1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written and read by Aaron H. Warren, 9 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: author of Everyday Prayers for Faith. In today's episode, Aaron 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 2: shares a prayer for our children to open their eyes 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: to the Lord's presence all around them. To find out 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: more about Erin or to learn more about the ministry 13 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 2: of Million Praying Moms, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You'll find 14 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: a link in our show notes. After a quick word 15 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 2: from our spot answers will pray together for our families. 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: Matthew eleven twenty eight through thirty. Come to me, all 17 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 18 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, 19 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you 20 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,839 Speaker 1: easy and my burden is light. If there has ever 22 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: been a time when I've desperately felt the need for rest, 23 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: it is right now, between writing and managing my family's health, 24 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: and driving everywhere and running all the errands. Oh, and 25 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: you guys want to eat too, y'all. I'm exhausted, But 26 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: I've learned that our exhaustion is not always a sign 27 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: that we've said yes to too many things. Our natural 28 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: inclination is to think we need to do less, But 29 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: life for the special needs child doesn't always like itself 30 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: to physical rest, And for me in this season, physical 31 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: rest just isn't possible. But that doesn't mean that God 32 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: won't fulfill his promise of rest. These words of Jesus 33 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: in Matthew eleven brings such a sigh of relief. Another 34 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: translation of verse twenty eight invites those who are weary 35 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: to come to Jesus, meaning those who are tired, exhausted 36 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:30,239 Speaker 1: with toil, burdens, and grief. The words heavy laden literally 37 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: mean loaded up with burdens. We are loaded up and 38 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: burdened with illness and work and heavy hearts and grief 39 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: and rituals and honestly, just life itself. Notice that Jesus 40 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: doesn't say that he will take away the burden. Instead, 41 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: he promises us rest under his yoke. We find the 42 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: weight of the burden lifted. But what is this burden? 43 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: We usually stop reading it the end of Matthew eleven, 44 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: But if we turned to Matthew twelve, we find that 45 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: Jesus speaks these famous words in the context of sabbath. 46 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 1: I think this is the key to understanding the promised 47 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: rest that Jesus is referring to here. Jewish law mandated 48 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: a Sabbath every seven days, as laid out in the 49 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: Ten Commandments in Exodus twenty. Over the years, the Jewish 50 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: religious leaders had added over three hundred more laws to 51 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: define what constituted as work on the Sabbath. In addition, 52 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: there were also sacrifices and the cleansing rituals that were 53 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: required in order for the people to be kept pure. 54 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: The burden of religion was heavy, the yoke God's people 55 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: were under the yoke of the law perfectionism and living 56 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: up to a certain standard. It was not RESTful. But 57 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: Jesus came to redefine the Sabbath. In Matthew twelve, eight 58 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: tells us that he can do that because he is 59 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: Lord of the Sabbath, he came to free us from 60 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: the ritualistic burden of religion and offer us his grace 61 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: filled relationship of rest. He came to release us from 62 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: having to carry it all. He came to give us 63 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: a new yoke, one that is easy and light. Our 64 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: gentle and lowly Savior came to make a way so 65 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: that God's presence would be with us always, without us 66 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: having to work for it. Exodus thirty three fourteen tells 67 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: us that we always have rest because we always have 68 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: the presence of God with us. But here's the thing. 69 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: Sabbath is not binge watching a show or doing an 70 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: activity that relaxes you, or it's merely not working. True 71 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 1: sabbath rest is found when we allow the creator of 72 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: the world to breathe the breath of life over us. 73 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 1: We do not have to carry it all alone. We 74 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: do not have to earn our own salvation. We can 75 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: come to Jesus, give him our burdens, and learn how 76 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: to walk in his ways. Jeremiah six sixteen says. Thus, 77 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: says the Lord stand by the roads and look and 78 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: ask for the ancient paths where the good way is 79 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: and walk in it and find rest for your souls. 80 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 1: Sweet friend, come to Jesus. Let him breathe the breath 81 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: of life over you. Just as God breathed his breath 82 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: into Adam and brought life, so his presence breathes life 83 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: to give you. Rest. Sabbath is remembering who he is 84 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: and what he has done for you. It's the covenant 85 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: relationship that you get to experience because of the blood 86 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ. And when you take time to cease 87 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:53,599 Speaker 1: to sit in his presence, you will find rest for 88 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: your soul. Keep eternity in mind and rest knowing who 89 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: God is and what he does for you. Let's pray, Lord, 90 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: let me see your presence with us today. Breathe RESTful 91 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 1: life over our souls. May we remember that we do 92 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: not need to carry the burdens that we feel, but 93 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: instead we can lay them at your feet. Take your 94 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: yoke and rest. Thank you for coming to redefine sabbath rest. 95 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: Thank you for showing us the way in which we 96 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: should walk. Thank You for the promise of rest even 97 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: when we feel anything but rested. It's in your name 98 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: we pray. Amen. 99 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 2: I hope you are following along with us in our 100 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: Summer book Club featuring the book When Mothering Is Hard 101 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: and No One Sees by Scheline Roberts. If you have 102 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 2: not joined us yet, it's not too late to jump in. 103 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 2: Head to the homepage of our website to find out more. 104 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 105 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: Make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 106 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 2: Me the Lord word, look with favor on you, and 107 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 2: give you his peace.