1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: where we're dedicated to helping moms pray God's word for 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: their families in the areas they need at most. I'm 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: your host, Nicolette Bell. Over the last decade, we've helped 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: thousands of moms make prayer a priority for their families. 6 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: Our mission is to help you do the same. Prayer 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: is not a last resort. It's our first and best 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 1: response to the challenges of parenting, a partnership for the 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: hearts of our children that God invites us into. Today's 10 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: devotion is written by me, written originally for Everyday Prayers podcast. 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: To learn more about Million Praying Moms, visit today's show 12 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: notes or Millionprayingmoms dot com. After a quick word from 13 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: our sponsors, We'll pray together for our children. Second King 14 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: to nineteen, Verses fourteen through fifteen, and verse nineteen. Hezekiah 15 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: received the letter from the hand of the messengers and 16 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: read it. And Hezekiah went up to the house of 17 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: the Lord and spread the letter before the Lord. And 18 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, O, Lord, the 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: God of Israel enthroned above the cheer of them. You 20 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of 21 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,639 Speaker 1: the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth, 22 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: O Lord, our God, save us, please from his hand, 23 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, 24 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: O Lord, are God alone. In this passage in Second 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,760 Speaker 1: King's nineteen we pick up where the Assyrian army was 26 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: slowly taking over, city by city all of the areas 27 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: surrounding the kingdom. The Assyrian king sent a threatening letter 28 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: to King Hezekiah, basically saying you are next. When things 29 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: got tough, Hezekiah went to the Lord directly, and the 30 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: scripture tells us that he spread out the letter before 31 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: the Lord. I absolutely love this image Hezekiah taking the 32 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,799 Speaker 1: very thing, the threatening letter that was creating an ensuing fear, 33 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: straight to the only one he knew who could do 34 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: anything about it. This action is a demonstration of submission. 35 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: It's a physical expression of the inward state of Hezekiah's heart. 36 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: He was afraid and shaken up. He knew that the 37 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: odds weren't in his favor. However, he had great confidence 38 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: in his God, who he knew was the only living 39 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: God here. At million praying moms, one of our prayer 40 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: pillars is that we believe that prayer is our first 41 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: and best response, not a last resort. I want you 42 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 1: to take a minute and think about the last struggle 43 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: you faced. What was your first response? As much as 44 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: I want my answer to be prayer, the particular incident 45 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: that I am thinking about prayer was a response that 46 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: was a little bit further down the list. If I'm honest, 47 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: in this particular situation, I called my sister before I 48 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: stopped to pray. Seeking godly counsel is a good thing, 49 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: but needs to be in the right order. Hezekiah models 50 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: for us here what it means for prayer to truly 51 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 1: be our first response. He doesn't seek his military advisers, 52 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: he doesn't ask his friends or family. He doesn't waste 53 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,519 Speaker 1: any time before going straight to the Father with his need. 54 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: This is something that I am still growing in and 55 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: I bet that you are too. While Hezekiah's prayer was 56 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: on behalf of the nation he is leading, I think 57 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: our prayers for the homes in which we are leading 58 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: our children have the same weight. In my day to 59 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: day parenting. How often am I going to God first? 60 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: Or am I seeking Google? Seeking friends and family seeking 61 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: mom groups on social media, influencers and others for advice 62 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: and opinions before I go to God in prayer? How 63 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: do we make prayer our first response? Because if I'm 64 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: honest with you today, I don't love my answer to 65 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: that question I just asked. I definitely believe that prayer 66 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: is my best response, but the priority in which I 67 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: seek prayer does not always match that belief. So in 68 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,160 Speaker 1: our day to day mothering, how can we make prayer 69 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: our first response? Here are three p's to help us. 70 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: The first is to pause to stop. When we face 71 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,360 Speaker 1: a challenge or decision, we can simply pause and think. 72 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: So often I react before thinking. Taking a moment to 73 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: pause and think can completely alter my reaction and change 74 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: my response. I am trying to pause and ask myself 75 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: this simple question, have you prayed about this? The second 76 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: is posture. Like Hezekiah, who you had a physical response 77 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: to the challenge he faced, a change in our physical 78 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: posture can go a long way and helping us genuinely 79 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: seek God in prayer first. I often lay hands on 80 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: my kid's bedroom doors when I pray for them. I 81 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: also think there is something powerful about getting on our 82 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: knees or on our faces before God as an act 83 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: of submission. I often pray without changing my posture. Maybe 84 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: pray while driving, pray while I'm in the shower, pray 85 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: when I'm walking, And these prayers are both meaningful and important. 86 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: I'm not discounting these types of prayers, but I can 87 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: say confidently that some of the most powerful perspective shifting 88 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: prayers that I've ever prayed have been those when my 89 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: posture has changed bowing low hands or arms out in submission. 90 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: The laying on of hands posture can make a difference. 91 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: And finally, to practice, practice going to God in prayer. 92 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,159 Speaker 1: Practice prayer when you aren't in a panic. Make prayer 93 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: a regular pattern in your life. Then when a challenge 94 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: comes up, it will more likely be our first response. 95 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: So we can pause posture and practice when it comes 96 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: to prayer. In this new year, let's commit to making 97 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: prayer our first and best response, especially in our parenting. 98 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Father, help my response to trials be like 99 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: that of Hezekiah. May I come to you in prayer 100 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: as my first response, surrendering my circumstances to You and 101 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: trusting you with the outcome, especially when it comes to 102 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: matters of my children. Help me to come first to you, 103 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: before Google, before parenting books or groups, before family members. 104 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: Help me to seek you first, knowing that all wisdom 105 00:06:55,279 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: truly comes from you in Jesus' name. Amen, Friends, we 106 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: have completely revamped our Patreon tears. Now with a ten 107 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: dollars monthly donation, you automatically receive our favorite monthly downloadable 108 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: prayer calendar of curated scripture inspired prayers that complement the 109 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: devotions and prayers from the podcast. You also receive each 110 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 1: day's devotion and prayer in written form, including reflection questions 111 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,239 Speaker 1: to accompany your quiet time. Many of our members enjoy 112 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: having the ability to read the day's devotion or to 113 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: save the prayer for future use. Lastly, when you become 114 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: a Praying Mom, you're invited to a monthly mom chat 115 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: with me and surprise guests from our other Million Praying 116 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: Mom authors. You can learn more in today's show notes 117 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: or at Millionprayingmoms dot com. Until next time, friends, the 118 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face shine 119 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord 120 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: look with favor on you and give you peace.