Survival Gear for Dads – Day 3

It is amazing to me how quickly time flies and getting to look through various dad devotionals helps me grab hold of and make the most of each day. After a week of grabbing onto Love Slows Down, I did a search to discover what the next devotional series would be and found Survival Gear for Dads | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible. Ever found it hard to be a godly dad? Ever found it exhausting to be a godly dad? Ever found it challenging to be a godly dad? Ever found it thrilling to be a godly dad? Ever found it confusing to be a godly dad? Ever found it rewarding to be a godly dad? As today’s devotional tells us “Being a godly father is an exhausting, challenging, thrilling, dangerous, confusing, and rewarding endeavor. It’s both a place you are and a journey you’re on. It’s a destination you arrive at and a process of becoming.” I am excited to get to read another devotional from the Manhood Journey and to read that this plan “will help you gear up for the journey, get a sense of where you are right now, and what steps to take next.” So let’s get into it and see what we can learn and what tools we can add to our toolbelt to be a part of our survival gear for this journey of being a godly dad!

Let’s check out our scriptures for today’s devotional:

• 2 Chronicles 7:14
• Philippians 4:6-7
• 1 John 5:14

‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ‘

2 Chronicles 7:14

‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ‘

Philippians 4:6-7

‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ‘

1 John 5:14

As we jump into our today let’s never forget to start in God’s Word to help prepare us for the day ahead. God’s Word is active and alive and able to speak right into our day! God’s Word never returns void and so let’s not hesitate nor delegate the meditation on God’s Word but rather meditate on it daily as we pray without ceasing!

Let’s be the dads who are called by God’s name! Let’s be the dads who humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face! Let’s be the dads who turn from our wicked ways so that God will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land! Let’s be the dads God created us to be today!

Let’s be the dads who aren’t anxious for anything because in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving we present our requests to God! Let’s be the dads who walk with the peace of God that transcends all understanding and will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! Let’s be the dads who can live carefree, unconcerned, and relaxed because we cast all our cares upon God because we know He cares for us! Let’s be the dads who walk in relationship with Jesus rather than allowing the devil to create anxiety, worry, and fear!

Let’s be the dads who are seeking to live our lives in accordance with God’s will! Let’s be the dads who are living our lives in pursuit of God’s will! Let’s be the dads who ask God for something in accordance with His will! Let’s be the dads who are living confidence that God is hearing our prayers! Let’s be the dads who can approach God with confidence because we know, we have faith, we believe that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us!

Today’s devotional has been provided by Manhood Journey (https://www.manhoodjourney.org).

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)

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Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“Pray Fervently“

• Let’s be the dads who wake up each morning and get ready for the day ahead because we know that today will be “more like a treacherous hike over tricky terrain.“
• Let’s be the dads who prepare each morning for the day ahead picking up “tools to help us along the way“
• Let’s be the dads who don’t just get up and go but pause long enough to pick up the “tools every godly dad needs in his pack.“
• Let’s be the dads who don’t rush into each day unprepared but rather “walk step by step, loading in each tool one at a time.“
• Let’s be the dads who don’t try to get through life alone but rather choose to walk it out with God so that “along the way, we’ll get help knowing why each tool is important and how to properly handle it.“
• Today’s devotional get us started with the second tool for our toolbelt that we need to be carrying with us today!
  • “Tool 3: Pray Fervently”
    • Let’s be the dads who trust God because we know His Word!
    • Let’s be the dads who trust God and realize how much we need Him because we know His Word!
    • Let’s be the dads who trust God and realize how much we need Him that we spend a lot of time in communication with Him!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray without ceasing because we know that we need to speak to God and listen to what He has to say back!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray fervently, that is we pray enthusiastically and passionately!
    • Let’s be the dads who stick close to God through prayer because we know Him, trust Him, and His Word!
    • Let’s be the dads who know how to pray – talk with God!
    • Let’s be the dads who review and consider the template Jesus gave us through the Lord’s prayer!
    • Today’s devotional shares a reminder of what prayer is and how it works:
      • “When you pray, does God hear you? Yes. When you pray, does God care about your situation? Yes. When you pray, do you get everything you ask for? Nope. “
    • Let’s be the dads who pray because we want a relationship with God rather than want something from God!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray because we trust God and want His wisdom and discernment, His will, and His way to be in our life!
    • Let’s be the dads who remember that when we pray that God will answer!
    • Let’s be the dads who remember that the answer could be yes, no, or not yet!
    • Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that no matter which answers we get that we can live our lives with a guaranteed peace that passes understanding!
    • Let’s be the dads who both trust God hears our prayers and wait long enough to make sure we hear the answer clearly!
    • Today’s devotional speaks to this with a walkie-talkie example:
      • “Consider the last few messages you’ve been sending or receiving to God right now? Think of it like this: if you and God had a walkie-talkie, what would the last few messages sound like? Would it be, “Go again.” As in, “I didn’t understand, please repeat.” Or, would they be, “10-4.” as in, “Read you loud and clear.” Remember, God wants to hear your requests. Also, God wants us to listen to Him. “
    • Let’s be the dads who pray before we get out of bed!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray before we go to bed!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray in between!
    • Today’s devotional has some great closing points for us to grab a hold of:
      • “Depending on how your prayer life is going now, never forget you have this command from Paul in Philippians 4:6, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”“
      • “Pray early and often. Would you say you’re a dad who prays fervently?“
    • Let’s be the dads who pray fervently!
    • Let’s be the dads who pray enthusiastically and passionately!