1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:18,030 Speaker 1: Life Audio. You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:18,070 --> 00:00:20,189 Speaker 1: helping you pray God's word for your family in the 3 00:00:20,290 --> 00:00:23,650 Speaker 1: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 4 00:00:23,730 --> 00:00:26,740 Speaker 1: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 5 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,020 Speaker 1: and best response in parenting. And every day, we come 6 00:00:30,060 --> 00:00:32,700 Speaker 1: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 7 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,470 Speaker 1: This fall, we are praying through the nine fruit of 8 00:00:35,510 --> 00:00:38,450 Speaker 1: the Spirit in nine weeks using devotions adapted from our 9 00:00:38,490 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: Everyday Prayers devotional series. This week's prayer focus is goodness. 10 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,419 Speaker 1: Today's devotion is written and read by Gina Smith, author 11 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,510 Speaker 1: of Everyday Prayers for Joy. To learn more about Gina, 12 00:00:49,780 --> 00:00:53,270 Speaker 1: our ministry, or to grab copies of our Everyday Prayers devotionals, 13 00:00:53,510 --> 00:00:58,590 Speaker 1: visit millionprayingmoms.com. And just for our podcast community, you can 14 00:00:58,650 --> 00:01:02,990 Speaker 1: visit our mom shop and use the code FALL20 for 20% 15 00:01:02,990 --> 00:01:06,030 Speaker 1: off your order. After a quick word from our sponsors, 16 00:01:06,069 --> 00:01:07,789 Speaker 1: we will pray together for our families. 17 00:01:11,819 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 2: Philippians 1.6 And I am sure of this, that he 18 00:01:16,580 --> 00:01:18,780 Speaker 2: who began a good work in you will bring it 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,470 Speaker 2: to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. From the 20 00:01:22,510 --> 00:01:25,850 Speaker 2: day we brought my second-born baby home, he has been 21 00:01:25,890 --> 00:01:29,350 Speaker 2: different from his older sister. One day while discussing with 22 00:01:29,410 --> 00:01:32,350 Speaker 2: my midwife some challenges I was having with my newborn, 23 00:01:33,030 --> 00:01:35,660 Speaker 2: I said, My daughter didn't do this. I didn't have 24 00:01:35,700 --> 00:01:38,059 Speaker 2: to deal with this when she was born. She looked 25 00:01:38,100 --> 00:01:41,660 Speaker 2: at me and said, He's not your daughter. He's an individual. 26 00:01:42,540 --> 00:01:44,619 Speaker 2: That's when it hit me that I was starting over 27 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: with him. I thought I'd have it easier with baby 28 00:01:47,420 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 2: number two, but I had to take the time to 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,550 Speaker 2: get to know him and how God made him. As 30 00:01:52,610 --> 00:01:55,490 Speaker 2: we continued raising our children, it was very evident that 31 00:01:55,530 --> 00:02:00,150 Speaker 2: they were individuals with completely different personalities. Their learning styles 32 00:02:00,190 --> 00:02:03,730 Speaker 2: were different. They matured at different paces. They had different 33 00:02:03,790 --> 00:02:07,790 Speaker 2: interests and their natural abilities were different. It has been 34 00:02:07,810 --> 00:02:10,270 Speaker 2: a long journey of working to get to know them 35 00:02:10,470 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: and allowing God to grow them at His pace and 36 00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:17,860 Speaker 2: in His timing. The temptation has often been to look 37 00:02:17,900 --> 00:02:21,220 Speaker 2: at their outward actions and reactions and to want to 38 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:24,859 Speaker 2: force them into a particular way of behaving. What we 39 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:28,090 Speaker 2: discovered was that it was more important that we relax, 40 00:02:28,190 --> 00:02:31,210 Speaker 2: give it time, allow them to grow, and let God 41 00:02:31,290 --> 00:02:34,810 Speaker 2: do a work in their heart. Now that they are adults, 42 00:02:35,410 --> 00:02:37,829 Speaker 2: I have found had to keep in mind that they 43 00:02:37,870 --> 00:02:40,590 Speaker 2: will still have different needs and different ways of relating. 44 00:02:41,230 --> 00:02:45,010 Speaker 2: It's easy to have expectations or desires when our kids 45 00:02:45,060 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 2: become adults. We might want to have a particular kind 46 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,500 Speaker 2: of relationship with them, or we desire that they call 47 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,619 Speaker 2: or text or whatever it is that we want. What 48 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 2: I'm finding is that the way that it has played 49 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,559 Speaker 2: out has been different with each of my kids. They 50 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,660 Speaker 2: interact and relate in different ways, just like when they 51 00:03:02,700 --> 00:03:06,450 Speaker 2: were younger. They are easing into their roles as adults, spouses, 52 00:03:06,750 --> 00:03:09,850 Speaker 2: and parents, and they are learning how to navigate those roles. 