1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to every Day Prayers with Million 2 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: Praying Moms, helping you pray God's word for your family 3 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,080 Speaker 1: in the areas you need it most. I'm your host, 4 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: Nicolette Bell. Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: It's our first and best response in parenting, and every 6 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: day we come together to partner with God for the 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: hearts of our children. This Fall, we are praying through 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: the nine fruit of the Spirit in nine weeks using 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: devotions adapted from our Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's 10 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: prayer focus is Joy. We are praying for Joy all 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: week long. Today's devotion is written and read by my 12 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: friend Gina Smith, author of Everyday Prayers for Joy. To 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: learn more about Gina, our ministry, or to grab copies 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: of our Everyday Prayers devotional series this at Millionprayingmoms dot 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: com and just for our podcast community, you can visit 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: our mom shop use the code Fall twenty for twenty 17 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,559 Speaker 1: percent off your order. After a quick word from our sponsors, 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: we'll pray together for our children. 19 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 2: Day three. Joy found in the God of Hope. Romans 20 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 2: fifteen thirteen is today's passage, and it says May the 21 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 2: God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, 23 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 2: you may abound in hope. For as long as I 24 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 2: can remember, I desired to go to a Christian college 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: to prepare for some kind of full time career in ministry. 26 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 2: I also desired to go to a school where I 27 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: would be surrounded by a Christian community of believers. My age, 28 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 2: and of course, my hope, was that I might meet 29 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: and marry a man who was committed to Jesus and 30 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 2: had been called to being in full time ministry as well. 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: During my senior year of high school, it became evident 32 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: that I would not be able to forward to pay 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: for college and my dream of going to a Christian 34 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: college would not be coming true. I would need to 35 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: live at home, find a job, and work full time. 36 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: After graduating from high school, I spent the summer traveling 37 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: with a missions team. It was an amazing experience that 38 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: caused the growth of that long time desired to attend 39 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: a Christian college, study the Bible, and prepare for some 40 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: kind of career in ministry. But at the end of 41 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: that summer I returned home and was faced with the 42 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 2: reality that most of my friends had left for college 43 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: and I had been left behind with unfulfilled dreams. I 44 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: was heartbroken. I found a job working at a retail 45 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: store at a local mall. I was miserable each day 46 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: I would get up, get dressed, and drive to a 47 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: job I hated. With each passing day, I began to 48 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 2: lose hope that what I longed to do with my 49 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: life would ever materialize. Finally, having lost hope, I concluded 50 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 2: that God had forgotten me, and I inteptin to end 51 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: my life. There have been very few times in my 52 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 2: life since then that I have been so blinded to 53 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 2: any evident hope. As I have gotten older, I have 54 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 2: learned where my hope purpose lie, even in the hardest 55 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: of times. But at the age of eighteen, I did 56 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 2: not fully comprehend that reality. I did not know how 57 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: to look to the God of hope to find joy 58 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: and peace in what seemed like impossible circumstances. God was 59 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 2: so merciful to me, carrying me through those hopeless and 60 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 2: dark days. I will forever be grateful for the precious 61 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: people He brought into my life to help strengthen me 62 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: in God, and who came alongside me as I grew 63 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 2: in my faith. Four years after graduating from high school, 64 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: my dream finally came true. After working full time and 65 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 2: praying for God to provide the money I needed, I 66 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 2: found myself on a Christian college campus. I was beyond 67 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: excited to be there, and it didn't take long before 68 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: I was soaking up every aspect of the experience I could. 69 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: Christian community, close friends, dorm life, independence, godly mentors, laughter, 70 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 2: all nighters, late night runs for junk food, weekend trips 71 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: home with friends, and of course, the opportunity to be 72 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: immersed in the study of God's word. I was living 73 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: my dream. Romans is a book that tells us how 74 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: Jesus became the hope not only of the Jews, but 75 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 2: also the Gentiles. Our verse for today is a prayer 76 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: Paul prayed for God's people. His desire was that they 77 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: might experience hope, joy, peace and power. God is a 78 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: God of hope. In fact, one of his most beautiful 79 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 2: names is the God of Hope. He alone is the 80 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 2: one source of hope we have in this life, and 81 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 2: he is the one who gives life meaning. In my 82 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 2: young eighteen year old mind, I thought my joy and 83 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 2: peace depended on the fulfillment of my dreams and desires. 84 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: I didn't know what God had planned for my future, 85 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,119 Speaker 2: and it felt like He had forgotten me. Of course, 86 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 2: now I know that he never does. Something to think about. 87 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: Paul's desire was that believers trust in God and in 88 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: so doing experienced a growing faith that would cause true 89 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 2: joy to well up inside their hearts, giving stability no 90 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: matter the circumstances. He knew this would help them persevere 91 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 2: in their walk with God and turn any unbelief into solid, 92 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 2: unwavering confidence in God. Paul fervently prayed, asking God to 93 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 2: give more than just hope based on the promises of 94 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 2: changing circumstances or getting what they desired. No, he wanted 95 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: more for them, praying that they would experience a hope 96 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 2: that only the Holy Spirit could produce, given only by 97 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 2: the promise of our Father and God of Hope. In 98 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 2: the same way that Paul experienced this for himself and 99 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 2: prayed this for his fellow believers, we can experience this 100 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 2: firsthand and turn our experience into a prayer for our 101 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Are you filled with 102 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 2: joy and peace? Are you abounding and hope. This is 103 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: God's desire for the heart and mind of every believer. 104 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 2: Note if you are considering taking your own life, please 105 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 2: reach out to a pastor, a friend, or a suicide hotline. 106 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 2: From my experience, I could tell you that you have 107 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 2: better options and I'm praying for you. 108 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: As part of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and 109 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: everyday prayers for the School Year book Club, Tarah Cole 110 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: and I created a free car conversations guide for your 111 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: family to use this far. The car is sometimes the 112 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: best place for our most precious conversations with our kids 113 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,239 Speaker 1: as we are praying through the Fruit of the Spirit. 114 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: Our hope is that you can have meaningful conversations with 115 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: your kids about what living out these fruit looks like 116 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: in their daily lives. Tara and I created a series 117 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: of quick questions. She wrote some for the older kids, 118 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: I wrote some for younger kids, and we share a 119 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: prayer that you can share with your children about each 120 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: of the Fruit of the Spirit. Download your copy for 121 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: free on our website or the link in our show notes. 122 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you, 123 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 1: Make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. 124 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 125 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: you peace.