1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Melian Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: they need at most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written read by Selene Roberts. We are 9 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 2: finishing out our summer book club featuring her book When 10 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 2: Mothering Is Hard and No One sees. This is week seven. 11 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: Today we are getting really, really practical as we wrap 12 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 2: up our book club conversation. Shellen's book ends with practical 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: steps to make Kingdom priorities in your motherhood a reality, 14 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: and that's what we're going to be talking about today 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 2: and Friday on the podcast. Check your email as well. 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 2: If you're not signed up for our newsletter, now is 17 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 2: a great time to sign up. You can do so 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: and you can find out more about Saline and her 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: materials at Mullionprayingmoms dot com. You'll find a link in 20 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 2: our show notes. After our quick word from our sponsors, 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 2: we'll pray together for our families. 22 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: A prayer for the little moments Verse Kings, nineteen twelve. 23 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: And after the fire came a gentle whisper, Well, we've 24 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: arrived at the final week of our journey through when 25 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: mothering is heart and no one sees. If you've walked 26 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: alongside the study from the very first chapter, thank you. 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: I can truly say it's been a sacred privilege to 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: unpack these truths with you, and I pray you've found 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: exactly what your weary, hopeful mother's heart needed to hear 30 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: this week. As we close in chapter thirteen, we'll meet 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: the prophet Elijah. When we see him, Elijah is at 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: one of the lowest points in his life. He's exhausted, hunted, 33 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: and so discouraged that he asks God to let him die. 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: He collapses beneath the small broom push in the wilderness 35 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: and falls asleep. I realize it may seem extreme to 36 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 1: draw a correlation between moms and Elijah, but I think 37 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: perhaps some of you've been there. Maybe motherhood has, at 38 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: some point or another brought you to your own broom bush, 39 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: rung out, ready to quit, wondering if you have anything 40 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: left to give, if so take heart in what happens next. 41 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: In his despair, an angel attends Elijah. The Angel feeds him, 42 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: lets him rest, and feeds him again. Then God leads 43 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: Elijah to a mountain where he speaks, not in the wind, 44 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in 45 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: a gentle whisper. God often appears to us today, and 46 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: much the same way. He comes to us in the 47 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: midst of our phrenetic chaos and our hurried business, in 48 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: the midst of laundry and dinner prep, in the midst 49 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: of the dirty dishes and the carpool line. He comes 50 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: to us, and he whispers to our weary, worn our 51 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: souls that this hard holy work is the Gospel in action. 52 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: And when we tune our ear to hear him, it 53 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: strikes all upon us. It awakens our attention and inspires 54 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: humility and reverence in our heart, for we know that 55 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: His words are true. His Kingdom is here, and this 56 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: all matters not just for today, but for eternity, because 57 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: you and I have been tasked with the high and 58 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: hotly calling of disciple, raising right here, right now with 59 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: our very children. This plays out in a thousand different 60 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: ways every day, as we model the humble sacrificial service 61 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: of Christ. We model it with every meal we make 62 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: and the bread we break. We model it by tucking 63 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: beds in tight and by patiently grating homework, by wiping 64 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: away tears and quelling fears. Because when we understand that 65 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: God has created motherhood to play an irreplaceable role and 66 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: his redemptive plan for me in kind, we realize that 67 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: nothing we do is insignificant. It's all more shockingly beautiful 68 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: and in vital. Then we can scarcely dare imagine. Of course, 69 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: we can't mother in a way that reflects us truth 70 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: out of our own sheer will, and if we try, 71 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: we may end up a bit like Elijah. But praise 72 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: be to God, we don't have to do this ourselves. 73 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: If we'll simply listen to his still small voice, we'll 74 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,799 Speaker 1: find that God has equipped us to play an effectual 75 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: role in his kingdom by the redemptive grace of his 76 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: son and the undwelling power of his Holy Spirit. Dear friend, 77 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: everything you've poured into your children, from the small, unseen 78 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: acts of service to the momentous occasions, is being used 79 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: by God to write something eternal. You may not see 80 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: the full harvest the sight of heaven. But you can 81 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: trust the one who promised that his word and his 82 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: work in you will never return void. So as you 83 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: close this book and step back into your ordinary day, 84 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: I pray you carry this truth with you. God sees you, 85 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: he has equipped you, and he's writing a good eternal 86 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: story within your family. Let's pray, Lord, thank you for 87 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: meeting us in the gentle whisper, even when we may 88 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: have expected fire and wind. Thank you for the truth 89 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: that nothing about our motherhood is wasted in your hands. 90 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: As we close this book, give us courage to keep 91 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: showing up in the little moments, trusting that you are 92 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: weaving them into something eternal. Remind us that we don't 93 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 1: carry this calleen alone. You go before us, beside us, 94 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: and within us every step of the way. 95 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 2: And Jesus amen, I hope you are following along with 96 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 2: us in our summer book club featuring the book when 97 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 2: Mothering is Hard and no one sees by Scheline Roberts. 98 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: If you have not joined us yet, it's not too 99 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: late to jump in. Head to the home page of 100 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 2: our website to find out more. Until next time, friends, 101 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 2: the Lord bless you and keep you make his face 102 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the 103 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: Lord look with favor on you and give you his peace.