1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:18,070 Speaker 1: Life Audio You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:18,110 --> 00:00:20,450 Speaker 1: helping you pray God's Word for your family in the 3 00:00:20,550 --> 00:00:23,930 Speaker 1: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 4 00:00:24,050 --> 00:00:27,330 Speaker 1: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 5 00:00:27,470 --> 00:00:30,700 Speaker 1: and best response in parenting. And every day we come 6 00:00:30,750 --> 00:00:33,410 Speaker 1: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 7 00:00:34,010 --> 00:00:36,350 Speaker 1: This fall, we are praying through the nine fruit of 8 00:00:36,390 --> 00:00:39,790 Speaker 1: the Spirit in nine weeks using devotions adapted from our 9 00:00:39,850 --> 00:00:45,390 Speaker 1: Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's prayer focus is kindness. Kindness, 10 00:00:45,450 --> 00:00:47,970 Speaker 1: something we talk about all the time in my home, 11 00:00:48,330 --> 00:00:51,730 Speaker 1: having kind words and kind actions to those around us. 12 00:00:51,750 --> 00:00:54,690 Speaker 1: It's such an important thing to teach our children as 13 00:00:54,730 --> 00:00:56,890 Speaker 1: we send them out into the world to be the 14 00:00:56,950 --> 00:01:00,090 Speaker 1: light of Christ. Today's devotion is written and read by me, 15 00:01:00,340 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: excerpted from my new book releasing in October, Everyday Prayers 16 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: for Moms, now available for pre-order wherever books are sold. 17 00:01:07,660 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: To learn more about our ministry or to grab copies 18 00:01:10,140 --> 00:01:16,630 Speaker 1: of our Everyday Prayers devotional series, visit millionprayingmoms.com. If you 19 00:01:16,650 --> 00:01:19,750 Speaker 1: click shop, you can use the code FALL20 for 20% 20 00:01:19,750 --> 00:01:22,429 Speaker 1: off your order. After a quick word from our sponsors, 21 00:01:22,670 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: we'll pray together for our children. Day 26. Praying produces kindness. 22 00:01:32,380 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as 23 00:01:36,660 --> 00:01:42,730 Speaker 1: God and Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4.32. Kindness can show 24 00:01:42,890 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: up in many forms. Have you ever experienced something unexpected 25 00:01:47,940 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: in thought? How incredibly kind! As I am writing this manuscript, 26 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,990 Speaker 1: a neighbor who I don't know very well dropped off 27 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:59,990 Speaker 1: gluten-free sugar cookies from her bakery for me to sample. 28 00:02:00,830 --> 00:02:03,610 Speaker 1: I think I casually mentioned one day that I had 29 00:02:03,630 --> 00:02:07,370 Speaker 1: a gluten allergy in a conversation with other neighbors. As 30 00:02:07,470 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: I enjoyed the buttery soft, not crumbly, and closest tasting 31 00:02:12,220 --> 00:02:14,220 Speaker 1: thing that I've had to a real sugar cookie in 32 00:02:14,220 --> 00:02:18,139 Speaker 1: 10 years, I had one thought. What a thoughtful and 33 00:02:18,260 --> 00:02:24,460 Speaker 1: kind surprise. Kindness is not complicated, but true kindness can 34 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: be hard to live out. Kindness requires slowing down to 35 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: really see those around us and selflessness to think of 36 00:02:33,419 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: someone before you think of yourself. In Ephesians 4, Paul 37 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,700 Speaker 1: is describing what life in the Spirit looks like. He 38 00:02:40,740 --> 00:02:44,290 Speaker 1: tells the believers to put off your old self in 39 00:02:44,330 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: verse 22 and to put on the new self He 40 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:54,980 Speaker 1: ends the chapter with our key verse for the day, 41 00:02:55,580 --> 00:02:59,470 Speaker 1: urging the believers to be kind to one another, forgiving 42 00:02:59,610 --> 00:03:03,250 Speaker 1: one another. According to this verse, one of the ways 43 00:03:03,310 --> 00:03:06,850 Speaker 1: we can show kindness is through forgiveness. I don't know 44 00:03:06,889 --> 00:03:10,130 Speaker 1: about you, but when I think of kindness, forgiveness isn't 45 00:03:10,250 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: the first thing that comes to mind. Kindness can be 46 00:03:13,860 --> 00:03:16,590 Speaker 1: as simple as sharing a smile or a cookie, Or 47 00:03:16,650 --> 00:03:19,470 Speaker 1: it can be as deep as forgiving someone who hurt you. 48 00:03:20,610 --> 00:03:23,410 Speaker 1: Another way scripture teaches us to show kindness is how 49 00:03:23,460 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 1: we speak and interact with those around us. Paul's instructions 50 00:03:28,500 --> 00:03:30,980 Speaker 1: give us an easy way to measure the kindness of 51 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: our words. Just before our opening verse, he writes, Do 52 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,620 Speaker 1: not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, 53 00:03:39,180 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: but only what is helpful for building others up according 54 00:03:42,820 --> 00:03:45,700 Speaker 1: to their needs that it may benefit those who listen. 