1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 2: You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 3 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 4 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,919 Speaker 2: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 2: In the month of April, we are hosting the Everyday 9 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: Prayers for Gentleness book Club on the podcast to celebrate 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 2: our newest release, We're So Glad You're here today. The 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 2: author of our new book and mom of three, Christy Thomas, 12 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: will lead our devotion in prayer to challenge us and 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 2: encourage us on our journey to grow in gentleness. To 14 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,200 Speaker 2: learn more about Christy, our new book, and the Million 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You can find 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a brief word 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, will pray together for our children. 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 3: Today's devotion is for your whole family, following this month's 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 3: topic of gentleness. It comes from my book Fruitful, one 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 3: hundred Family Experiences for growing in the Fruit of the spirit. 21 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 3: So grab your whole family and listen to this one together. 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 3: Matthew eleven, verses twenty eight to thirty says Jesus said, 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 3: come to me, all of you who are weary and 24 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 3: carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take 25 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 3: my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 3: am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find 27 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 3: rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, 28 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 3: and the burden I give you is light. I have 29 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 3: a question for you. If you had to carry a 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 3: couch from one house to another house, how would you 31 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 3: do it. Maybe you would get your back under it 32 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: and hoist it up, or you'd tip it on its 33 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 3: side to rustle it out the door. Maybe you'd have 34 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 3: to find a chainsaw and chop it into pieces. Pause 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 3: for a second and tell somebody what you're ada is 36 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 3: all right, Here's what I would do. I'd call a 37 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 3: professional mover to do it for me, because no matter 38 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 3: how strong you are, there's always going to be something 39 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 3: that's too heavy for you to lift. This reminds me 40 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 3: of what Jesus said in today's passage. Jesus used a 41 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 3: word picture to help us understand what he does for us. 42 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 3: A yoke is a wooden frame that farmers put on 43 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 3: the necks of animals to link them together. Usually, a 44 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 3: young animal was put beside an older animal who would 45 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 3: train the younger one. In this word picture, Jesus isn't 46 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: a farmer placing a yoke on you. Our God doesn't 47 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 3: load us down with expectations. Instead, Jesus is like the 48 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 3: older animal that carries most of the weight while showing 49 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 3: you how to live. In fact, that's exactly the point 50 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: of this whole book. In the book, we discover that 51 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 3: Jesus doesn't threaten you, saying be gentler or else, or 52 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: I'm sick of your impatience. It's time for us spinking. Instead, 53 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 3: Jesus picks up your yoke of sin. That yoke, by 54 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 3: the way, was created by humans, not by Jesus. He 55 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 3: puts your yoke on his own back, and he invites 56 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 3: you to walk with him. Jesus does the heavy lifting 57 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 3: while showing you how to live more like him. His 58 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 3: yoke is easy and his burden is light because he's 59 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: doing most of the work. What work is left for 60 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,119 Speaker 3: you to do. Jesus said, this is the only work 61 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 3: God wants from you believe in the one he is sent. 62 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 3: That's from John six twenty nine. Here's another way to 63 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 3: think about it. Your work is to give Jesus your 64 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 3: yoke and let him help you carry it. Since I 65 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 3: know you aren't literally carrying a yoke on your shoulders. 66 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 3: How might this look in your real life. Well, let's 67 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: imagine you got into trouble at home because you used 68 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 3: your mom's phone without permission. You might feel really bad 69 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 3: about it for a long time. Whenever you look at 70 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 3: the phone, you get a sick feeling in your stomach 71 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: because you know you did something wrong. Jesus doesn't want 72 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 3: you to hold on to that bad feeling. Letting Jesus 73 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 3: carry your yoke would means saying I'm sorry to God 74 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 3: and your mom and then letting Jesus take away that 75 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 3: guilty feeling. Your job is just to believe that you 76 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: are forgiven and let the Holy Spirit change you so 77 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 3: you don't make that same mistake again. I'm going to 78 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 3: give you some discussion starters. Feel free to pause this 79 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 3: podcast and discuss them before moving on to the next one. 80 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 3: There's two discussion starters, and then there's a prayer. First question, 81 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 3: what is something that feels like a heavy burden to you. 82 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 3: In parents, I want you to answer this question too. 83 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 3: The second question is really not much of a question. 84 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 3: It's let's take a few minutes to give that burden 85 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 3: to Jesus. So I'm going to pray, and then I 86 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 3: would love for you to continue to pray together as 87 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 3: a family, specifically about the burdens that you've shared. Jesus, 88 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 3: you are. 89 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: So gentle, that's so strong. 90 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 3: Thank you for carrying the burden for us and for 91 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 3: helping us to live our lives well as we take 92 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 3: a minute to give our burdens to you, thank you 93 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 3: that you take them, and to pray that we would 94 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 3: feel that you are lifting them in Jesus name. Amen. 95 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 3: This devotion was read for you by the author Christy Thomas, 96 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 3: and has been used with permission from Cregal Publications. The 97 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 3: full book with one hundred devotions is available wherever books 98 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 3: and e books are sold. 99 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: As part of our book called this Month, we are 100 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: making all of the wonderful perks of our paid Patreon 101 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: members available at the free tier. That's right, The daily 102 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 2: devotionals in written form, bonus materials, special previews, and more 103 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 2: free to you this month only. See the link in 104 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: our show notes are on our website to get connected. 105 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 106 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 107 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: May the Lord look with favor upon you and give 108 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 2: you peace.