1
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,720
Speaker 1: Life Audio.

2
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,720
Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, a podcast

3
00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,599
Speaker 2: dedicated to helping you find the words you need to

4
00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,560
Speaker 2: connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter what is

5
00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,560
Speaker 2: going on in your life today, you can trust that

6
00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:26,440
Speaker 2: God wants to.

7
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,160
Speaker 1: Hear from you. Right after the short word from our.

8
00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,720
Speaker 2: Sponsor, people pray through today's prayer when you are struggling

9
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:54,560
Speaker 2: with creativity Together. A prayer when you are Struggling with

10
00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,400
Speaker 2: creativity written by Vivian.

11
00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,840
Speaker 1: Bricker, read by Kirie Iburger.

12
00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,920
Speaker 2: For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to

13
00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,280
Speaker 2: do good works which God prepared in advance for us

14
00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:15,120
Speaker 2: to do Aphesians two, verse ten. When I was younger,

15
00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,880
Speaker 2: arts and crafts felt like home. In elementary school, art

16
00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,840
Speaker 2: was my favorite subject, but that joy was quickly taken

17
00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,440
Speaker 2: from me by people I trusted. In sixth grade, my

18
00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,959
Speaker 2: art teacher ridiculed my work in front of the class

19
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,360
Speaker 2: and told me I had no talent.

20
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,600
Speaker 1: As a child, I took her words to heart.

21
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,640
Speaker 2: I believed it wasn't good at art and would never

22
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,880
Speaker 2: become the artist I dreamed of being. Things didn't get

23
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,440
Speaker 2: much better when I started homeschooling in seventh grade.

24
00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:45,319
Speaker 1: My mom praised my.

25
00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,040
Speaker 2: Sister's art, but was always disappointed to mine, Even though

26
00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,240
Speaker 2: I spent hours doing my best, she said my work

27
00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:52,800
Speaker 2: was awful.

28
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,640
Speaker 1: In my final year of homeschool, I was the only

29
00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:57,400
Speaker 1: student left.

30
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,240
Speaker 2: I thought that without comparison, my mom might finally like

31
00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,600
Speaker 2: what I created. I began sketching trees, adding color, and

32
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,760
Speaker 2: writing Bible verses alongside them. I felt proud and hoped

33
00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,960
Speaker 2: she would be too, But when she saw them, her

34
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:17,120
Speaker 2: expression fell. She said they looked too cartoonish and accused

35
00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,360
Speaker 2: me of not taking the project seriously. At seventeen, I

36
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,280
Speaker 2: stood there holding my work, tears in my eyes. That

37
00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,240
Speaker 2: day I accepted what I had come to believe. I

38
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,080
Speaker 2: wasn't a good artist. Since then, I struggled to do

39
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:39,320
Speaker 2: anything artistic. The criticism I received stole my creativity. Maybe

40
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,720
Speaker 2: you've experienced something similar. Maybe someone tore down your art.

41
00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:44,760
Speaker 1: And you gave up.

42
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,280
Speaker 2: Many of us have known the pain of having something

43
00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:53,040
Speaker 2: we loved dismissed or destroyed. But the Bible tells us

44
00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:58,440
Speaker 2: we are God's handiwork. That means God is creative, and

45
00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,600
Speaker 2: as his children, we reflect that creativity.

46
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:05,680
Speaker 1: It may be buried deep after years of discouragement.

47
00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,640
Speaker 2: But it's still there. Creativity isn't just a hobby. It

48
00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:14,160
Speaker 2: can point others to Jesus. Through art, music, or writing,

49
00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,360
Speaker 2: we reflect the beauty and truth of our Creator. Don't

50
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,240
Speaker 2: let the wounds of the past keep you from what

51
00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,000
Speaker 2: God has planned. He delights in the work we create,

52
00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,120
Speaker 2: what the gifts He has given us. He is always

53
00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,520
Speaker 2: proud of the offerings we bring with a sincere heart.

54
00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:37,600
Speaker 2: Let's pray, Dear God, my creativity feels lost. I want

55
00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,560
Speaker 2: to create, but too many voices have told me I'm

56
00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,440
Speaker 2: not good enough. I didn't want to give up, but

57
00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,560
Speaker 2: now it feels pointless. Please remind me that you care

58
00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,000
Speaker 2: about my art, that you see beauty where others soft flaws.

59
00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:56,280
Speaker 2: You are the greatest creator, and because I've made in

60
00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,960
Speaker 2: your image, I carry your creativity within me. Help me

61
00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,480
Speaker 2: begin again. Heal the wounds that keep me from trying.

62
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,480
Speaker 2: I know this won't happen overnight, but I believe you

63
00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,600
Speaker 2: can restore what's been broken, bring art back into my life,

64
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,080
Speaker 2: and help me find joy in it once more.

65
00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:17,560
Speaker 1: Thank you God, Amen.

66
00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,560
Speaker 2: Your daily prayer is a production of life, audio and

67
00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:35,440
Speaker 2: sale media. If you haven't already, be sure to follow

68
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:36,960
Speaker 2: the show in your favorite.

69
00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,320
Speaker 1: Podcast app, so you never miss an episode.

70
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,800
Speaker 2: For more faith tilled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio

71
00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:51,599
Speaker 2: dot com