1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to everyday prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 3 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Belle. 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:29,639 Speaker 1: first and best response in parenting, and every day we 6 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: come together to partner with God for the hearts of 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: our children. Today's devotion is written in bred by me. 8 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 1: I share a prayer about humility, asking the Lord to 9 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: help us and our children seek his glory above our own. 10 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: And it's a prayer I have to pray again and again. 11 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: To find out more about the ministry of Million Praying Moms, 12 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: visit Millionpraying Moms dot com. You'll find a link in 13 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: our show notes. After a quick word from our sponsors, 14 00:00:54,080 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: we'll pray together for our families. Nine. The one who 15 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 1: has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, 16 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, 17 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 1: this joy of mine is now complete. In John three, 18 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: John's disciples get a little jealous. Before Jesus began his 19 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 1: public ministry, crowds flocked to John and his disciples. So 20 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: when Jesus enters the scene, John's disciples say to him, Hey, 21 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: everyone is going over there to be baptized by Jesus, 22 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 1: and no one is coming over here anymore. In our 23 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: language today, it would sound a little bit like, hey, 24 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: that guy over there is getting all of the follows 25 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: and the likes. No one is interested in what we 26 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: are doing or what we are saying. Everyone is paying 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: attention to him. In our culture where attention and fame equal, 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: happiness in second place is just not good enough. I 29 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: can definitely relate to how John's disciples were feeling. John's 30 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: response to his disciples is one of a true follower 31 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: of Christ. He knew his place and he knew his role. 32 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: He said, guys, you heard me talk about how Jesus 33 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: was greater than me. You heard me say that I 34 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: was preparing the way for him, that I was baptizing 35 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: with water, but that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit. 36 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 1: In other words, John is saying, I'm not jealous at all. 37 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: In fact, this joy of mine is now complete. He 38 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: concludes with one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, 39 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: where he says he must increase, but I must decrease 40 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: John three point thirty. In a situation where John could 41 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: have easily been jealous and upset, he resisted. He chose 42 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: to put Jesus above himself. He knew his role and 43 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 1: he found joy in it. He submitted to the authority 44 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,919 Speaker 1: of Jesus, and his joy was made complete. What about 45 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: your own life? Are you still joyful when all the 46 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: attention is taken away from you or your family? To 47 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: whom do you compare yourself or your kids? Often we 48 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: try to find joy by being the center of attention 49 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,520 Speaker 1: and being recognized or acknowledged for our hard work. We 50 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: don't like the spotlight to be taken away from us. 51 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: We can find fleeting joy or temporary happiness and attention 52 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: and applause, but we're left empty and incomplete at the 53 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: end of the day. But John was okay with second place. 54 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: John's joy was made complete by understanding his position and 55 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: purpose in lifting up the name of Jesus. John was 56 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: confident in his role, and as a result, he found 57 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: his confidence and joy in his savior. In the same way, 58 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: our joy is made complete when we take a surrendered 59 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: posture before Jesus. And desire to increase His name and 60 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: fame and decrease our own. This doesn't mean that we 61 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: shouldn't work hard or try our best at what we're doing. 62 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: But if I desire to be the best instead of 63 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: giving my best to God, I have missed the point. 64 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: If I try to be the best, I will continually 65 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,799 Speaker 1: strive and search, trying to find fulfillment in the attention 66 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: or praise of others. Receive this lesson from John today 67 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: through the power of the Holy Spirit. May we release jealousy, envy, 68 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: and bitterness and instead cheer for the way God is 69 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: working in the lives of others. Let's be quick to 70 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: put His glory on display instead of our own. When 71 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: we recognize our role, our joy can be made complete. 72 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: Jesus knew his role, and he modeled this for us. 73 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,799 Speaker 1: Have this mind among yourself, which is yours in Christ. Jesus, 74 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: who though he was in the very form of God, 75 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 76 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant. 77 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Being born in the likeness of men and being found 78 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, 79 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: even death on a cross. That's from Philippians two five 80 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: through eight. If Jesus, the only one whoever had the 81 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: right to be the best, and the only one who 82 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: had the right to stand in first place, humbled himself, 83 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: how much more should we humble ourselves to him. The 84 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: most beautiful thing about knowing our role is that when 85 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: we submit to Jesus, we enter into freedom, life, and joy. 86 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,359 Speaker 1: James fourten promises that when you humble yourselves before the Lord, 87 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: he will lift you up. In fact, we find more 88 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: joy in second place than in first. Let's pray, Father, 89 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: humble the hearts of our families before you today in 90 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: a society that praises first place and raving reviews, large platforms, 91 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: and winning records. Help us and our children to seek 92 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: your glory above our own. Help us to model for 93 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: our children what it looks like to live in humility, 94 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: and give them a heart that desires to serve you 95 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 1: by serving others in Jesus' name. Amen, I hope you 96 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: are following along with us in our summer book club 97 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: featuring the book when mothering is heard and no one 98 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: sees by Scheline Roberts. If you have not joined us yet, 99 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:40,719 Speaker 1: it's not too late to jump in. Head to the 100 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: homepage of our website to find out more. Until next time, friends, 101 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 102 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the 103 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you his peace.