55 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,750 Speaker 1: Ephesians 4, 29. I like to ask myself two questions 56 00:03:50,830 --> 00:03:54,290 Speaker 1: based on this verse. I try to pause before I 57 00:03:54,350 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: speak and ask myself, one, is this helpful? Two, will 58 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,380 Speaker 1: this benefit those who listen? If the answer to either 59 00:04:04,620 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: question is no, I should rethink what I'm going to 60 00:04:08,620 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: say or maybe not say anything at all. One of 61 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,380 Speaker 1: my favorite verses on kindness also deals with our words 62 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: and is found in Proverbs 16, 24, which says, After 63 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,300 Speaker 1: I used this as a memory verse with my daughter 64 00:04:27,380 --> 00:04:29,979 Speaker 1: and we talked about it, I had her taste honey 65 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: on a spoon. Now we have this scripture on a 66 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,500 Speaker 1: sign in our home to remind us all to use 67 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,140 Speaker 1: our kind words with one another. We aren't perfect at it, 68 00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:44,140 Speaker 1: but we're trying. Something to think about. I'm convinced that 69 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: our kindness to a hurting world will help people see Jesus. 70 00:04:49,020 --> 00:04:52,580 Speaker 1: What would happen if we began to intentionally show kindness 71 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,010 Speaker 1: in unexpected places? Maybe we could be kind to the 72 00:04:56,029 --> 00:04:59,590 Speaker 1: telemarketer who is extremely hard to deal with, or to 73 00:04:59,610 --> 00:05:02,610 Speaker 1: the person who cuts you off in traffic, or maybe 74 00:05:02,650 --> 00:05:05,430 Speaker 1: to your child's teacher who you aren't seeing eye-to-eye with. 75 00:05:06,130 --> 00:05:10,860 Speaker 1: In Romans 2.4, Paul writes, God's kindness is meant to 76 00:05:10,980 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: lead you to repentance. If we are to be representatives 77 00:05:14,620 --> 00:05:17,470 Speaker 1: of Christ in the world, how are we showing His 78 00:05:17,589 --> 00:05:21,210 Speaker 1: radical kindness to the people around us, especially those in 79 00:05:21,290 --> 00:05:24,050 Speaker 1: our homes? Do we hold grudges or are we quick 80 00:05:24,089 --> 00:05:27,950 Speaker 1: to forgive? The fruit is more than just acts of kindness. 81 00:05:28,550 --> 00:05:32,700 Speaker 1: Kind actions are certainly part of biblical kindness, but when 82 00:05:32,740 --> 00:05:36,660 Speaker 1: we abide in the vine, we gain kindness within our spirit. 83 00:05:37,100 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: and it becomes deeper. Like the other fruit of the 84 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: Spirit we've discussed, we can't just try harder in the 85 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:48,330 Speaker 1: kindness department. Our kindness comes from receiving God's kindness and 86 00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:51,630 Speaker 1: walking in step with His Spirit. When we show our 87 00:05:51,730 --> 00:05:56,270 Speaker 1: children kindness in unexpected ways, we are revealing to them 88 00:05:56,510 --> 00:06:01,390 Speaker 1: the very heart of God. Let's pray. Father, help me 89 00:06:01,450 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: to receive your kindness today. Remind me to abide in you, 90 00:06:06,420 --> 00:06:09,620 Speaker 1: for apart from you I can do nothing. In all 91 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,170 Speaker 1: my interactions, help me to use kind words like honey, 92 00:06:13,850 --> 00:06:17,669 Speaker 1: sweet to the soul and helpful to the body. May 93 00:06:17,770 --> 00:06:20,650 Speaker 1: I be a witness of your kindness to my children. 94 00:06:21,650 --> 00:06:24,610 Speaker 1: Draw them near to you with your kindness that leads 95 00:06:24,670 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: them to repentance. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. As part 96 00:06:28,980 --> 00:06:31,460 Speaker 1: of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and everyday prayers 97 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,850 Speaker 1: for the school year book club, Tara Cole and I 98 00:06:34,930 --> 00:06:38,630 Speaker 1: created a free car conversations guide for your family to 99 00:06:38,850 --> 00:06:42,469 Speaker 1: use this fall. The car is sometimes the best place 100 00:06:42,550 --> 00:06:46,770 Speaker 1: for our most precious conversations with our kids. As we 101 00:06:46,830 --> 00:06:49,510 Speaker 1: are praying through the Fruit of the Spirit, our hope 102 00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:53,010 Speaker 1: is that you can have meaningful conversations with your kids 103 00:06:53,430 --> 00:06:56,409 Speaker 1: about what living out these fruit looks like in their 104 00:06:56,450 --> 00:06:59,849 Speaker 1: daily lives. Tara and I created a series of quick questions. 105 00:07:00,010 --> 00:07:02,130 Speaker 1: She wrote some for the older kids. I wrote some 106 00:07:02,170 --> 00:07:05,050 Speaker 1: for younger kids. And we share a prayer that you 107 00:07:05,089 --> 00:07:07,610 Speaker 1: can share with your children about each of the fruit 108 00:07:07,650 --> 00:07:11,130 Speaker 1: of the Spirit. Download your copy for free on our 109 00:07:11,150 --> 00:07:14,830 Speaker 1: website or the link in our show notes. Until next time, friends, 110 00:07:15,610 --> 00:07:19,350 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face 111 00:07:19,410 --> 00:07:22,650 Speaker 1: shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the 112 00:07:22,710 --> 00:07:25,830 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.