set 119 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: her own will aside for his pray, Like this, Lord, 120 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 1: I don't like the season of life you have me in, 121 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 1: and I don't understand why I have to be here. 122 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: I don't know why you won't make it easier, and 123 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: my pride is tempting me to take offense at what 124 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: you're asking me to do. Help me to see things 125 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: your way, Help me trust you in this moment, Help 126 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: me to believe you're good and that you're using this 127 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 1: time to do something in for and maybe even through me, 128 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 1: in Jesus' name. 129 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 2: Amen, Friends, we have completely revamped our Patreon tears. Now 130 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:48,040 Speaker 2: with a ten dollars monthly donation, you automatically receive our 131 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: favorite monthly downloadable prayer calendar of curated scripture inspired prayers 132 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 2: that complement the devotions and prayers from the podcast. You 133 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 2: also receive each day's devotion and prayer in written form, 134 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 2: including reflection questions to accompany your quiet time. Many of 135 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,239 Speaker 2: our members enjoy having the ability to read the day's 136 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 2: devotion or to save the prayer for future use. Lastly, 137 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 2: when you become a Praying Mom, you're invited to a 138 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 2: monthly mom chat with me and surprise guests from our 139 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 2: other Million Praying Mom authors. You can learn more in 140 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 2: today's show notes or at Millionprayingmoms dot com. Until next time, friends, 141 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 142 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the 143 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 2: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.