As I continue this journey of blogging about and for dads through daily devotionals I have been able to find, connect with the publishers, and get approval to share my thoughts and insights from reading them, I have found this dad devotional called The Daring Dad. The image that goes along with it is so telling as it shows the title as The DARE-ING Dad. I am excited to see what dares come out of this devotional that can help us be the dads God needs us to be. The introduction to the blog that captured my attention and drew me to reach out to the publisher was:
Being a dad is difficult. You have so much responsibility. So much to do. Many of us put being a dad on the back burner – until we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be. I dare you to be a great dad.
The Daring Dad from Plans on Bible.com
Today’s devotional is connected to the verses from God’s Word found in:
- Luke 6:12-16
- Luke 11:1-13
- Luke 22:9-36
‘ Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He summoned His disciples and selected from them twelve, whom He named apostles (special messengers): They were Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; And Matthew and Thomas; and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, And Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor (a treacherous, basely faithless person).’
Luke 6:12-16
‘ THEN HE was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, [just] as John taught his disciples. And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done [held holy and revered] on earth as it is in heaven. Give us daily our bread [food for the morrow]. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong]. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil. And He said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and will say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves [of bread], For a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come, and I have nothing to put before him; And he from within will answer, Do not disturb me; the door is now closed, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and supply you [with anything]? I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone; or if he asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!’
Luke 11:1-13
‘ And as My Father has appointed a kingdom and conferred it on Me, so do I confer on you [the privilege and decree], That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain, [Job 1:6-12; Amos 9:9.] But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren. And [Simon Peter] said to Him, Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death. But Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, before a [single] cock shall crow this day, you will three times [utterly] deny that you know Me. And He said to them, When I sent you out with no purse or [provision] bag or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered, Nothing! Then He said to them, But now let him who has a purse take it, and also [his provision] bag; and let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy a sword.’
Luke 22:29-36
God’s Word never returns void and today’s verses give us quite interesting teaching and training to help us be the dads we were created and purposed to be. We first need to make take and take time to be with God to know what the right selection is. We see how Jesus spent the entire night with God up on a mountain discussing with Him which of the disciples would become apostles. We similarly need to spend the time working through things with God so that we can make the right choices based on the options at hand.
Let’s be the dads who realize that God knows what we have need of before we even ask. Let’s be the dads who take Jesus’s recommendation about how to pray rather than babbling on and on and on. So when we pray let’s start by praising God for all He has and is doing in our lives. Let’s pray for God’s will, plan, and purposes to be done in our lives. Let’s pray for God’s provision and ask for what we have need of. Let’s pray for forgiveness by confessing our mistakes and our sins. Let’s pray for God’s wisdom and discernment to lead and guide us and protect us from the temptations of the enemy. Let’s pray a prayer of thanksgiving to close out our prayer. Let’s be the dads who pray without ceasing. Let’s be the dads who are in constant contact with God. Let’s be the dads who continuously build our relationship with Jesus.
Let’s be the dads who are living today in a way that will glorify God as Jesus has gone before us preparing the good works He has for us to accomplish. He is preparing a place in heaven for us to join and be with Him. Let’s be the dad who live wise life decisions according to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. Let’s walk in faith so that we don’t get tripped up by fear. Let’s not go out without the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God! Let’s be prepared and put on the full armor of God!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Stonecreek Church. (more details can be found http://www.stonecreek.church)
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me:
(check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
Let’s be the dads who pray! Let’s be the dad’s who are prayed! Let’s be the dads who are praying!
- Do you find prayer intimidating?
- Do you worry about saying it wrong?
- Do you worry about doing it wrong?
- Do you worry about it being too short?
- Do you worry about it being too long?
- Do you worry about it not making sense?
- When you pray is it when it is comfortable like during meals?
- Did you earn how to pray for meals by modeling your parents?
- Do you worry that you will be judged if you pray because you think it will show weakness?
- Do you allow pride to rob you of the opportunity to pray and experience God’s power through prayer?
- Do you pray?
- How often do you pray?
- Do you pray for yourself?
- Do you pray for your wife?
- Do you pray for your kids?
- How do you pray?
- Do you follow Jesus’ model?
- Do you pray before you have to make big decisions? Like Jesus did before making the choice of the 12?
- Do you pray in the morning?
- Do you pray overnight?
- Do you pray throughout the day?
- Do you pray before and after great events?
- Do you pray when things are going well?
- Do you pray when things are rough or busy?
- Let’s be the dads who make it a priority to pray with our wives!
- Let’s be the dads who make it a priority to pray with our kids!
- Do you realize that prayer is to be an intimate thing?
- Let’s be the dads who pray to strengthen our relationship with God!
- Let’s be the dads who pray with our wives to strengthen our relationship with our wives!
- Let’s be the dads who pray with our kids to strengthen our relationships with our kids!
- Let’s be the dads who pray and leave room for the Holy Spirit to move!
- Today’s devotional closes with a DARE, are you ready to be the dad and take up this dare?