53 00:03:10,570 --> 00:03:13,750 Speaker 2: I need to take time and step back and pray 54 00:03:13,810 --> 00:03:16,010 Speaker 2: for God to show me how He wants me to 55 00:03:16,070 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: be there for them and give them room to grow 56 00:03:18,780 --> 00:03:22,540 Speaker 2: and learn. It's easy to take things personally when our 57 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,220 Speaker 2: adult kids don't respond the way we'd hoped they would, 58 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,639 Speaker 2: or things don't look like we might have wanted them to. 59 00:03:29,220 --> 00:03:31,340 Speaker 2: But that has been the most important time for me 60 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:34,089 Speaker 2: to spend time in prayer, asking God to help me 61 00:03:34,590 --> 00:03:38,010 Speaker 2: not to make things about me and my desires. That 62 00:03:38,090 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 2: is when I have had to seek God and ask 63 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,100 Speaker 2: him to show me how each of my children might 64 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,339 Speaker 2: need me to be there for them. And I've had 65 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,660 Speaker 2: to ask God to give me the grace to be 66 00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 2: able to step back and to allow them room to 67 00:03:50,460 --> 00:03:55,110 Speaker 2: learn how to navigate life in their own God-given roles. 68 00:03:55,890 --> 00:04:00,620 Speaker 2: There's so much going on I can't see. Our adult 69 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,980 Speaker 2: children will not always be available to us or react 70 00:04:04,020 --> 00:04:06,380 Speaker 2: in the way we wish they would. We might be 71 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,540 Speaker 2: tempted to want to manipulate the narratives so we can 72 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: get what we want. But if we want them to 73 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 2: be all that God intended them to be, it's best 74 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,980 Speaker 2: if we step back, pray, quietly wait one day at 75 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 2: a time, and continue to pray. Our daily prayers are 76 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: the best things we have to offer them as adults. 77 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: And that's what God will use Philippians 1.6 is such 78 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 2: a great reminder for us to continue to pray for 79 00:04:36,820 --> 00:04:39,100 Speaker 2: God to work in the hearts of our adult children 80 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 2: so that they will grow and be all God wants 81 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 2: them to be. Father, thank you for the promise that 82 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,900 Speaker 2: you will complete the good work that you have begun 83 00:04:48,930 --> 00:04:51,870 Speaker 2: in my children, that you will complete the good work 84 00:04:51,910 --> 00:04:54,470 Speaker 2: that you have begun in me and in our family. 85 00:04:55,089 --> 00:04:57,430 Speaker 2: Help me to rely on you as my children grow, 86 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,500 Speaker 2: And as we grow in our new roles, help me 87 00:05:01,580 --> 00:05:05,350 Speaker 2: not to have expectations or make everything about me. Help 88 00:05:05,390 --> 00:05:07,830 Speaker 2: me to be able to patiently step back and allow 89 00:05:07,850 --> 00:05:11,190 Speaker 2: them to learn and grow as adults. And help me 90 00:05:11,210 --> 00:05:13,450 Speaker 2: to continue to grow and learn in my new role 91 00:05:13,550 --> 00:05:16,070 Speaker 2: as a mom of adult children. I want it to 92 00:05:16,130 --> 00:05:18,469 Speaker 2: be all about you and your work in their lives 93 00:05:18,890 --> 00:05:21,540 Speaker 2: and not about me and what I hope our relationship 94 00:05:21,779 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 2: might look like. Amen. 95 00:05:24,110 --> 00:05:26,169 Speaker 1: As part of our Fruit of the Spirit prayers and 96 00:05:26,270 --> 00:05:29,950 Speaker 1: everyday prayers for the school year book club, Tara Cole 97 00:05:30,050 --> 00:05:33,570 Speaker 1: and I created a free car conversations guide for your 98 00:05:33,630 --> 00:05:37,140 Speaker 1: family to use this fall. The car is sometimes the 99 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: best place for our most precious conversations with our kids. 100 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 1: As we are praying through the Fruit of the Spirit, 101 00:05:44,460 --> 00:05:47,820 Speaker 1: our hope is that you can have meaningful conversations with 102 00:05:47,900 --> 00:05:51,510 Speaker 1: your kids about what living out these fruit looks like 103 00:05:51,630 --> 00:05:54,409 Speaker 1: in their daily lives. Tara and I created a series 104 00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:56,900 Speaker 1: of quick questions. She wrote some for the older kids. 105 00:05:57,100 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: I wrote some for younger kids. And we share a 106 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: prayer that you can share with your children about each 107 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,860 Speaker 1: of the fruit of the Spirit. Download your copy for 108 00:06:05,940 --> 00:06:08,490 Speaker 1: free on our website or the link in our show notes. 109 00:06:09,190 --> 00:06:13,190 Speaker 1: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 110 00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:17,130 Speaker 1: Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 111 00:06:17,890 --> 00:06:20,670 Speaker 1: May the Lord look with favor on you and give 112 00:06:20,730 --> 00:06:21,330 Speaker 1: you peace.