1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:03,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, where 3 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: we're dedicated to helping moms pray God's word for their 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 2: families in the areas they need at most. I'm your host, 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 2: Nicolette Bell. Over the last decade, we've helped thousands of 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 2: moms make prayer a priority for their families. Our mission 7 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: is to help you do the same. Prayer is not 8 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 2: a last resort. It's our first and best response to 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: the challenges of parenting. A partnership for the hearts of 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 2: our children that God invites us into. Today's devotion is 11 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 2: written and read by Doris Swift, author of the Bible 12 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: study Surrender the Joy Stealers Rediscover the Jesus Joy in you. 13 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 2: To learn more about Doris, or to learn more about 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 2: how you can get involved in the ministry of Million 15 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: Praying Moms, visit today's show notes or MILI Prayingmoms dot com. 16 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 2: After a word from our sponsors, will pray together for 17 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:06,400 Speaker 2: our children. 18 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: Genesis fifty nineteen through twenty one. But Joseph said to them, 19 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: do not fear for am I in the place of God. 20 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: As for you you meant evil against me. But God 21 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: meant it for good to bring it about that many 22 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: people should be kept alive as they are today. So 23 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: do not fear. I will provide for you and your 24 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: little ones. Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. 25 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: Have you felt it too, that urge to plunge headfirst 26 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: into something bigger than yourself, to be used by God 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: as a beacon of hope in our families and in 28 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: the world. Except there's that one thing that hurt, pain, betrayal, loss, 29 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: whatever it is that binds us up and holds us back. 30 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: So how do we walk in our calling while our 31 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: hearts are mending? Joseph understood this broken heart thing well. 32 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: He was the favorite son, and his brothers knew it 33 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: a surefire recipe for a family feud. The brothers were 34 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: further irked by Joseph's crazy dreams of their sheaves of 35 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: grain bowing to his and his being center stage in 36 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: a celestial worship service of sorts. Actually irked isn't the 37 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 1: biblical word hate is? And as we know, those dreams 38 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: weren't crazy, they were prophetic. Joseph's dad, Israel, had sent 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: him on a mission to check on his brothers and 40 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: the flocks they were tending, but what happens next is 41 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: often glossed over in light of the big picture outcome 42 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: and a colorful coat. Many of us first heard the 43 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: story of Joseph in Sunday school, and as a Sunday 44 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: school teacher for many years, I've stood in front of 45 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: countless wiggling littles trying to cram this powerful story in 46 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: between the I miss my mom, crocodile, and when is 47 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: it snaptime? Missus Doris. On a Sunday morning with limited time, 48 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: we tend to tell Bible stories roadrunner style, and I 49 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: can't blame the wiggly littles for my rush to get 50 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: to the end. I think we all want to jump 51 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: right to the good part, the part where Joseph's brothers 52 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: show up and find out Joseph's calling by God is 53 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: the reason they aren't going to starve to death. But 54 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: when his brothers stripped Joseph of his beloved coat of 55 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: many colors, their envious fingerprints all over it, did it 56 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: break Joseph's heart? I'm sure it must have. And when 57 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: he heard his brothers selling him off like used furniture, 58 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: did it break Joseph's heart? I'm sure it must have. 59 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: But throughout the story we see the goodness of God 60 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: and how Joseph fulfilled his calling while his heart was 61 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: still mending. And don't we love the part when those 62 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,119 Speaker 1: brothers finally get what those crazy dreams meant. But today 63 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: that often glossed over part of the story I mentioned 64 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: earlier made me cry. It's the part when Joseph's dad 65 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: sends him to find his brothers and their flocks, and 66 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: they weren't where they were supposed to be, but Joseph 67 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: still kept looking for them. Isn't that so like our Jesus. 68 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: Even when we aren't where we're supposed to be, and 69 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: even when we probably don't deserve to be found, he 70 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: pursues us anyway, And even when all seems hopeless, it 71 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: never really is, because God is with us. God binds 72 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,839 Speaker 1: our wounds with heavenly threads of love, hope, grace, peace, 73 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: and mercy, and he can use us in great and 74 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: mighty ways in all seasons for his glory. Even while 75 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: he's mending our hurting hearts. Our Lord, who intricately embroidered 76 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: our very being, can delicately restore that which is broken. 77 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: He is the God of restoration and nothing is too 78 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: hard for him, and that's how we can walk in 79 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: our calling while our hearts are mending. Let's pray, Father, 80 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: thank you for mending our broken places and healing our hearts. 81 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 1: Help us to be women who say, as in the 82 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,239 Speaker 1: words of Isaiah, here I am Lord. Send me even 83 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: in the hardest seasons. Use us for your glory, that 84 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: we might be a beacon of hope to our family 85 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: and to the world. In Jesus' name. 86 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: Amen, friends, We have completely revamped our Patreon tears. Now 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 2: with a ten dollars monthly donation, you automatically receive our 88 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: favorite monthly downloadable prayer calendar of curated scripture inspired prayers 89 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 2: that complement the devotions and prayers from the podcast. You 90 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 2: also receive each day's devotion and prayer in written form, 91 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 2: including reflection questions to accompany your quiet time. Many of 92 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 2: our members enjoy having the ability to read the day's 93 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 2: devotion or to save the prayer for future use. Lastly, 94 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: when you become a Praying Mom, you're invited to a 95 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 2: monthly mom chat with me and surprise guests from our 96 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 2: other million Praying Mom authors. You can learn more in 97 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 2: today's show notes or at millionprayingmoms dot com. Until next time, friends, 98 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 2: the Lord bless you and keep you. Make his face 99 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 2: shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the 100 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 2: Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.