1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million 2 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, helping you pray God's word for your family 3 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: in the areas you need it most. I'm your host, 4 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Nicolette Bell. Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: It's our first and best response in parenting, and every 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: day we come together to partner with God for the 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: hearts of our children. This fall, we are praying through 8 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: the nine fruit of the Spirit in nine weeks using 9 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: devotions adapted from our Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: prayer focus is love. Today's devotion is written and read 11 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: by Tara L. Cole, author of Everyday Prayers for the 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: School Year, our book club pick for the Fall. In 13 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: today's episode, Tara shares a prayer for our children to 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: show love exerted from her devotional. To learn more about 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: our ministry. To grab your copy of the book, visit 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: Millionprayingmoms dot com and click shop use code Fall twenty 17 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: for twenty percent off your order. After a quick word 18 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: from our sponsors, We'll pray together for our children. 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 2: Ephesians three sixteen through nineteen that according to the riches 20 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 2: of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: with power through His spirit in your inner being, so 22 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, 23 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 2: being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 2: to comprehend with all the saints with His breath and 25 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 2: length and height and depth, and to know the love 26 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 2: of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled 27 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 2: with all the fullness of God. I love you even 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 2: on hard days, I told my son as I hugged 29 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 2: him that day had been particularly challenging, with fits of 30 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 2: anger and back talking. I said it as much to 31 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 2: remind myself as to reminds him. Then a few weeks later, 32 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: as I was having a hard day and trying to 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 2: keep myself in check, he piped up from the back 34 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: seat of the car, Mom, I love you even on 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 2: hard days. Isn't that what we all need to know, that, 36 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: no matter what happens, someone loves us and won't give 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: up even when we're at our worst. Jesus too knew 38 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 2: and gave this kind of love. Of course, he didn't 39 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 2: have hard days because he himself misbehaved, but he still 40 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,079 Speaker 2: had hard days, especially in the week leading to the cross. 41 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 2: Recounting the Last Supper. John writes, now before the feasts 42 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 2: of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had 43 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 2: come to depart out of this world to the Father. 44 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 2: Having loved his own who were in the world, he 45 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil 46 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 2: had already put it into the heart of Judas is Scariot, 47 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: Simon's son to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father 48 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: had given all things into his hand, and that he 49 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: had come from God and was going back to God, 50 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 2: taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he 52 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 2: poured water into a basin and began to watch the 53 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 2: disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that 54 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 2: was wrapped around him John thirteen one through five. Even 55 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 2: as the night he's betrayed begins and Judas to betrayer 56 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 2: is present, Jesus demonstrates his love for his disciples. He 57 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 2: loves them fully. I've often thought that this was simply 58 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 2: because he was Jesus, the son of God, and that's true. However, 59 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: in verse three, John points out that Jesus knew the 60 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: source of his authority and strength, knew who he was 61 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 2: and where he was going. It was on the basis 62 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 2: of this knowledge that he began his final act of 63 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 2: service leading to the cross. It wasn't just who he was, 64 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: it was what he knew to be true. Our kids 65 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 2: need the same kind of confidence as they go into 66 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: the world and choose to love on hard days, they 67 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: will struggle to love others well until they know how 68 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 2: much they are loved. It is no accident that hurt 69 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 2: people hurt people, and love people love people. As Paul 70 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: points out, when we are strengthened with power through His 71 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 2: spirit Ephisions three sixteen, we can know the love of 72 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 2: Christ that surpassage and be filled with all the fullness 73 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: of God Verse nineteen. We can help our kids to 74 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: know this kind of love from us and from God. 75 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: On hard days, we can reassure them, Let's be honest, 76 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 2: our love for them runs deep. Through words, tone, and 77 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 2: facial expressions, we demonstrate our love. We can reassure them 78 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 2: of the love of God by pointing them to Him 79 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: and his love for them. We can encourage them to 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: turn to God and ask for his spirit. Strength and 81 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,799 Speaker 2: hard days, we can pray for God to show himself 82 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 2: to them and help them to comprehend His love. Once 83 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 2: they are assured that they are loved, they will be 84 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: better prepared to face hard days. Yes, we want to 85 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: always protect them, but when we do, we rob them 86 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 2: of opportunities to learn how to handle difficult situations in 87 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: a way that honors God. Know their days won't all 88 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 2: be easy, even though we wish they could be. But 89 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: as we give them a solid foundation built on the 90 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 2: love of God, they will be better prepared to weather 91 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: the hard days and in turn extend that love to others. 92 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 2: Let's pray may our children be rooted and grounded in 93 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 2: the love of Christ and filled with the fullness of 94 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 2: God and Jesus name Amen. 95 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,160 Speaker 1: As part of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and 96 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: everyday prayers for the school Year book Club, Tarah Cole 97 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: and I created a free car conversation's guide for your 98 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: family to use this fall. The car is sometimes the 99 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: best place for our most precious conversations with our kids 100 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,239 Speaker 1: as we are praying through the Fruit of the Spirit. 101 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: Our hope is that you can have meaningful conversations with 102 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: your kids about what living out these fruit looks like 103 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: in their daily lives. Tara and I created a series 104 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: of quick questions. She wrote some for the older kids, 105 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: I wrote some for younger kids. And we share a 106 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: prayer that you can share with your children about each 107 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: of the fruit of the Spirit. Download your copy for 108 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: free on our website or the link in our show notes. 109 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 110 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 1: Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 111 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 112 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: you peace.