1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:19,030 Speaker 1: Life Audio You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, 2 00:00:19,090 --> 00:00:21,409 Speaker 1: helping you pray God's Word for your family in the 3 00:00:21,489 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: areas you need it most. I'm your host, Nicolette Bell. Here, 4 00:00:25,380 --> 00:00:28,780 Speaker 1: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 5 00:00:28,940 --> 00:00:32,260 Speaker 1: and best response in parenting. and every day we come 6 00:00:32,300 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. Today, 7 00:00:36,140 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: I want to share a preview from my newest devotional, 8 00:00:38,780 --> 00:00:41,620 Speaker 1: Everyday Prayers for Moms, Praying God's Word for Your Children 9 00:00:41,659 --> 00:00:44,890 Speaker 1: from Newborn to Empty Nest, that comes out next week. 10 00:00:45,330 --> 00:00:47,630 Speaker 1: I'm so excited it's finally here, and today I'm going 11 00:00:47,670 --> 00:00:50,670 Speaker 1: to read a little bit from the introduction to give 12 00:00:50,710 --> 00:00:56,410 Speaker 1: you a sneak peek. Introduction The pages of this book 13 00:00:56,510 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: were written in the trenches of motherhood. Some entries were 14 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,420 Speaker 1: written while I was pregnant with our second born. Others 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: were written during 2 a.m. nursing sessions in the squeaky 16 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:10,309 Speaker 1: rocker in our nursery. My eyes drooping a bit using 17 00:01:10,350 --> 00:01:13,090 Speaker 1: the notes app and voice to text on my iPhone. 18 00:01:14,190 --> 00:01:16,390 Speaker 1: As I type this out, my shirt is stained, my 19 00:01:16,450 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: jeans are a bit too tight, and I am only 20 00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:22,020 Speaker 1: on my second cup of coffee. Trying to get a 21 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,620 Speaker 1: little work in before heading out the door for carpool. 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: Maybe you can relate. This book was written for real 23 00:01:28,860 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: moms doing real mom things day in and day out, 24 00:01:33,140 --> 00:01:36,330 Speaker 1: working to love and support their family in prayer. It 25 00:01:36,390 --> 00:01:39,730 Speaker 1: is an invitation to encounter the scriptures and receive God's 26 00:01:39,810 --> 00:01:43,170 Speaker 1: grace in the spilled milk of the toddler, the slammed 27 00:01:43,290 --> 00:01:46,150 Speaker 1: door of the teenager, and the starting of the car 28 00:01:46,230 --> 00:01:49,980 Speaker 1: that drives off to the college dorm. That's the beauty 29 00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:54,020 Speaker 1: of motherhood. the quiet moments that no one sees when 30 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,550 Speaker 1: you faithfully show up for your children again and again. 31 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:03,330 Speaker 1: Not perfect, but present. In this book, we will discover 32 00:02:03,550 --> 00:02:08,810 Speaker 1: why praying God's Word for our children matters, explore how 33 00:02:09,250 --> 00:02:13,030 Speaker 1: to pray God's Word for our children in simple everyday practice, 34 00:02:13,710 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: uncover what happens when we pray God's Word for our children, 35 00:02:18,570 --> 00:02:23,239 Speaker 1: and what fruit we can expect from Mothering doesn't come 36 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: with a handbook, but God's Word can serve as a blueprint, 37 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:32,020 Speaker 1: empowering our prayers for our children. As believers in Jesus, 38 00:02:32,180 --> 00:02:35,500 Speaker 1: our desire and goal is to become more like Him. 39 00:02:36,150 --> 00:02:39,089 Speaker 1: Jesus was a man of prayer. He would often get 40 00:02:39,150 --> 00:02:42,490 Speaker 1: up early or stay up all night to pray. He 41 00:02:42,530 --> 00:02:46,090 Speaker 1: prayed before all of His major decisions. Even though He 42 00:02:46,150 --> 00:02:49,710 Speaker 1: had true communion with the Father, He prioritized prayer, and 43 00:02:49,870 --> 00:02:52,769 Speaker 1: we want to do the same. Each day we will 44 00:02:52,810 --> 00:02:55,450 Speaker 1: study scripture and spend time in prayer for our families. 