1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening 4 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after the short word from 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: our sponsors, will pray through today's prayer for pausing to 7 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: notice God's everyday goodness. A Prayer for Pausing to notice 8 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: God's everyday Goodness written by Sophia Bricker, read by Leat Gerard. 9 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: Yet he is not left to himself without testimony. He 10 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and 11 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of 12 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: food and fills your hearts with joy. Acts fourteen seventy. 13 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: A mere shimmer of movement caught my eye as I 14 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: was cutting weeds, but I dismissed it, assuming that what 15 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 1: I glimpsed through the posts of the fence was the 16 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: edge of a butterfly wing. As I continued trimming, though, 17 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: a flicker of color drew my attention, and that's when 18 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: I saw it. Near a cluster of wildflowers, a humming 19 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,559 Speaker 1: bird hovered a creature with wings that moved at rapid 20 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,639 Speaker 1: speed and streaks of gray and green. I grew still 21 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: and watched as the delicate bird fluttered in place and 22 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: turned its head toward me, before darting away in the 23 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: afternoon sky. Only a few seconds had passed, but I 24 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: felt as if I'd been holding my breath for several minutes, 25 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: amazed at the chance to see the unique per A 26 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: number of times I've seen a hummingbird was only enough 27 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: to count on one hand. How wonderful that God has 28 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: made such a beautiful animal. Spotting this tiny bird reminded 29 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: me of His presence and the good gifts he provides 30 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: to humankind. The Apostle Paul also spoke about how the 31 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: natural world provides a testimony to the kindness of our Lord. 32 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: We see in Acts fourteen eleven through thirteen that when 33 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: the people of Lystra saw how Paul and Barnabas had 34 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: brought healing to a man who was lame, they attempted 35 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: to worship them as Greek God's Hermes and Zeus. In horror, 36 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: Paul corrected them. He encouraged them to turn to the 37 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: true God, who made all things. Already, God had made 38 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: himself known through the gifts of rain, and harvest, providing 39 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,079 Speaker 1: evidence of His goodness. Although the people were not responsive 40 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: to the message that day, Paul's words are true. Romans 41 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: one twenty reminds us that everything in creation, from the 42 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: tallest mountain to the smallest ant, testifies to the existence 43 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: and character of God. Psalm nineteen one through two tells 44 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: us the heavens declare the glory of God. The skies 45 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day, they 46 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: pour forth speech, night after night, they reveal knowledge. Each 47 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: person receives this same evidence through the sky. They see, 48 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: the sun, they feel on their face and arms, the 49 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: taste of vegetables and fruits, and the fragrant smell of flowers. 50 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: Though there are places where people have yet to receive 51 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: the good news of Christ, every person has the testimony 52 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: of the natural world to understand that God exists and 53 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: cares about his creation. Excepting the evidence provides a starting 54 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: point that prepares them to place faith in Christ. For 55 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: followers of Jesus who already trust in his death and 56 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: resurrection for salvation, nature still provides important reminders. All around us. 57 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: Every day is evidence of God's love and kindness. If 58 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: we're willing to pause and take notice something as simple 59 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: as a leaf, cloud, or a hummingbird can interrupt the 60 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: chaos of our daily life and bring us in contact 61 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: with the wonder of God's creation. These small reminders show 62 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: us that despite our pain of struggles, our Lord is 63 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 1: good and he cares. Let's pray. God of Heaven and Earth, 64 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: you created all things and made them for your glory. 65 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: Each day, you provide tangible examples of your kindness and 66 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: care toward us by providing rain and the growth of 67 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: plants so that animals and people of the world can 68 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: eat and be filled with joy. The stars, flowers, trees, birds, 69 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: and rivers testify to your handiwork. How easy it would 70 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,280 Speaker 1: be for me to step outside or peer out a 71 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: window to reflect upon your creation. Yet I too often 72 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: overlook the gifts you've given. Help me to regularly take 73 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: time to pause and marvel at what you've made, allowing 74 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 1: the beauty and wonder of nature to remind me of 75 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: your love and kindness to me. And may I be 76 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: moved to praise you, for there is no one like 77 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: you who is perfect in goodness and beauty, the Lord 78 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: God who entered creation to save us in Jesus' name, 79 00:05:49,520 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: I Pray Amen. Your Daily Prayer is a production of 80 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: Life Audio and Salem Media. If you haven't already, be 81 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: sure to follow the show in your favorite podcast app 82 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: so you never miss an episode. 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