Monday, May 9, 2016



Prayer Guide  for  Dads     

Carolyn Jo Gower

 

Philippians 4:6-7 is a great place to start in praying for your family.
 “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
  As the leader of your wife and children, after you’ve learned and lived these principles you’ll be ready to share them with your family: 

 Praying is about Acknowledging God; allowing Him into our lives, both generally and specifically.

There are atheists and Christians alike who believe they can handle life without God. Prayerlessness is a boast against God. A day without prayer is a day of praising yourself rather than God; what you’re saying is I can do this without You. I can do my relationships without you, my finances, my job without you and in essence I can live this life successfully without you, God. 

 

The Lord is not going to force his way into our lives because a forced relationship is of no value. Remember in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve kicked God out of their lives when they chose Satan’s way; Jesus had to come to take our place, so we can now have the privilege of having God in our lives. Because of what Christ has done for us, when we pray, it says to God “I need you in my life, both generally and specifically; “I need you in my finances, my body, my relationships, I need you in my decision-making. God absolutely loves that and he responds when we acknowledge Him.

 

Prayer builds priority with God.

 

If Jesus truly is the most important person in your life, then you have no problem speaking with Him often. After all, you talk to and listen to people that you want to get to know; it’s impossible otherwise. When you long to get to know God, these things are part of the relationship, as well as regularly reading and studying His word.  Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. I use to think prayer was a religious act that God required of me daily and of my church during our worship services. I thought that you do this because if you don’t God’s not going to be happy with you. I had the wrong concept – the one and only true living God is a loving God who wants us to love him. God wants time with his children, just like a loving parent-child relationship does when it is a mutual loving relationship.  

 

Praying is exercising your God-given authority.

 

If you exercise your authority through praying to God, you will defeat the attacks of the enemy. Overcoming the temptations Satan throws at us can only be dealt with if we ask God for His help. God will intervene on our behalf.

 

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5;6-7).

 

Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage  as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s  the agenda for rejoicing.”Luke 10:18-20 (MSG)

 


God has given us incredible authority in this life. All we have to do is take it and use it.  Therefore, Dads, you don’t have time not to pray! For example, suppose you skip a day of prayer, you go out on your own, make a decision without considering God’s will because you didn’t surrender the matter to God. That is a dead work that God won’t bless and you may spend months or years trying to repair the damage that that decision made. Or you could have stopped to pray, put your faith in God, and surrender to Him. He would speak to you and bring years of blessings to your life. 


Therefore, pray with your family to invite God into your lives, building a priority with God in your family and take hold of your God given authority as the man God has made you to be. You will step up the spiritual growth of your family through your personal prayer life withdrawing to a quiet place to pray where you meet your Father in Heaven that will answer your invitation for help. He is with you and will never forsake you. God is waiting, He longs for your call to Him.


The song "Let me tell you 'bout my Jesus" is in my heart!  What a great thought nothing can stand in our way, no battle scars ...