1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 2: You're listening to Everyday Prayers with Million Praying Moms, helping 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: you pray God's word for your family in the areas 4 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: you need it most. I'm your host, Nicola Belle. Here 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: we believe prayer isn't a last resort. It's our first 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: and best response in parenting, and every day we come 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 2: together to partner with God for the hearts of our children. 8 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 2: Today's devotion is written and read by me, and it 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 2: comes from a teaching where Jesus emphasizes the importance of 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 2: our words and what they reveal about our hearts. It's 11 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: an excerpt from a book that I collaborated on called 12 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 2: Jesus among Us Walking with Him in Ministry and Miracles, 13 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 2: a part of the Life along the Way series by 14 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: journey Wise. To find out more about journey Wise, or 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: to learn more about them of Million Praying Moms, visit 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: Million Prayingmoms dot com. You'll find a link in our 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: show notes. After a quick word from our sponsors, will 18 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:15,759 Speaker 2: pray together for our children. Matthew twelve thirty three through 19 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: thirty seven. A tree is identified by its fruit. If 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If 21 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 2: a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. You 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 2: brood of snakes. How could evil men like you speak 23 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: what is good and right? For whatever is in your 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: heart determines what you say. A good person produces good 25 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 2: things from the treasury of a good heart, and an 26 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an 27 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 2: evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give 28 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: an account on Judgment Day. 29 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: For every idle word you speak. The words you say 30 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: will either acquit you or condemn you. 31 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: We are having a lot of conversations about words and 32 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 2: their power in my house with my almost five year. 33 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: Old Josie Lou. 34 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: We have been talking with her about this over and 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 2: over again and the importance of using kind words and 36 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 2: meaning what we say. In our passage today, Jesus confronts 37 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 2: the Pharisees. He tells them that the things we say matter. 38 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 2: Obviously we're not going to get it right all of 39 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: the time, but working on where our thoughts and words 40 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: come from is what's important. If you find yourself wondering 41 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: why did that just come out of my mouth? 42 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: Why did that come. 43 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 2: Into my head in the first place, the answer is 44 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: often it's what's in your heart. 45 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: And we don't like that answer, do we. 46 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: There is an undeniable connection between your heart and your tongue. 47 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: God describes our hearts as treasuries. In other words, our 48 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: hearts store up thoughts and feelings for retrieval at a 49 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: later time. What pops out of our mouth comes directly 50 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 2: from what's in our hearts. As we grow in our 51 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:15,239 Speaker 2: relationship with Christ, seeking him wholeheartedly and reading and obeying 52 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: his word, our hearts begin to change. That reservoir inside 53 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 2: us begins the process of being purified, and we become 54 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: more like Jesus. Good things start to come out of 55 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: our hearts. Words of love, praise, encouragement. The list of 56 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: positive and uplifting results could go on and on in 57 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 2: this passage. Here, these men's words were produced by cold, 58 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: hard hearts, hearts that cared only about themselves. They couldn't 59 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: wave off their comments as unintentional little mistakes. Their intentions 60 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: were obvious. What was in their hearts was clear to Jesus. 61 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: It's not that they just need to change their words. 62 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 2: They needed to change their hearts. And so often that 63 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 2: is the case in our own lives and in the 64 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 2: lives of our children. As we have been talking with 65 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: our daughter about the power of words. Again and again, 66 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: I'm even more aware of the words that I say 67 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 2: to her and around her, and what they say about 68 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 2: my heart and what is going on inside my head 69 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 2: and in my thoughts. I need help with this. I 70 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: need help with this. These words from Jesus tell us 71 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 2: that we're going to have to give an account on 72 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: judgment Day for every idle word that we speak. 73 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: Wow, that is convicting. It can be scary. 74 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 2: We have to remember that when we are standing before 75 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,559 Speaker 2: God on the account and judgment Day, when he looks 76 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 2: at us, he's going to see the blood of Christ 77 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: if we have put our trust in faith in Him. 78 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: So we don't have to be afraid. But we allow 79 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: this to move us to a place of seeking God 80 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:10,040 Speaker 2: more and conforming our hearts, allowing us to be transformed 81 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 2: by Him and his word and his power in our 82 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,720 Speaker 2: lives and in our family's lives. Our words have power. 83 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 2: Would we model that today for our children? And would 84 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 2: the Lord begin to work and store in our heart 85 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: good things, good fruit that would be produced from our lips. 86 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 2: Let's pray together, Lord God in our passage today, your 87 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: word says that whatever is in our hearts determines what 88 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 2: we say. 89 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: Help me to see my. 90 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,799 Speaker 2: Angry and hurtful words as a sign that my heart 91 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 2: needs to change. Please fill my heart with your thoughts 92 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 2: and purposes so that the words that come out of 93 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: my mouth will always be beneficial in loving to those 94 00:05:57,640 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 2: around me. 95 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: I pray the same thing for my family. 96 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: We need your help in Jesus' name. 97 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: Amen. 98 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 2: I hope you are following along with us in our 99 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: summer book club featuring the book When Mothering Is Hard 100 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 2: and No One Sees by Scheline Roberts. If you have 101 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 2: not joined us yet, it's not too late to jump in. 102 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 2: Head to the homepage of our website to find out more. 103 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: Until next time, friends, the Lord bless you and keep you. 104 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: Make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to 105 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 2: you me. The Lord look with favor on you and 106 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 2: give you his peace.