1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms helping 3 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,160 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written and read by Doris Swift, author 9 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: of the Bible study Surrender the Joy Stealers Rediscover the 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 2: Jesus Joy in you. In today's episode, Doris shares about 11 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 2: longing to belong. We've all been there, haven't we, and 12 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: it's something we often see our children struggle with as well. 13 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 2: To learn more about Doris or the Million Praying Mom's ministry, 14 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find a link in 15 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: our show notes. After a quick word from our sponsors, 16 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 2: we'll pray together for our children. 17 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 3: I'm the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in 18 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 3: me and I and him he it is that bears 19 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 3: much fruit for Apart from me, you can do nothing. 20 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 3: John fifteen five. A light rain turned to Wrenchell as 21 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: I drove home from work several years ago. As I 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 3: approached an intersection I driven through hundreds of times. I 23 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 3: panicked when the light turned yellow, and instead of sailing 24 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 3: through it, I hit the brakes. My blue Plymouth Belorure 25 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 3: skated across the center line. The tire treads no match 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 3: for the slick pavement. 27 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: How does that go? 28 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 3: Steer into the skid or away from it? It happened 29 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 3: so fast, and as much as I tried, I couldn't 30 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 3: gain control. I hidroplanes sideways toward the car on my 31 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 3: left and braced myself for impact. Then something miraculous happened. 32 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 3: Instead of crashing into that poor sitting duck on my left, 33 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: my valaries swerved right at the last second and missed 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: a collision by a hair. I have no doubt divine 35 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: intervention carried me through that intersection to the other side 36 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,359 Speaker 3: without so much as a scratch to my car or 37 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 3: anyone else's. I thank the Lord all the way home. 38 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: Just like my out of control hydroplanning car, joy stealers 39 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,399 Speaker 3: can threaten to overtake us, making us swerve in all directions. 40 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 3: They tell us to white knuckle the wheel and try 41 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 3: steering our own lives until things go awry, and then 42 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 3: they tell us we're the ones out of control. Those 43 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 3: life draining events threatening to steal our joy can attempt 44 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 3: to derail us like a runaway train or a hydro 45 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 3: planning car on wet pavement. Here's the good news. Jesus 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 3: has the answer to this whole controlling thing, and we 47 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 3: need not feel out of control because control is not 48 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,119 Speaker 3: our role. It's his. Jesus establishes our role in John fifteen. 49 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 3: He is the vine and we are the branches. Isn't 50 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 3: that refreshing? Still, as moms, we can sometimes struggle with 51 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: the letting go of control. Amen. Gripping the wheel of 52 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 3: life tightly and trying to control outcomes is a slippery slope. 53 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 3: And do you know how that slippery slope slide happens 54 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 3: when we don't realize we're trying to control everything. I 55 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 3: never considered myself the controlling type. I don't have a 56 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 3: take charge personality, and God bless those who do, but 57 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 3: I don't. This is what I do have, the desire 58 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 3: to make everyone else's lives better. As women, we have 59 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 3: been blessed with the gift of nurturing. Not every woman 60 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 3: nurtures the same way, and that's okay. But if we're 61 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 3: not careful, the positive trait of nurturing can turn into 62 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 3: people pleasing as quickly as we can say oh snap. 63 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 3: I used to be the girl picking up the slack 64 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 3: and saying yes before considering whether God wanted me to 65 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 3: say us, because perhaps he wanted me to say no. 66 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: I confuse my people pleasing ways with serving others, which 67 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 3: can be a form of control. What I was doing 68 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: was controlling my life by putting myself last on every level. 69 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 3: I wanted to keep everything peaceful and running smoothly. That 70 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: can wear a person out. You two, have you ever 71 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 3: struggled with keeping all the balls in the air and 72 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 3: all the plates spinning? Here's a dose of encouragement for you. 73 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 3: Control is not your job or mine, and it's okay 74 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 3: if one of those plates crashes to the floor. Perhaps 75 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 3: it's a plate we were never meant to spin in 76 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 3: the first place. So how do we release our need 77 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 3: to control? Surrender? But what does surrendering truly, totally and 78 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 3: completely mean. Do we wave a white flag, crawl under 79 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 3: our beds and defeat? On the contrary, surrender equals victory, 80 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 3: not defeat. When our active surrender is to God. Let's pray. 81 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 3: Dear Lord, thank you for reminding us that you are 82 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 3: the vine and we the branches. Help us to abide 83 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 3: in you daily, and to remember it's not our role 84 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: to control, and apart from you, we can do nothing. 85 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,679 Speaker 3: May we bear much fruit, be a light that shines brightly, 86 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 3: say yes when the yes is meant for us, and 87 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 3: allow your joy in us to overflow and pour out 88 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 3: over our families as we surrender all to you in 89 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 3: Jesus's name. Amen. 90 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: May is the month to celebrate moms and we've updated 91 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 2: our mom shop just in time with some of our 92 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 2: favorite resources. Be sure to check out our updated shop 93 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 2: at Million Prayingmoms dot com, forward slash Shop, or click 94 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,679 Speaker 2: shop from our homepage. Until next time, friends, the Lord 95 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 2: bless you and keep you. Make his face shine upon 96 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 2: you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look 97 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 2: with favor on you and give you peace.