1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms helping 3 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, nicol let Bell. 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: Here we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 2: first and best response in parenting, and every day we 7 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 2: come together to partner with God for the hearts of 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 2: our children. Today's devotion is written and read by Christy Thomas, 9 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 2: author of Everyday Prayers for Gentleness. Today, Christy shares a 10 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: prayer to find complete joy in Jesus alone. To find 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: out more about Christy or to learn more about the 12 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: ministry of Million Praying Moms, visit Millionprayingmoms dot com. You'll 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: find a link in our show notes. After a quick 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: word from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our families. 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: Matthew twenty five twenty one. His master said to him, 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over 17 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: a little. I will set you over much. Enter into 18 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: the joy of your Master. All of my boys grumbled 19 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: as I called them downstairs. How dare I ask them 20 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 1: to help sort the enormous pile of clean laundry. It 21 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: wasn't like they had put the pile in the middle 22 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: of the floor. Instead of forcing them to get moving 23 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: or yelling at them, I reminded them that Daddy had 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: put the laundry on the floor and was planning to 25 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: fold it later. Wouldn't it be such a fun surprise 26 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,080 Speaker 1: for him if we put it away before he gets 27 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: home from his job, I hinted. One by one, their 28 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: eyes began to sparkle. Yes, they would serve their daddy 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: by sorting and putting away their laundry. And just like that, 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: it became a game. Laundry was being tossed into baskets 31 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: like basketball all stars. Boys were giggling while they made 32 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: puppets out of folded socks, and the overall mood was 33 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: much more joyful. If I had asked them what they 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: wanted to do that morning, I doubt they would have said, 35 00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: you know what, Mom, I would gain great joy from 36 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,559 Speaker 1: folding socks. But it turns out that serving their daddy 37 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: was the key to joy, isn't it always? My joy 38 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: doesn't depend on getting what I want. In fact, getting 39 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: everything I want it seems to be a sure fire 40 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: away to turn me into an entitled grouchy person. My 41 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: joy springs from a heart that honestly wants to serve 42 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: my heavenly Daddy, choosing to serve him and his people 43 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: in my perfectly imperfect way. In today's passage, Jesus tells 44 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: the story of a master and his servants. The master 45 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: decides to go away and entrusts three of his servants 46 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: with immense amounts of gold. Each servant gets a different amount, 47 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: but they're all entrusted. The first two servants use the gold, wisely, 48 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: investing it on their master's behalf. The third servant digs 49 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: a hole and sticks the gold inside. I suppose that's 50 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: the ancient equivalent to stuffing it under your bed. When 51 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: the master returns, he gushes over the first two servants 52 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: and doing things with the gold that are in alignment 53 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: with the master's vision and goals. The servants enter into 54 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: his joy. Their service brings joy to both master and servant. 55 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: The third servant pulls his dirty bag of gold out 56 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: of the hole and hands it back sheepishly, and the 57 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: master ends up casting him out. Why was it a 58 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: crime to keep the gold safe? I don't think the 59 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: point in this parable is that if we don't use 60 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: our gifts. He'll send us to help. But we do 61 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: see a significant difference in attitude between Servants one and 62 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: two and Servants three. The goal and heart are the 63 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: first two servants aligned with their Master's heart and goal, 64 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: which enabled them to serve in a way that brought 65 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: everyone joy. Have you ever had a time where you 66 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: were grumbling about something but discovered once you began to 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 1: serve that had brought you a surprising amount of joy? 68 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: Why do you think God created our souls this way? 69 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: Why do we often fight against it? Let's pray, Lord, 70 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: I thank you that you are just and merciful and faithful. 71 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: Please help my heart to align with yours so that 72 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: I serve in a way that brings you joy. May 73 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: my joy be made complete in you and you alone 74 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: in Jesus name, I mean, I. 75 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 2: Hope you are following along with us in our summer 76 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: book club featuring the book when Mothering is Heart and 77 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: no One sees spacialin Roberts. If you have not joined 78 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 2: us yet, it's not too late to jump in. Head 79 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: to the homepage of our website to find out more. 80 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep 81 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: you make his face shine upon you, and be gracious 82 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: to you. Me The Lord look with favor on you, 83 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 2: and give you his peace.