1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 2: You're listening to everyday Prayers with million praying moms helping 3 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,600 Speaker 2: you need at most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is part of our Start your Summer with 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: Psalm series and is written and read by me. 10 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: We will be in. 11 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 2: Psalms sixteen and we will pray for our children to 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 2: know the fullness of joy that is found in God's presence. 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 2: We are spending two weeks praying the Psalms together for 14 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: our children as we jump into summer. Then we will 15 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: begin our summer book club on June fifteenth, featuring the 16 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: book When Mothering Is Hard and No One Sees by 17 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 2: my friend Shillene Roberts. Y'all, I love the book and 18 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: I can't wait for us to read it as a community. 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 2: Sheeline is a mom of five and has so much 20 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: wisdom to offer us all. 21 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: All you need to do to. 22 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: Join our book club is to grab your copy of 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: the book and make sure you're on our email list. 24 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: You can do both of those things at our website, 25 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 2: Million Prayingmoms dot com. 26 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: We'll have a link in our show notes. 27 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 2: After a quick word from our sponsors, we'll pray together 28 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: for our children. Psalm sixteen. Preserve me, Oh God, for 29 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, 30 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 2: you are my Lord. 31 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: I have no good apart from you. 32 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 2: As for the saints in the land, they are the 33 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 2: excellent ones, in whom is. 34 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: All my delight. 35 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 2: The sorrows of those who run after another God shall 36 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 2: multiply their drink offerings of blood. I will not pour 37 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 2: out or take their names on my lips. The Lord 38 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: is my chosen portion, and my cup. You hold my lot. 39 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Indeed, 40 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who 41 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: gives me counsel in the night. Also, my heart instructs me. 42 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 2: I have set the Lord always before me, because he 43 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 2: is at my right hand. I shall not be shaken. 44 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices. 45 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 2: My flesh also dwells secure, for you will not abandon 46 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 2: my soul to shield or let your Holy One see corruption. 47 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: You make known to me the path of life. 48 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 2: In your presence there is fullness of joy, and at 49 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: your right hand are pleasures forevermore. This psalm is so 50 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,399 Speaker 2: rich it might be my favorite one we've looked at 51 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: so far, if you can have a favorite. But it 52 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,239 Speaker 2: is loaded packed full of great things that we can 53 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: use to pray for our kids together. So when to 54 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 2: begin in verse one and verse two where the soul 55 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: almost writes David who wrote the psalm, and he writes, 56 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 2: preserve me, o God, for in you I take refuge, 57 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 2: and then he writes, I have no. 58 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: Good apart from you. 59 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 2: In verse two, May we join in praying for our 60 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 2: children to know that God is the only safe place 61 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: to take refuge, that He is their refuge and their strength, 62 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: and to know that there's no good in our lives 63 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: that's outside of God. Everything good in our lives can 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 2: be drawn back to and traced back to His goodness. 65 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 2: The very breath in our lungs is His goodness coming 66 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: to life in us in this very moment. Everything good 67 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: we have is from Him. And we're so tempted to 68 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: think in our do it yourself, earn it world mindset 69 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: that we do good in our lives and that we 70 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: can do something good, but we know that the only 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 2: good in us is God working out in us through 72 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: his spirit. There is no good apart from You. I 73 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 2: have no good apart from you God. Everything good I 74 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 2: have is in You. And when our children realize that, 75 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 2: it allows them to have a perspective of thankfulness. And 76 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 2: that's what we want to cultivate in our homes. As 77 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 2: we continue down in verse in chapter sixteen, we see 78 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,359 Speaker 2: in verses five and six where David writes, the Lord 79 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 2: is my chosen portion, and my cup you hold my lot. 80 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 2: We want our children to choose the Lord, that he 81 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: would be their chosen portion, their special prize, the one 82 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: that they want to delight in. And then he says, 83 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Indeed, 84 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 2: I have a beautiful inheritance. And when I read this, 85 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: I cannot help but think about Josie Lou's first season 86 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: of soccer. 