1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms helping 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family and the areas 4 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:36,959 Speaker 1: Today's division is written and. 9 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: Read by April Graney, author of If Jesus Came to 10 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 2: My School. In today's episode, we talk about being obedient 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 2: even when it feels awkward. To learn more about April 12 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 2: or the Million Praying Mom's ministry, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: You can find a link in our show notes. After 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: a brief word from our sponsors, will pray together for 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 2: our children. 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 3: Luke five four through seven. When he had finished speaking, 17 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 3: he said to Simon, put out into deep water and 18 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 3: let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, Master, 19 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 3: we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything, But 20 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 3: because you say so, I will let down the nets. 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 3: When they had done so, they caught such a large 22 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 3: number of fish that their nets began to break. Have 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 3: you ever thought that God was leading you to do 24 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 3: something that just felt well, awkward, perhaps the opposite of 25 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 3: what seemed rational at the time. My husband and I 26 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 3: had recently talked about really needing to tighten up our budget, 27 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 3: but when some friends found themselves struggling after multiple illnesses 28 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 3: and surgeries, I couldn't help but want to help. I 29 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 3: went by a local restaurant that had stocked nice, homemade 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 3: frozen meals, planning to grab a meal for them. All 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 3: of a sudden, I felt the nudge to grab triple 32 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: what I planned on getting. Ohkay, Lord, I knows this 33 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 3: goes against our budget that we just talked about, but 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 3: I trust that you will provide for us, even if 35 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 3: that means we eat peanut butter and jelly for a week. 36 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 3: After the lady at the register rang up my multiple purchases, 37 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 3: she sewed the total to another woman nearby working by 38 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 3: the counter. They nodded at each other, and then she said, Okay, 39 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 3: you're good. How much is it? I asked, you're good? 40 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 3: She said no charge. I couldn't believe it. I thanked 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 3: her and told her the meals were for a family 42 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 3: struggling to recover from surgeries. When I did we both 43 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 3: started to cry. I have no idea to this day 44 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: why those ladies gave me those frozen meals for free, 45 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 3: But I know that God knows. The Bible is full 46 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 3: of stories of people who God asked to do kind 47 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: of weird things. God asked Noah to spend one hundred 48 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 3: years building a big boat with Noah had never even 49 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 3: seen rain. He told Abraham to leave his father house 50 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 3: and go to a land that God would show him. Later, 51 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 3: God told Moses to confront Pharaoh. Esther risked her life 52 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: to approach the king. Mary, a virgin bore the son 53 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 3: of God. God told Peter to kill any unclean animals. 54 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 3: Isaiah fifty five eight through nine tells us, for my 55 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 3: thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, 56 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 3: declares the Lord. God's thoughts are certainly higher than our thoughts, 57 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 3: and if we're going to be able to understand his leading, 58 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 3: we must first look to scripture. Two Timothy three sixteen 59 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 3: through seventeen says all scripture is God breathed and is 60 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 3: useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so 61 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 3: that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for 62 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 3: every good work these verses. I know that God has 63 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 3: given me in his word everything I need in order 64 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: to follow his leading. What are some of the basic 65 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 3: commands in the Bible that fear countercultural awkward Matthew twenty two, 66 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 3: thirty six. Jesus says, love the Lord, your God, with 67 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 3: all your heart, with all your soul, and with all 68 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 3: your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and 69 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. 70 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 3: In a culture that tells us to think of ourselves 71 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 3: and our needs first, loving God with all our hearts 72 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 3: and loving our neighbor as ourselves is certainly countercultural. Deuteronomy 73 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 3: six tells us these commandments that I give you today 74 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 3: are to be on your hearts, Impress them on your children, 75 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:38,920 Speaker 3: talk about them when you sit at home and when 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 3: you walk along the road, when you lie down, and 77 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 3: when you get up. When moms spend their days teaching 78 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 3: and training up their children in the knowledge and instruction 79 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 3: of the Lord. The world doesn't see value in it, 80 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 3: but we know that God does, and what we are 81 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 3: doing matters for eternity. As moms, we can learn to 82 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 3: hear God's voice. John ten twenty seven. My sheep listen 83 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 3: to my voice. I know them and they follow me. 84 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 3: For me, obeying God even when it feels awkward means adventure. 85 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 3: The adventure of digging into scripture, prayer, and learning to 86 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 3: follow God's voice in my life. It's an adventure I 87 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 3: don't ever want to miss out on, even when it 88 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 3: feels awkward. Let's pray, Dear Heavenly Father. I pray for 89 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 3: the courage to listen to your voice and to follow 90 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 3: even when it feels awkward or countercultural. When the world 91 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 3: looks at us strangely and doesn't understand how we put 92 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 3: God first in everything. May we be a shining light 93 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 3: pointing others towards your glory and grace in the world. 94 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: May is the month to celebrate moms, and we've updated 95 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 2: our mom shop just in time with some of our 96 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 2: favorite resources. Be sure to check out our updated shop 97 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 2: at Million Praying Mind, Com, Forward slash Shop, or click 98 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: shop from our homepage. 99 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: Until next time. 100 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: Friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. Make His 101 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 2: face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.