1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: where we're dedicated to helping moms pray God's word for 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: their families in the areas they need at most. I'm 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: your host, Nicolette Belle. Over the last decade, we've helped 5 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: thousands of moms make prayer a priority for their families. 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: Our mission is to help you do the same. Prayer 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: is not a last resort. It's our first and best 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: response to the challenges of parenting, a partnership for the 9 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: hearts of our children that God invites us into. Today's 10 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: devotion is written by Stacy Thacker, author of ten books, 11 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: including our brand new book, Every Day Prayers for Christmas. 12 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: To learn more about Stacy, or to learn more about 13 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: how you can get involved in the ministry of Million 14 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, visit Today's show notes or Millionprayingmoms dot Com. 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: After a word from our sponsors, we'll pray together for 16 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: our children. 17 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 2: The Everlasting Light and the city has no need of 18 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 2: sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 2: of God gives it light. And its lamp is the 20 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 2: Lamb Revelation twenty one twenty three years ago, I heard 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 2: about an unbelievable light display you could only see once 22 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: a year at the most magical place on Earth. The 23 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 2: Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights became a beloved Disney 24 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: World main attraction from nineteen ninety five to twenty sixteen. 25 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: Housed on the Hollywood Studios backlot, it featured five million lights, 26 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 2: festive holiday music, and several hidden mickeys for onlookers to discover. 27 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 2: Originally owned by the Osborne family of Little Rock, Arkansas, 28 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: it started when their daughter Allison asked her dad to 29 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: decorate their family home for Christmas. He took the challenge 30 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 2: to another level and ended up donating it to Disney. 31 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: When it grew big enough to be seen from outer space, 32 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 2: drew thousands of visitors, solicited complaints from angry neighbors, and 33 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 2: eventually involved the Supreme Court. My family was able to 34 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: visit Disney at Christmas one year. Being a local does 35 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 2: have its advantages and experience the lights. I say experience 36 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 2: because the best part was being present when the light 37 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 2: display was switched on each night. You couldn't help but 38 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 2: ooh and awe when the five million lights illuminated the 39 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 2: dark December night all at once. It was truly a 40 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 2: sight to see. My Florida girls also loved the fake 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 2: snow that Disney, of course added to the mix. It 42 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: was a sweet memory from my family, one I can 43 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: still see in my mind's eye when I picture our 44 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: joyous night together. Something to think about. Chasing the theme 45 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 2: of light through scripture has brought us to the last 46 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 2: book of the Bible and a glimpse of the unbelievable 47 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 2: yet true vision of what we will experience in the 48 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 2: new Heaven and the New Earth. God's city will come 49 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 2: down from heaven and be a stunning sight to see, 50 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: like a bride adorned for her husband. Twenty one two. 51 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: God himself will dwell in the city with his people, 52 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: and there will be no more tears, no more death, 53 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 2: and no more pain. The city will have the glory 54 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 2: of God within it its radiance like a most precious 55 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: jewel Verse eleven. But here in these final pages of 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 2: the Word we also learn that the city of God 57 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: will not need the sun or the moon, or five 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 2: million man made lights for that matter, to light up 59 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: the sky. It will be lit with the glory of God, 60 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 2: and the lamp of the city will be the lamb. 61 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: This should come to no surprise to us. John, the 62 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: author of Revelation three letters, First John, Second John, and 63 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: Third John, and the Gospel of John, has already told 64 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 2: us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes 65 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 2: away the sins of the world. He is the light 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 2: of the world, and he came as an eternal light. 67 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 2: But lest we think John is the only one who's 68 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 2: given us this insight, we also see this language in 69 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 2: the prophetic words of Isaiah chapter sixty. We had a 70 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: hint of that on day nine of this devotion. Arise, shine, 71 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: for your light has come, and the glory of the 72 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 2: Lord has risen upon you Isaiah sixty one. And then 73 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: later in the same chapter, the prophet says, the sun 74 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 2: shall be no more your light by day, nor the 75 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 2: brightness shall the moon give you light. But the Lord 76 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 2: will be your everlasting light, and God will be your 77 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: glory Isaiah sixty nineteen. Of course, you probably remember in 78 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 2: Genesis one that God gave us the sun and the 79 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 2: moon to rule over our days and nights. But now 80 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: we see that God's glory is even better, its continuous glory. 81 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: His glory removes every trace of darkness. Why are there 82 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: no more tears, no pain, no more death, because God's 83 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 2: glory eradicates sin as well. Friends, The eternal city of 84 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 2: God will be all about his glory. The Lamb who 85 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 2: came as a baby at Christmas, was wrapped in swaddling clothes, 86 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 2: laid in a manger, lived a perfect life, light filled life, 87 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: died for our sins and rose from the grave. Will 88 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: sit on the eternal throne forever and ever. By its 89 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 2: light will the nations walk, and the kings of earth 90 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 2: will bring their glory into it. And its gates will 91 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 2: never be shut by day, and there will be no 92 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 2: night there Revelation twenty one, twenty four through twenty five. 93 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: The gates will never be shut by day, and there 94 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 2: will be no night. Joy to the world. The Lord 95 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 2: has come. Let us pray. Father. From the beginning, you 96 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 2: gave us light to draw a boundary to the darkness. 97 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: You used it to show us the way to go, 98 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 2: to give us understanding, and to reveal deep and hidden truths. 99 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 2: In your word, Jesus, the light of the world illuminated 100 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 2: the darkness in our hearts and took away our sins. 101 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 2: His light is what transforms us. Lets others know we 102 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,480 Speaker 2: are your children, and how we reflect your glory to others. 103 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: May we remember today that your light is the gift 104 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: that is to be experienced, enjoyed, and shared every day 105 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: of the year. Jesus name Amen. 106 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: I hope you're enjoying reading along with us this month 107 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: in our new book, Every Day Prayers for Christmas. Grab 108 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: your copy in a few for gifts wherever books are sold. 109 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: If you love the Everyday Prayers podcast, consider joining our 110 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: community with a ten dollars monthly donation through Patreon. When 111 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: you join, you automatically receive a new downloadable scripture inspired 112 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: prayer calendar every month, plus the devotions and prayers from 113 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: this month in written form, along with an invitation to 114 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: our monthly live mom chat. Learn more in today's show 115 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: notes or at Million Prayingmoms dot com. Until next time, friends, 116 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face 117 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the 118 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.