1 00:00:02,660 --> 00:00:03,620 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:16,090 --> 00:00:19,190 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:19,230 --> 00:00:21,570 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,610 --> 00:00:24,140 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,980 Speaker 1: Here, we believe prayer isn't a last resort. 6 00:00:27,100 --> 00:00:30,350 Speaker 2: It's our first and best response in parenting. And every 7 00:00:30,370 --> 00:00:32,470 Speaker 2: day we come together to partner with God for the 8 00:00:32,510 --> 00:00:35,680 Speaker 2: hearts of our children. Today's devotion is written and read 9 00:00:35,780 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 2: by Melissa Berry. Melissa is a professor, podcaster, and author. 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,260 Speaker 1: Of God Has Named You. 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,420 Speaker 2: She loves helping people discover who God has created and 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:49,470 Speaker 2: called them to be through Crown of Life Discipleship Ministries 13 00:00:49,770 --> 00:00:52,190 Speaker 2: and her podcast, The Called Life. 14 00:00:52,590 --> 00:00:55,570 Speaker 1: If you enjoy this devotional, check out her chapter called 15 00:00:55,730 --> 00:00:57,980 Speaker 1: Poem in her book, God Has Named You. 16 00:00:58,830 --> 00:01:01,970 Speaker 2: To learn more about Melissa or more about the ministry 17 00:01:02,030 --> 00:01:05,069 Speaker 2: of Million Praying Moms, you can find a link in 18 00:01:05,170 --> 00:01:10,030 Speaker 2: our show notes or visit millionprayingmoms.com. After a quick word 19 00:01:10,069 --> 00:01:12,690 Speaker 2: from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our children. 20 00:01:17,940 --> 00:01:23,340 Speaker 3: Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 3: fix your thoughts on Jesus. whom we acknowledge as our 22 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 3: apostle and high priest. Hebrews 3, 1. Have you chosen loneliness? 23 00:01:37,620 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 3: Has it been too hard to engage, too risky to 24 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,420 Speaker 3: reach out? Child of the Most High God. Our God 25 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,730 Speaker 3: is a healer, and he is calling you out of 26 00:01:49,850 --> 00:01:54,570 Speaker 3: isolation and into community. In the Greek, Hebrews 3, 1 27 00:01:54,570 --> 00:02:02,090 Speaker 3: literally says, Oh, sharers of the heavenly calling. This word, sharers, 28 00:02:02,270 --> 00:02:07,830 Speaker 3: is metakos and means something like partners. In your hectic 29 00:02:07,890 --> 00:02:10,910 Speaker 3: world of kids' activities, you may relate best to this 30 00:02:10,950 --> 00:02:15,549 Speaker 3: word as teammate. God is calling you out of the 31 00:02:15,590 --> 00:02:19,710 Speaker 3: shadows to be part of Team Jesus, a community of 32 00:02:19,750 --> 00:02:24,980 Speaker 3: people who share in a heavenly calling. And what is 33 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:28,540 Speaker 3: that calling? Well, the general call for all of us 34 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 3: is to follow Jesus, the crucified and resurrected Son of God, 35 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 3: as our Lord. A more specific call for you and 36 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 3: me is the act of being. 37 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,660 Speaker 1: A mom, or what I call momming. 38 00:02:43,530 --> 00:02:46,489 Speaker 3: When mom is a verb, it includes food prep, hair care, 39 00:02:46,550 --> 00:02:49,950 Speaker 3: and laundry, as well as snuggles and holding hands. It's 40 00:02:49,970 --> 00:02:54,090 Speaker 3: also saying no and being sassed back. Of filling out 41 00:02:54,310 --> 00:03:01,470 Speaker 3: loads of unappreciated paperwork at doctors' offices and schools. For you, Christian, 42 00:03:02,090 --> 00:03:06,290 Speaker 3: it is also a calling, a divine mandate to raise 43 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 3: up your children in the way they should go, which 44 00:03:09,260 --> 00:03:14,140 Speaker 3: is towards Christ Jesus, and to have faith that she 45 00:03:14,180 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 3: will return to it when her own growing faith falters. 46 00:03:19,820 --> 00:03:21,380 Speaker 3: This is why you need to be part of a team. 47 00:03:21,820 --> 00:03:25,370 Speaker 3: Who can bear all that alone? Well, I suppose you could. 48 00:03:26,230 --> 00:03:28,090 Speaker 3: But not only does that sound lonely. 49 00:03:28,110 --> 00:03:29,850 Speaker 1: It's unbiblical. 50 00:03:30,570 --> 00:03:35,380 Speaker 3: God has created you, daughter of God named teammate, to 51 00:03:35,420 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 3: live in community with other believers in Jesus. It's part 52 00:03:39,660 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 3: of your redemption and how God has redesigned you in Christ. 53 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,570 Speaker 3: This transformation includes an inner need to be in community. 54 00:03:50,620 --> 00:03:55,150 Speaker 3: You will flourish emotionally, mentally, and spiritually when you participate 55 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:00,570 Speaker 3: in living life together with other Christians. Now, I know 56 00:04:00,830 --> 00:04:02,830 Speaker 3: that some of your fellow children of God may not 57 00:04:02,950 --> 00:04:08,390 Speaker 3: always be enjoyable to hang out with. It might seem 58 00:04:08,950 --> 00:04:12,810 Speaker 3: difficult to find Christian people with whom you'd even want 59 00:04:12,890 --> 00:04:17,950 Speaker 3: to work or be friends with. Yet, as trying as 60 00:04:18,029 --> 00:04:22,970 Speaker 3: this can be, You still need to choose togetherness. Perhaps 61 00:04:22,990 --> 00:04:27,270 Speaker 3: you're thinking, well, what could I really change? What if 62 00:04:27,710 --> 00:04:31,630 Speaker 3: you let the Holy Spirit help you? Could you pray 63 00:04:31,690 --> 00:04:34,380 Speaker 3: for the courage to join a mom's group at church? 