1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:31,400 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 1: Today's devotion is written and read by me. 9 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: It is part of an excerpt coming from a book 10 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 2: I collaborated on Jesus among Us walking with Him in 11 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: his ministry and miracles, part of the Life along the 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 2: Way series by journey Wise. To find out more about 13 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: Life along the Way or to learn more about the 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: ministry of Million Praying Moms, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. 15 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: You'll find a link in our show notes. 16 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: After a quick word from our sponsors, will pray together 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 2: for our families, John six twenty two through forty. The 18 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 2: next day, the crowd that had stayed on the far 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, 20 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. Several 21 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: boats from Tiberius landed near the place where the Lord 22 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: had blessed. 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: The bread and the people had eaten. 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 2: So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: disciples were there, they got into the boat and went 26 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him 27 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 2: on the other side of the lake and asked, Rabbi, 28 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 2: when did you get here. Jesus replied, I tell you 29 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 2: the truth. You want to be with me because I 30 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 2: fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But 31 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend 32 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 2: your energies seeking the eternal life that the Son of 33 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 2: Man can give you. For God, the Father has given 34 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: me the seal of his approval. They replied, we want 35 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: to perform God's works too, What should we do. Jesus 36 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: told them, this is the only work God wants from you. 37 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 1: Believe in the one. 38 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: He has sent. They answered, show us a miraculous sign. 39 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: If you want us to believe in you, what can 40 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna. While they 41 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: journeyed through the wilderness. The scriptures say Moses gave them 42 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 2: bread from heaven to eat. 43 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: Jesus said, I tell you the truth. Moses didn't give 44 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: you bread from heaven. 45 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 2: My father did, and now he offers you the true 46 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 2: bread from heaven. 47 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: The true bread of God is the. 48 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: One who comes down from heaven and gives life to 49 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 2: the world. Sir, they said, give us that bread every day. 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes 51 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 2: to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in 52 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 2: me will never be thirsty. But you haven't believed in me, 53 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 2: even though you have seen me. Whoever those the Father 54 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 2: has given me will come to me, and I will 55 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 2: never reject them. For I have come down from heaven 56 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: to do the will of God who sent me, not 57 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: to do my own will. And this is the will 58 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: of God that I should not lose even one of 59 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 2: all of those he has given me, but that I 60 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 2: should raise them up at the last day. 61 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: For it is my Father's will that. 62 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 2: All who see his Son and believe in him shall 63 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: have eternal life. I will raise them up at the 64 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: last day. What made you want to start following Jesus? 65 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 2: What attracted you to his story and to him? Maybe 66 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 2: something just felt right. The words pulled at your heart 67 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 2: strings or made you feel excited, and you weren't really 68 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: sure why maybe for you, it all connected right away, 69 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: and you understood what Jesus was saying and immediately handed 70 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 2: your heart over to him. 71 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: Some of us start out. 72 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 2: With pure motivations for following Jesus, but others of us 73 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: take a longer route, winding our way to committing to 74 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 2: him as we get used to what he's saying. The 75 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: crowd in this passage followed him, but not for his teachings, 76 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 2: and Jesus called him out on it. 77 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: He knew that his. 78 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: Miracle had brought the people, and it was partially meant 79 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 2: to do that, but now they were staying around for 80 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 2: the wrong reasons. They didn't want to listen and change. 81 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 2: They weren't inspired to do what it took to be 82 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 2: like him. They wanted to be fed again for free. 83 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 2: They wanted to see more miracles. They wanted to be entertained. Yes, 84 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: following God comes with blessings, but that doesn't mean our 85 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: stomachs will always be full, our bank accounts will be 86 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 2: flush with cash, or our houses will be located in 87 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 2: expensive neighborhoods. The people here showed up where Jesus was 88 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: because they wanted great things for themselves, not to give 89 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 2: up things. Although we can ask God for anything, we 90 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 2: need to ask ourselves if we're following Him for the 91 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: right reasons. If we find ourselves primarily hoping for some 92 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 2: extra perks or material comforts, we're headed down the wrong road. 93 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 2: It's about valuing our relationship with Christ over those things. 94 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: Not about getting all that we can. 95 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 2: When it comes to the hearts of our children, we 96 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 2: want to be sure that we are pointing them to 97 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 2: follow Jesus with purer motivations. We want them to look 98 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,919 Speaker 2: to Jesus for what he has already done for us 99 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: through his death on the cross and his resurrection from 100 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 2: the grave, the gift of his spirit and the gift 101 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 2: of his presence always with us, and not dependent upon 102 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 2: only what He does or does not give to them 103 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: in what they are asking for or their blessings. We 104 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 2: want our children to know that their faith in Jesus 105 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: is rooted and it's established, and it's not shaky or 106 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,799 Speaker 2: dependent on whether or not they get what they want. 107 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 2: We want to point them to following Jesus not for 108 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 2: the works or signs or miracles. Yes, all of those 109 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 2: are good things, but what matters is the state of 110 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 2: their hearts and that they are seeking him first, Jesus 111 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 2: says in this passage today, the only thing that matters 112 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 2: is that you believe in me and do the will 113 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 2: of my Father, and that's what we want for our 114 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 2: children as well. Let's pray together. Father, I pray for 115 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 2: pure motivations. You provide for me, both physically and spiritually, 116 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 2: and you can sustain me forever. Don't let me or 117 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: my children get caught up in the things that will 118 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 2: not bring true fulfillment. Help us to trust you as 119 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 2: the bread of life, who meets our every need. In 120 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 2: Jesus's name, we pray. 121 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: Amen. 122 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 2: I hope you are following along with us in our 123 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: summer book club featuring the book when Mothering is hard 124 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 2: and no one sees by sheline roberts. If you have 125 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 2: joined us yet, it's not too late to jump in. 126 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 2: Head to the homepage of our website to find out more. 127 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 128 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 129 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 130 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 2: you his peace.