87 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: This is my four year old. 88 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: She was four at the beginning of the soccer season 89 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: this past year. And when I read of some translations, 90 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: this is written, the boundary lines have fallen for me 91 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 2: in pleasant places. 92 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 93 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 2: And when I think of boundary lines, I think of 94 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: Josie Lou's first year of soccer, right, so I think 95 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 2: of the way that she and her team who were 96 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 2: called the Unicorns, what a great soccer team name. They 97 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: were called the Unicorns, and they had no concept of 98 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 2: the boundary lines. We had one player on our team 99 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 2: who had any concept of the boundary lines, and everybody 100 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 2: else had no concept of the boundary lines. They would 101 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 2: just run all outside the boundary lines, kick the ball 102 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 2: way out of the boundary lines, run way over to 103 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 2: get it, and. 104 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: Just bring it back in. 105 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: It was occasionally we would call, you know, they would 106 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 2: call out and have them, but sometimes they would just 107 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 2: let it kind of run around and let them come 108 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 2: back into the boundary lines. But they had no concept 109 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 2: of boundary lines in her preschool soccer league. Right. But 110 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 2: as you grow up in soccer. I was not a 111 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 2: soccer player, but my husband certainly was. In boundary lines 112 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 2: become really important. Right, Keeping that ball inside of the 113 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 2: lines is really really important. And here the Psalmist is 114 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 2: writing about land, right, he's writing about these boundary lines, 115 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: what God has given him in his inheritance. And he says, 116 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: they've fallen for me in pleasant places. And when we 117 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: read that word inheritance, I automatically think about Romans eight seventeen, 118 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 2: where Paul describes that we are co heirs, we are 119 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 2: joint inheritors with Christ, that God has elevated us up 120 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 2: to the level of being a child of God, that 121 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 2: we can be co heirs with Christ. What a beautiful, 122 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: beautiful inheritance we have in the person of Jesus. So 123 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: we want our children to know and to realize that, 124 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 2: we want them to understand that because they are Christ followers, 125 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: if they have given their lives to Christ, that they 126 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: are co errors with Christ, and that is indeed a 127 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: beautiful inheritance, and that not only is something that we 128 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 2: will receive in heaven in the forever Kingdom, but it's 129 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 2: something that begins right now that kingdom coming on earth, 130 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 2: as it is in heaven, that we begin to experience 131 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: the beautiful inheritance of God in our lives right now 132 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 2: on earth. 133 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: And it's a beautiful, beautiful witness. 134 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 2: In verse seven and eight, David goes on to say, 135 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: I bless the Lord who gives me counsel in the night. 136 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 2: My heart instructs me. I set the Lord always before me. 137 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 2: I want my children to seek the counsel of the Lord, 138 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: and I also want to seek the counsel of the 139 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 2: Lord on their behalf. And I think our society we 140 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 2: can so often reject counsel. My dad, who was a 141 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: forever a high school football coach for thirty two years, 142 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 2: coached all different types of sports over the years, but 143 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 2: he would talk about the difference of the coach ability 144 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 2: of the kids and the students that he was interacting 145 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: with towards the end of his retirement versus the beginning. 146 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 2: And I think that's one of the most important things 147 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 2: that our children can learn, is to be coachable, to 148 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 2: want that counsel, to want instruction, to value that. One 149 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 2: of the questions that I'm often asking people who have 150 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 2: been in a season of life before me, maybe in 151 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 2: work or in motherhood, you know, what advice do you 152 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 2: have for me? I'm always asking and looking for that 153 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 2: counsel or instruction from the people around me, and also 154 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 2: from the Lord. We want to seek God for our counsel. 