64 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:39,239 Speaker 3: What about letting go of shame and attending divorce care 65 00:04:39,260 --> 00:04:45,830 Speaker 3: or celebrate recovery? Could you release one kid-focused activity today? 66 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 3: and schedule in a life-giving group for you? Wouldn't having 67 00:04:51,620 --> 00:04:54,330 Speaker 3: a spiritually and emotionally healthy mom be more beneficial for 68 00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:57,570 Speaker 3: your family than a second sport or a third sport? 69 00:04:58,950 --> 00:05:04,730 Speaker 3: Child of the Most High God, you are on Team Jesus. 70 00:05:05,589 --> 00:05:10,550 Speaker 3: Be sure that you are prioritizing the right team and 71 00:05:10,710 --> 00:05:16,430 Speaker 3: nurturing your relationship within it. It is here. that you 72 00:05:16,470 --> 00:05:20,180 Speaker 3: will find your people to help you grow spiritually so 73 00:05:20,210 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 3: that your momming can be done through God's love, joy, 74 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 3: and peace. Let go of fear and lean into Jesus. 75 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 3: He is what you need. 76 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:36,500 Speaker 1: Let's pray. 77 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:43,300 Speaker 3: Lord, thank you for creating communities that I can be 78 00:05:43,339 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: a part of. 79 00:05:45,350 --> 00:05:47,910 Speaker 4: Give me the courage to step out of the shadows 80 00:05:48,250 --> 00:05:50,650 Speaker 4: or off of a busy calendar to be a part 81 00:05:50,710 --> 00:05:55,060 Speaker 4: of it. Heal me from friendships that have gone wrong 82 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 4: and help me to embrace the joy of life together. 83 00:05:59,779 --> 00:06:03,720 Speaker 3: In Jesus' name, amen. 84 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: My guess is that if you're here listening to the 85 00:06:07,060 --> 00:06:11,290 Speaker 2: Everyday Prayers podcast, you kind of care about praying for 86 00:06:11,490 --> 00:06:15,940 Speaker 2: your children. My newest book, Everyday Prayers for Moms, Praying 87 00:06:15,980 --> 00:06:19,300 Speaker 2: God's Work from Your Children from Newborn to Emptiness, is 88 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,510 Speaker 2: a great resource for moms who desire to. 89 00:06:22,510 --> 00:06:24,070 Speaker 1: Pray for their kids. 90 00:06:24,470 --> 00:06:25,890 Speaker 2: I don't know if you've ever looked up at the 91 00:06:25,950 --> 00:06:28,210 Speaker 2: end of the day and realized that you didn't pray 92 00:06:28,230 --> 00:06:28,770 Speaker 2: at all. 93 00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: So often we have this desire to pray. but we 94 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: may not know how. 95 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,620 Speaker 2: To put that desire in to practice. I'm learning in 96 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,740 Speaker 2: motherhood that my prayers adapt and change based on the 97 00:06:41,820 --> 00:06:44,930 Speaker 2: season that we're in as a family. I'm also learning 98 00:06:44,970 --> 00:06:49,030 Speaker 2: to give myself grace in those different seasons. I know 99 00:06:49,130 --> 00:06:52,890 Speaker 2: God isn't after perfect, polished prayers. He's after my heart, 100 00:06:53,370 --> 00:06:57,250 Speaker 2: and He's after yours too. So my plan is to 101 00:06:57,310 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: be intentional, whatever that looks like, in this season. 102 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,310 Speaker 1: I hope that is your plan. as well. 103 00:07:04,210 --> 00:07:07,690 Speaker 2: God sees our hearts. He's honored by our desire to 104 00:07:07,750 --> 00:07:11,550 Speaker 2: connect with Him. If you're feeling stuck in your prayer life, 105 00:07:11,870 --> 00:07:17,290 Speaker 2: I've got a new free download, a five-day prayer reset. 106 00:07:17,690 --> 00:07:22,260 Speaker 2: It's a great guide to help you get started, jump 107 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,980 Speaker 2: back in, stay consistent, grow. 108 00:07:24,780 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 1: Deeper in your prayers for your kids. 109 00:07:26,980 --> 00:07:29,870 Speaker 2: It's also a great tool to share with with your 110 00:07:29,970 --> 00:07:33,390 Speaker 2: friends or with your family members that may be seeking 111 00:07:33,910 --> 00:07:37,650 Speaker 2: to know God deeper in prayer as they're wanting to 112 00:07:37,710 --> 00:07:38,730 Speaker 2: pray for their kids. 113 00:07:38,750 --> 00:07:39,730 Speaker 1: I hope you will. 114 00:07:39,590 --> 00:07:44,100 Speaker 2: Grab your copy today at millionprayingmoms.com. We'll also put a 115 00:07:44,140 --> 00:07:48,900 Speaker 2: link in our show notes. Until next time, friends, may 116 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face 117 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,650 Speaker 2: shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the 118 00:07:55,710 --> 00:07:59,660 Speaker 2: Lord look with favor upon you and give you his peace.