1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, where we 3 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,239 Speaker 2: help you find the words you need to connect to 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 2: your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening in your 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: life today, you can trust that God wants. 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: To hear from you. 7 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: Right after this short word from our sponsors, we'll pray 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 2: through today's prayer to be disposable for the Lord. A 9 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 2: Prayer to be Disposable for the Lord, written by Christine F. Perry, 10 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 2: read by Lea Gerrard. For I am already being poured 11 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 2: out like offering, and the time for my departure is 12 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: near two Timothy four to six. After years of writing 13 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: and months of editing, followed by months of waiting, I 14 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 2: held my first book, How I Met Peace in my hands. 15 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: It was a surreal moment. I was elated. 16 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 2: I had always wanted to write a book, but never 17 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 2: thought I would. It wasn't until God pushed me out 18 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: of a painful ministry experience and on to what I 19 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: would call the sidelines. I was at a loss as 20 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: to what to do and felt as though I was 21 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 2: starting from the bottom with no clear way forward. Yet 22 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 2: it was during that season that I began to write ferociously. 23 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: That period of writing lent itself not to one book, 24 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: but two. A year following the publication of How I 25 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: Met Peace, my book for the Weary Life Traveler came out. 26 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 2: And you may be thinking this is great, but what 27 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: does publishing books have to do as being disposable. Well, 28 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 2: just last year I received an email from my publisher. 29 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: He wrote that they were having to downsize and How 30 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: I Met Peace would be pulled from publication. I was shocked, hurt, 31 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 2: and disappointed. As I went through that day in a fog, 32 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: trying to keep my head above the sinking feeling of 33 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 2: not being enough. 34 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Elliott's words came to me. 35 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: If we are soldiers of Jesus Christ, as we're called 36 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 2: in two Timothy two four, he is our commanding officer, 37 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: We take his orders, and we are completely disposable. Let's 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: never forget that we're completely disposable. I realized not only 39 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: am I to be disposable for Christ, but the books 40 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 2: he's allowed me to write are also at his disposal. 41 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 2: He can do with them as he pleases. If I'm 42 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: being honest, this is a continuous battle for me because 43 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 2: I also need to apply this attitude of mentality to 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 2: every other area of my life. I may be okay 45 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 2: surrendering my books, But am I okay surrendering my relational status? 46 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 2: Am I willing to be childless for him? Am I 47 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: willing to endure a trying disease for him? Am I 48 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 2: willing to be overlooked? 49 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:21,399 Speaker 1: For him? 50 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 2: Paul says to Timothy that he is being poured out 51 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: as a drink offering. If we take a moment to 52 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 2: look at Paul's life, nothing about it looks like Paul. 53 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: His life looked like Christ's. 54 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 2: He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, wrongly, accused, abandoned, and yet 55 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 2: it was evident that he was not living for himself 56 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: or this life. He was living for Christ and for 57 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: his kingdom. When we look at our lives, mine included, 58 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 2: what does it look like? Are we busy building our 59 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 2: own kingdoms, careers and names for ourselves? Or are we 60 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 2: building Christ's kingdom? When people see us, hear us, and 61 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: interact with us, are they learning about us? Or are 62 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: they learning about Christ? Paul goes on in his letter 63 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: to Timothy and two Timothy four seventh through eight by 64 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,960 Speaker 2: saying this, I have fought the good fight. 65 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 66 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 2: Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, 67 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,919 Speaker 2: which the Lord, the Righteous Judge will award to me 68 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: on that day, and not only to me. 69 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 1: But also to all who have longed for his appearing. 70 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 2: Let's pray, dear Heavenly Father, you say in Matthew ten 71 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 2: thirty nine, he who finds his life will lose it, 72 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 2: and he who loses his life for my sake will 73 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: find it. Lord, I ask that you help us to 74 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 2: remember that we are soldiers for you, and that we 75 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 2: are your servants. Please help us not to make much 76 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,160 Speaker 2: of ourselves, but to make much of you. 77 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: Lord. 78 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 2: There's nothing good in us, and the only thing we 79 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 2: bring to our salvation is our sin. 80 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: We're helpless without you. Please draw us close to you. 81 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 2: Please help us to be humble, gentle, kind, long suffering, 82 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things 83 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 2: for the glory of your name. 84 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: Lord, we love you. 85 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 2: Help us to love you better each moment you give 86 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 2: us to live. Help us to look out not for 87 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: our own interests, but to seek the benefit of others. 88 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 2: And please point out the areas in our lives that 89 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 2: aren't pleasing to you, and help us to correct them 90 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 2: so that we. 91 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: Can be useful to you. Amen. 92 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 2: Your daily prayer is a production of Life Ought and 93 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, be 94 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 2: sure to follow our sister show your nightly prayer. You 95 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 2: can find your nightly prayer at lifeaudio dot com or 96 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: in your favorite podcast app. By following your daily prayer 97 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 2: and your nightly prayer, you can be sure that your 98 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,479 Speaker 2: day begins and ends centered on the Word of God 99 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 2: and prayer.