45 00:02:55,930 --> 00:02:58,810 Speaker 1: In this book, we use the Million Praying Moms Think, Pray, 46 00:02:58,870 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: Praise method of prayer developed by our founder, Brooke McLaughlin. 47 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,299 Speaker 1: I'll invite you into this method with our daily entries. 48 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,269 Speaker 1: It's both simple and spiritual. Additionally, you will see a 49 00:03:11,310 --> 00:03:14,150 Speaker 1: section called To Do. This section is meant for you 50 00:03:14,190 --> 00:03:16,429 Speaker 1: to write down any to-dos that pop up in your 51 00:03:16,470 --> 00:03:19,059 Speaker 1: head while you are meeting with God in prayer. It's 52 00:03:19,220 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: amazing how getting a thought down on paper can release 53 00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: our minds and allow us to focus back on God. 54 00:03:25,260 --> 00:03:27,620 Speaker 1: I love that Brooke included this as part of our method. 55 00:03:28,020 --> 00:03:30,300 Speaker 1: It's made a huge difference in my own prayer life. 56 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,150 Speaker 1: Unique to this book within the Everyday Prayer series, I 57 00:03:34,330 --> 00:03:37,330 Speaker 1: have written and included a breath prayer for every day. 58 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:40,070 Speaker 1: I first learned the practice of breath prayers with one 59 00:03:40,150 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: simple verse, Psalm 4610. Breath prayers are really pretty easy. 60 00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: You inhale and exhale on a four count beat. One, two, three, four. 61 00:03:50,710 --> 00:03:54,470 Speaker 1: To a scripture or biblical promise. For example, you breathe in. 62 00:03:56,110 --> 00:04:00,570 Speaker 1: Be still and know and exhale that he is God. 63 00:04:01,170 --> 00:04:03,770 Speaker 1: And you repeat it over and over. When I first 64 00:04:03,810 --> 00:04:05,890 Speaker 1: learned about breath prayers in the midst of a season 65 00:04:05,910 --> 00:04:09,350 Speaker 1: of grief, I began to practice with this verse on repeat. 66 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: and I truly believed it was one of the tools 67 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: that God used to pull me out of a pit 68 00:04:13,820 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: of despair and restore to me the joy of His salvation. 69 00:04:18,020 --> 00:04:20,020 Speaker 1: My hope is that the breath prayers in this book 70 00:04:20,350 --> 00:04:22,390 Speaker 1: will help you slow down in the midst of the 71 00:04:22,450 --> 00:04:26,130 Speaker 1: chaos of motherhood, connect you to your breathing, and ultimately 72 00:04:26,190 --> 00:04:29,470 Speaker 1: connect you to your Creator. Praying for our kids every 73 00:04:29,510 --> 00:04:33,450 Speaker 1: day makes every kind of difference. Commit to this devotional 74 00:04:33,510 --> 00:04:35,890 Speaker 1: for the next 30 days, and when we're finished with 75 00:04:35,950 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: our study, we'll give God all the glory for how 76 00:04:39,060 --> 00:04:42,260 Speaker 1: he has helped us to grow in praying for our children. 77 00:04:44,410 --> 00:04:47,810 Speaker 1: So a little excerpt for you for everyday prayers for moms. 78 00:04:48,250 --> 00:04:51,310 Speaker 1: There are still a few days left to pre-order and 79 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:54,169 Speaker 1: to get your pre-order bonus. If you pre-order today, you 80 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:58,510 Speaker 1: receive early access to our new prayer video course that 81 00:04:58,570 --> 00:05:01,930 Speaker 1: is a great preview or a companion for the book. 82 00:05:01,970 --> 00:05:04,490 Speaker 1: You can find a pre-order link in our show notes. 83 00:05:05,130 --> 00:05:07,820 Speaker 1: Today's devotional is written and read by Emily Waranga. She's 84 00:05:07,860 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: the founder of the Lulu Tree and author of her 85 00:05:10,900 --> 00:05:13,620 Speaker 1: new book, Commune With Me. It's a shorter one, so 86 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:18,659 Speaker 1: I decided to tack on that intro preview for you, 87 00:05:19,020 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: but today we're Emily shares a prayer for when God 88 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,979 Speaker 1: feels far away. To learn more about her or to 89 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: learn more about our ministry, visit millionprayingmoms.com. After a quick 90 00:05:29,660 --> 00:05:32,350 Speaker 1: word from our sponsors, we'll pray together for our families. 