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Hi friends. My name is Sarah and this is week 19 of the homeschool prayer challenge
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Thank you so much for joining me, whether this is your first time here or if you've been with me since the beginning
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My hope with this challenge is to encourage you to pray specifically each week for your homeschool
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So each week we are focusing on a specific theme that you can pray over
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This week we're going to check in about the school. time that we are making for our own personal Bible study each day. For many years
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each Wednesday, I led a small group of kids through Bible work and passage memorization
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during the Awana Club at our church. I remember one week, listening to one of the kiddos
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let me know that he didn't study his scripture verses because he just didn't have time
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I felt my heart tug in the direction of wanting to help him understand that he probably did
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have the time to do it, but he just chose to fill that time with something else. So in trying to
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help him put this in perspective, I found myself asking, well, did you have time to play video
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games to speak? And while it was a valid question and point, I found myself being convicted
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even as the words were leaving my mouth The truth is there are so many things in life we all too often put before our relationship and our time with God And we justify it because yes homeschool mamas we are busy But we need to remember that unless we spend time daily
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with our true source of joy, of life, and peace, we will be hard pressed to be a good witness
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of Christ through our life and our homeschooling. Last week, we prayed about teaching our kids
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to delight in the Lord. I challenged you to consider what might need to change in your
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routine so that you could commit to daily intentional time with the Lord. Did you do it? I'll be the first
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to admit that last week got busy. It's the end of the school year. It's crazy around here
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You know, I did pray and I read the Bible with my kids, but I'll admit that I felt short of having
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daily intentional, meaningful time with my Savior this week, getting to know him through his word
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letting him truly speak to my heart. I sometimes start to wonder, why is this so hard to do
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and then I'm reminded that I'm putting too much importance on things of this world than I should
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John 155 says, I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit
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Apart from me, you can do nothing. Do you catch that? Apart from me, you can do nothing
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And yet we try. This week I challenge you again and myself to find time to deepen your personal relationship with the Lord I think that it helpful to make a plan for the week planning where and when you meet with God Decide on a time that you
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spend focusing on the Lord where you'll do it and commit to it. Just like you would be hard pressed to
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break a play date for your kids, don't treat your commitments to God any less seriously. Set an alarm
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on your phone, write it in your planner, and know what you are going to do or study during your time
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you don't waste the time when you have it. It might also be helpful for you to ask someone to keep
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you accountable, share with your spouse or a close friend, your goals, and ask them to pray for you
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and check in on you to help you keep your commitment. And don't forget to even talk about your plan
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with your kids. I think it's important to share with our kids the ways in which we are growing and
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learning. It's just as necessary for them to learn how to make time for their relationship with God
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as it is for us. And we can be great role models here. Help them set their own goals
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if this is an area that they struggle with, and discuss where you all might be wasting time
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that could be better spent. I bet you'll notice that God keeps his promises
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When we remain in him, we will bear fruit, the kind that we want our kids to take notice of in our homeschools
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His spirit will fill us with joy, peace, patience, and love if we lay down what we think we should be committing our time to
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and allow him to lead us through our days Will you make time this week or make excuses Let me pray for us Heavenly Father I give you praise for who you are Thank you for being my strength every day in our homeschool
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Even on days when I feel I'm failing, I know you have a good plan for us
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So many things threaten to steal my attention during the day and I'm sorry for not prioritizing my relationship with you
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Far too often I've made idols out of our daily activities. Reveal these to me, anything that has been placed in my heart before you
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and help me deal with them. I love you, Lord, above all else and my joy comes from you. I desire to
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follow your leading in my life and know that if I remain in you, you will remain in me. Work in my heart
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this week that I may pursue you, Lord, and make my time with you sacred. Lead me to accurately
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handle your word in our home and homeschool that I may reflect Christ to my family and lead them closer to
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you as well. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. All right, you guys, thanks again for joining me today. I pray that
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this is encouraging to you and that these weekly prayers help you to pray continually as you go about
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your day and homeschool your kids. Don't forget to log into the prayer challenge dashboard. The link
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is below in the description. That's where you're going to find a printable prayer and also some
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PDF pages from my devotional journal for homeschool moms for free to help you with Bible memory
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and personal Bible study this week. Have a blessed week. I will see you next time
