1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your Daily Prayer, 2 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: a podcast dedicated to helping you find the words you 3 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: need to connect with your Father in Heaven. No matter 4 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: what is going on in your life today, you can 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: trust that God wants to hear from you. Right after 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: this short word from our sponsor, people pray through today's 7 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: prayer when choosing life feels like death. Together A prayer 8 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: when Choosing life feels like death, written by Peyton Garland 9 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: read Carrie Ikeburger. For I swear, dear brothers and sisters, 10 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: that I face death daily. This is as certain as 11 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: my pride in what Christ Jesus, our Lord has done 12 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: in you. First Corinthians fifteen, verse thirty one. I've never 13 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: known a worthwhile thing that didn't demand that I first 14 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: give up something I cherished often too deeply. Marrying my 15 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: husband required that I surrender my life as a single woman. 16 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: I was no longer on my own schedule or timeline. 17 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: Anything from dinner plans to holiday events now requires that 18 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,679 Speaker 1: I touch base with someone else, and that's only the 19 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: surface level. Surrenders. Marriage requires that my pride need to 20 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: be right and temper die in the face of loving 21 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: someone else, Allowing them to refine me, teach me, and 22 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: encourage me in the areas i'd rather not divulge. Becoming 23 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 1: a mother mandated that I under the body I once had, 24 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: the one that could eat five pieces of pizza without 25 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: gaining a pound, laugh without peeing itself, or even sleep 26 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: through the night. It forced me to reckon with my 27 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: inherent selfishness and laziness as another. Little creatures needs trump 28 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: my ones and needs too. I often look at my 29 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: old pictures, the ones from my late teens and early twenties, 30 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: and laugh at just how much free time I had 31 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: to look socially presentable, and how much time I had 32 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: to travel and simply do what I wanted when I wanted. 33 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: A piece of me still envies that freedom, but I 34 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: wouldn't dare go back to who I was, because there 35 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: are too many layers of me that had been shed, 36 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: pieces that truly needed to go that I refused to 37 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: return to. In the death of so many parts of me, 38 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: I've become someone better. I'm certainly not perfect, but I 39 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: know without any doubt that my life has meaning because 40 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: I've been forced to die to myself over and over again. 41 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: As I learned repeatedly by visiting my grandfather's headstone, there's 42 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: life by the graveside. For me. Death in Christ's hands 43 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: is simply access to new life. And while it's often 44 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: inconceivable to our human hearts, this new life is always richer. 45 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: It's better it lasts. Death in the Father's hands is 46 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: never wasted. Not only is it never discarded, but it's 47 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: transformed into beauty. It often takes a completely new shape, 48 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: leaving who you were not only unrecognizable, but six feet under, 49 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: completely out of reach. And that's always for the best. 50 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: In the Christian walk, choosing life demands that something else die. 51 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: You can't become more like Christ while keeping a firm 52 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: grip on your flesh. You can't put someone first without 53 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: putting to death. The idol of comfort and self preservation. 54 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: Nothing safe and easy. Birth's the sort of change that 55 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: lets you look yourself in the mirror and see new 56 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: god orchestrated resilience. As a limited human being, you can't 57 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: balance who you are and who you want to be. 58 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 1: You must put one of them down, let one of 59 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,039 Speaker 1: them die so the other can be sustained. And in 60 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,039 Speaker 1: God's goodness and grace, he lets you decide which way 61 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: to carry free will is beautiful, but choosing to be 62 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: someone more always comes at the high price of denying 63 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: our present wants, hobbies and pleasures. So something more real 64 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: and lasting and take root and grow. Of course, this 65 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: isn't easy. Death never feels good. They are far better 66 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: things ahead than the temporary discomfort and pain of dying. 67 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: To ourselves Today, in this spring season, as many things blossom, bloom, 68 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: and return to life, don't forget the winter's death. They 69 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: endured the patience that they practiced in their becoming and 70 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 1: the God, and they have surrendered too to become something 71 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: far more beautiful and life giving. Choose life, even when 72 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: it feels like death. You won't regret it. Let's pray, Father, 73 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: bless me with your discernment and strength when choosing life 74 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: feels like death as they honor your call to die 75 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: in my flesh. I pray for your mercy and grace, 76 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: and I ask that you grant me godly friends and 77 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: mentors to champion me on this Christian journey. I praise 78 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: you for being our life and for never leaving us empty. 79 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: In your hands. Death is transformed. We praise you for 80 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: your resurrection power that not only saves our souls, but 81 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: grants us the power to walk in your peace, faith 82 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: and boldness your almighty name. We pray Jesus Amen. Your 83 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Sale Media. 84 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show 85 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 1: on your favorite podcast app so you never missed an episode. 86 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 87 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: dot com.