91 00:05:32,370 --> 00:05:42,310 Speaker 2: A prayer for when God feels far away. I remember 92 00:05:42,370 --> 00:05:45,540 Speaker 2: her arms as I lie there in the dark. I 93 00:05:45,580 --> 00:05:48,570 Speaker 2: was 11 and she was my mother. I called her 94 00:05:48,610 --> 00:05:51,390 Speaker 2: mom because she was British and her tongue rolled with 95 00:05:51,410 --> 00:05:55,830 Speaker 2: the British curl. She smelled of Jergens body lotion. Her 96 00:05:55,890 --> 00:05:59,740 Speaker 2: hands were worn from mending clothes and making bread and 97 00:05:59,770 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 2: doing laundry. Her face wore worry like a gently used sweater. 98 00:06:04,779 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: I was sick. I was hungry. Night was the only 99 00:06:09,860 --> 00:06:13,030 Speaker 2: time mom could hold me. Night when she thought I 100 00:06:13,060 --> 00:06:16,210 Speaker 2: was sleeping. I wouldn't let her hug me during the day. 101 00:06:17,470 --> 00:06:20,330 Speaker 2: She did it only once that I know of. I 102 00:06:20,390 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 2: couldn't sleep that night, my stomach keeping me awake with 103 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 2: its loud growl. It sounded like I held the hunger 104 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 2: of nations. I doubted all the food in the world 105 00:06:30,380 --> 00:06:34,179 Speaker 2: could fill me. My entire family could hear my hunger. 106 00:06:35,820 --> 00:06:38,810 Speaker 2: We slept close there, in that cottage by the lake 107 00:06:38,850 --> 00:06:42,110 Speaker 2: where loons called long and slow, with a titter at 108 00:06:42,150 --> 00:06:46,330 Speaker 2: the end like they were laughing. Plywood walls separated us 109 00:06:46,410 --> 00:06:50,070 Speaker 2: in our beds like dashes in a sentence. If I 110 00:06:50,110 --> 00:06:52,830 Speaker 2: were Mom, I would have stuffed bread into my mouth 111 00:06:53,029 --> 00:06:57,250 Speaker 2: to silence the growl, to fill in the gaps. Instead, 112 00:06:57,270 --> 00:07:01,710 Speaker 2: Mom entered into it. She stepped inside my hunger like 113 00:07:01,750 --> 00:07:05,339 Speaker 2: it was a door swung open, and she settled into it, 114 00:07:05,779 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 2: found a chair, and sat down, and she stayed. I 115 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,370 Speaker 2: remember her arms. how they felt warm and strong, and 116 00:07:13,430 --> 00:07:15,890 Speaker 2: even though I pretended to be asleep, I stayed awake 117 00:07:15,950 --> 00:07:19,470 Speaker 2: so I could feel her love. And this is what 118 00:07:19,530 --> 00:07:24,180 Speaker 2: Jesus did. He didn't stuff truth down our throats. He 119 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 2: entered into our hunger. He stepped through earth's door, settled 120 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:33,980 Speaker 2: into the skin of humanity, and stayed. I remember his arms, 121 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,710 Speaker 2: how they hung there, were nailed there, when everything in 122 00:07:38,790 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: him cried, HOLY. how stretched he was, to show us 123 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 2: how wide his love is. Recently, a woman I know 124 00:07:47,340 --> 00:07:49,780 Speaker 2: was riding in a truck and was in an accident. 125 00:07:50,260 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: The truck was totaled. She was rushed to the hospital and, 126 00:07:53,780 --> 00:07:59,170 Speaker 2: being pregnant, given an ultrasound. The screen showed placental abruption. 127 00:07:59,670 --> 00:08:02,750 Speaker 2: The placenta, or the glue that attaches the baby to 128 00:08:02,790 --> 00:08:06,590 Speaker 2: the uterus, had been severed. Nutrition and oxygen to the 129 00:08:06,630 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: baby had been halted. a rushed surgery, many prayers, and 130 00:08:11,340 --> 00:08:14,100 Speaker 2: a picture of Mama and her baby on Mama's chest, 131 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 2: safe in her arms. I'd suffered a type of placental abruption. 