1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: In the month of April, we are hosting the Everyday 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness book Club on the podcast to celebrate 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: our newest release, We're So Glad you're here today. The 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 2: author of our new book and mom of three, Christy Thomas, 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: will lead our devotion in prayer to challenge us and 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: encourage us on our journey to grow in gentleness. To 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: learn more about Christy, our new book, and the Million 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a brief word 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our children. 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 3: Galatians five fourteen to fifteen says for the whole law 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 3: is fulfilled in one word. You shall love your neighbor 20 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 3: as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, 21 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 3: watch out that you are not consumed by one another. 22 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 3: When my sister was in high school, she conducted an 23 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 3: experiment with mice. Much to my mother's chagrin, she brought 24 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,320 Speaker 3: them home for several days. One morning we woke up 25 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 3: to a gruesome site. Some of the mice had eaten 26 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 3: the head of one of our cage mates. I told 27 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 3: you it was gruesome when I read Galatians five point fifteen. 28 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: I remember those mice. 29 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 3: If you bite and devour one another, watch out, or 30 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 3: you will be consumed by one another. It certainly gives 31 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 3: new meaning to the phrase don't bite my head off. 32 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 3: How often do we metaphorically bite and devour one another? Though? 33 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 3: When we hunt for and call out any hint of 34 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 3: heresy or hypocrisy and the Christian leaders we follow online, 35 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 3: we bite and devour our brothers and sisters in Christ. 36 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 3: When we nitpick at our kids for everything, we bite 37 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 3: and devour them. When we nag our husbands or bicker 38 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 3: with our mothers in law, we bite and devour. When 39 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 3: we do this, we need to watch out, because we're 40 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 3: doing the exact opposite of Christ's command to love our 41 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 3: neighbors as ourselves. Gentleness as a practical act of love 42 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 3: is often contrasted with being quarrelsome in the New Testament letters, 43 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 3: instead of living like caged mice constantly on the verge 44 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 3: of biting off someone's head in a fight, we can 45 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 3: choose to practice gentleness. As James reminds us in James one, 46 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 3: nineteen and twenty, everyone should be quick to listen, slow 47 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 3: to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does 48 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 3: not accomplish God's righteousness. For some of us, keeping our 49 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 3: mouths closed is the ultimate act of love, helping us 50 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 3: to hold back a biting word for the sake of 51 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 3: someone else. This is one way to live out Christ's 52 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 3: centered gentleness in a world drowning in venomous words. Refusing 53 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,800 Speaker 3: to quarrel isn't easy, but it is possible. Genesis twenty 54 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 3: six fourteen to twenty two records a moment in time 55 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 3: when the Philistines were so jealous of Isaac's immense wealth 56 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 3: that they filled his father Abraham's old wells with dirt 57 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,679 Speaker 3: while he was away. When Isaac returned, he reopened the 58 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 3: wells and also had his servants dig in the valley, 59 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 3: where they came upon a well of spring water. But 60 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 3: the herdsman living there. 61 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: Said the water is ours. 62 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 3: Isaac was very wealthy and could have fought back, but 63 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 3: instead he named the well argument and walked away from it. 64 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 3: He dug another well. The same herdsman quarreled with him 65 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 3: over that well, too, so he named this one hostility 66 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 3: and walked away again. Finally, after digging a third well, 67 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 3: the local herdsman left him alone. Instead of feeling like 68 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 3: a door mat, Isaac praised God and named his third 69 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 3: well open spaces, saying in Genesis twenty six twenty two, 70 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 3: for now the Lord has made space for us, and 71 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 3: we will be fruitful in the land. Isaac walked away 72 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 3: from those who wanted to quarrel with him, and God 73 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 3: rewarded him with peace. Isaac trusted God to bring justice 74 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 3: in this situation, choosing to allow God to fight for 75 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 3: him instead of quarreling over the wells. Sometimes we don't 76 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 3: intend to be quarrelsome it seemed constantly embroiled in arguments 77 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 3: against our will, said Timothy two twenty three to twenty six. 78 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 3: Gives us some insight on how to walk away from quarrels, 79 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 3: what to do instead, and what God can do with 80 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 3: our gentle responses, it says, but reject foolish and ignorant 81 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 3: disputes because you know that they breed quarrels. The Lord's 82 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 3: servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, 83 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 3: able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. 84 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 3: Perhaps God will grant them repentance, leading them to the 85 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 3: knowledge of the truth. Then they may come to their 86 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 3: senses and escape the trap of the devil who has 87 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 3: taken them captive to do his will. Notice that Paul 88 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,119 Speaker 3: is urging Timothy to give others a double helping of gentleness, 89 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 3: it says. The Lord's servant must not quarrel, but be 90 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: gentle to everyone, instructing his opponents with gentleness. In this way, 91 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 3: his listeners will hopefully repent. And No, Christ, isn't this 92 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 3: our ultimate goal in life, to help others come to 93 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 3: their senses and escape the drap of this devil. Suddenly 94 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 3: making the choice to step out of quarrels and into 95 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 3: gentleness seems like a small price to pay for the 96 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 3: freedom of my friends and family. 97 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: Let's pray. 98 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 3: Jesus, I am so sorry for all the times I've 99 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: willingly participated. 100 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: In a quarrel. 101 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 3: Please help me to stop biting and devouring those around 102 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 3: me and choose to love my neighbor as myself instead. 103 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 3: I'm really going to need your help with this. In Jesus' name, Ama. 104 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 2: As part of our book called this Month, we are 105 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 2: making all of the wonderful perks of our paid Patreon 106 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: members available at the free tier. That's right, The daily 107 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 2: devotionals in written form, bonus materials, special previews, and more 108 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 2: free to you this month only. See the link in 109 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 2: Our show notes are on our website to get connected. 110 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,599 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 111 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 2: Make his face shut up upon you, and be gracious 112 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 2: to you. May the Lord look with favor upon you 113 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: and give you peace.