155 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: We want to know what he wants for us. We 156 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 2: want to open up our hearts to him and allow 157 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 2: him to do the hard work of counseling us and 158 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: instructing us, showing us what's in us that's not like him, 159 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: and then helping make us more like him. 160 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: And that's what we. 161 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 2: Want in the hearts of our children as well. So 162 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 2: when I am seeking the Lord's counsel on behalf of 163 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 2: my children, that looks maybe a little bit different for 164 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 2: me as a mom of a four year old and 165 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 2: a five month old than it does for someone who's 166 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 2: a mom of an eighteen year old. Right, so I 167 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,719 Speaker 2: have a little bit more influence and a little bit 168 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 2: more direction over the choices of my four year old 169 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 2: and my five month old. Then maybe you do if 170 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: you're listening today and have an eighteen year old. And 171 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,319 Speaker 2: so we need to ask for that counsel and guidance 172 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 2: from the Lord on where we're at in our season 173 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 2: of motherhood. 174 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: As we continue on. In Psalm sixteen, it just keeps 175 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: getting better. It's just so beautiful. 176 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,720 Speaker 2: In verses nine and eleven, David writes, therefore my heart 177 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 2: is glad, and my whole being rejoices. I love that picture, 178 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 2: the whole being rejoicing. I think that we want to know, 179 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 2: we want our children to know that following God, living 180 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 2: a life pursuing Jesus can be fun. 181 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 1: Right, that it can be joyful, that it can be exciting. 182 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 2: The world paints a picture of a boring Christianity. But 183 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: we know the truth of life in Christ, that it's 184 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:28,680 Speaker 2: filled with joy. 185 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 1: Our whole being can rejoice. 186 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 2: And I want my home to be a place that 187 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 2: is joyful and happy and inviting for my children. I 188 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 2: say something often when I talk about the joy of Jesus. 189 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 2: As I go and visit churches and speak to groups 190 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: of women to talk about this, I say, always choose Jesus. 191 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: Joy will follow. 192 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,920 Speaker 2: Always choose Jesus because joy will follow. 193 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: And that's rooted in. 194 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 2: This promise that Dave that it ends Psalm sixteen with 195 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 2: in verse eleven, he says, you make known to me 196 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 2: the path of life. In your presence is the fullness 197 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 2: of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In 198 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,839 Speaker 2: your presence is the fullness of joy. Not partial joy, 199 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 2: not a little sprinkle of joy, but the fullness of joy, 200 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 2: this whole being rejoicing. We want people to know that 201 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 2: we are people of joy, that following Christ results in. 202 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: Joy in our lives. And I love this. 203 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,559 Speaker 2: He says, you make known to me the path of life, 204 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 2: the path of life. Don't we want our children to 205 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 2: be walking on the path of life? Here David says 206 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 2: that God made it known to him, and that because 207 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 2: of that knowledge he could have. 208 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: The fullness of joy. He could have joy. 209 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 2: Rooted in God's presence, not in his circumstances, not in 210 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 2: what was going on around him, but in the person 211 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 2: of God, the person of Jesus, and from his spirit. 212 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:10,319 Speaker 2: In his presence is the fullness of joy. And we 213 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 2: desire that for our children. Would you pray with me today? Father, 214 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 2: May my children know they have no good apart from you. 215 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 2: May they take refuge in you alone. May they hold 216 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 2: you as their chosen portion. May the boundary lines around their. 217 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 1: Lives fall in pleasant places. 218 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 2: And may they know that they have a beautiful inheritance 219 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 2: in you, not only in the future, but beginning right now. 220 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 2: May they experience the fullness of joy in your presence, 221 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 2: And may you make known to them the path of 222 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 2: life in Jesus' name. 223 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:53,559 Speaker 1: Amen. 224 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 2: I hope you're planning to join us for our summer 225 00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 2: book club beginning on June fifteenth. Head to the homepage 226 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 2: to our website to find out more. Until next time, friends, 227 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 2: May the Lord bless you and keep you, Make his 228 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 2: face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May 229 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.