132 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:22,940 Speaker 2: Life had jarred me. Sin and Satan had severed me 133 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,730 Speaker 2: from food and life and oxygen. I was floating, lost, 134 00:08:26,830 --> 00:08:30,950 Speaker 2: yet all the time the uterus was there, containing me. 135 00:08:31,570 --> 00:08:35,390 Speaker 2: God was there, surrounding me, because nothing can separate us 136 00:08:35,429 --> 00:08:40,459 Speaker 2: from his love. Instead, Christ came. became placenta, became nutrition, 137 00:08:40,500 --> 00:08:43,069 Speaker 2: and glued me back to the Father's heart that I 138 00:08:43,130 --> 00:08:47,349 Speaker 2: might feed and breathe and live through him. Friend, remember 139 00:08:47,450 --> 00:08:51,330 Speaker 2: his arms. Feel them around you. They will never let 140 00:08:51,370 --> 00:08:56,980 Speaker 2: you go. Enter in, O great I am. Dear Christ 141 00:08:57,020 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 2: who came down from heaven, who was nailed, who suffered, 142 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:04,100 Speaker 2: thank you for reattaching me to Father God. Thank you 143 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,020 Speaker 2: for filling in the gaps with yourself. Thank you for 144 00:09:07,059 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 2: your gentleness, your kindness, which leads me to repentance. 145 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,230 Speaker 1: My guess is that if you're here listening to the 146 00:09:14,330 --> 00:09:18,550 Speaker 1: Everyday Prayers podcast, you kind of care about praying for 147 00:09:18,750 --> 00:09:23,210 Speaker 1: your children. My newest book, Everyday Prayers for Moms, Praying 148 00:09:23,250 --> 00:09:26,570 Speaker 1: God's Work from Your Children from Newborn to Emptiness, is 149 00:09:26,750 --> 00:09:30,770 Speaker 1: a great resource for moms who desire to pray for 150 00:09:30,809 --> 00:09:32,930 Speaker 1: their kids. I don't know if you've ever looked up 151 00:09:32,970 --> 00:09:34,850 Speaker 1: at the end of the day and realized that you 152 00:09:34,890 --> 00:09:39,189 Speaker 1: didn't pray at all. So often we have this desire 153 00:09:39,230 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: to pray, but we may not know how to put 154 00:09:42,580 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: that desire in to practice. I'm learning in motherhood that 155 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:49,699 Speaker 1: my prayers adapt and change based on the season that 156 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:52,500 Speaker 1: we're in as a family. I'm also learning to give 157 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:57,030 Speaker 1: myself grace in those different seasons. I know God isn't 158 00:09:57,210 --> 00:10:00,929 Speaker 1: after perfect, polished prayers. He's after my heart. and He's 159 00:10:01,130 --> 00:10:05,390 Speaker 1: after yours too. So my plan is to be intentional, 160 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 1: whatever that looks like in this season. I hope that 161 00:10:09,059 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: is your plan as well. God sees our hearts. He's 162 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:17,100 Speaker 1: honored by our desire to connect with Him. If you're 163 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:19,890 Speaker 1: feeling stuck in your prayer life, I've got a new 164 00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:26,590 Speaker 1: free download, a five-day prayer reset. It's a great guide 165 00:10:26,770 --> 00:10:31,270 Speaker 1: to help you get started, jump back in, stay consistent, 166 00:10:31,710 --> 00:10:34,790 Speaker 1: grow deeper in your prayers for your kids. It's also 167 00:10:34,820 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: a great tool to share with your friends or with 168 00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:42,180 Speaker 1: your family members that may be seeking to know God 169 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:46,650 Speaker 1: deeper in prayer as they're wanting to pray for You 170 00:10:46,670 --> 00:10:51,250 Speaker 1: will grab your copy today at millionprayingmoms.com. We'll also put 171 00:10:51,309 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: a link in our show notes. Until next time, friends, 172 00:10:56,020 --> 00:10:57,239 Speaker 1: may the Lord bless. 173 00:10:56,960 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 2: You and keep you. 174 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,819 Speaker 1: Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 175 00:11:02,660 --> 00:11:06,070 Speaker 1: May the Lord look with favor upon you and give 176 00:11:06,110 --> 00:11:08,050 Speaker 1: you His peace. Amen.