Encouragement in Hope, Prayer, and Perseverance!

My work week had ups and downs, but life is like a relay race. We should look back and forward to pass the baton of faith. Find hope, pray continually, and persevere with joy through trials. These actions combined bring encouragement in hope, prayer, and perseverance to our lives.

Let’s turn to God’s Word to hear more and then determine how we can apply it to our lives as dads.

Today’s Verse of the Day:

The verse is in the middle of a bigger picture statement, so I am going to expand it so that we get the full context for hope, prayer, and perseverance:

‘Be devoted to one another with [authentic] brotherly affection [as members of one family], give preference to one another in honor; never lagging behind in diligence; aglow in the Spirit, enthusiastically serving the Lord; constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength], contributing to the needs of God’s people, pursuing [the practice of] hospitality. ‘

Romans 12:10-13

It’s interesting how to get the full sentence we needed to expand to read four verses. Firstly, we see that we need to be devoted devoted to one another with authentic brotherly affection as members of one family. Secondly, we need to give preference to one another in honor; never lagging behind in diligence; aglow in the Spirit, and enthusiastically serving the Lord! As a result, we are constantly rejoicing in hope because of our confidence in Christ, steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength! With this attitude and behavior of hope, prayer, and perseverance, we can contribute to the needs of God’s people, pursuing the practice of hospitality!

So how can we use today’s verse of the day and apply it to our lives to be the dads God created, purposed, and planned for us to be?

Ways to apply hope, prayer, and perseverance to being dads:

• Rejoice in hope: “As fathers, we can find hope in the promises of God and the knowledge that He is in control of all things.”
• Be patient in tribulation: “Fatherhood can come with its own set of challenges, but we can learn to be patient through difficult times and trust in God’s plan.”
• Continue steadfastly in prayer: “A prayer is a powerful tool that can help us navigate the ups and downs of parenting. We can make it a daily habit to pray for our children, our families, and ourselves.”
• Be devoted to one another: “We can prioritize building strong relationships with our spouses, children, and other family members.”
• Honor one another: “Showing respect and honor to our family members can create a culture of mutual respect and love in our homes.”
• Do not be slothful in zeal: “We can approach fatherhood with enthusiasm and energy, actively seeking to be engaged and present in our children’s lives.”
• Be fervent in spirit: “As fathers, we can cultivate a strong and resilient spirit, drawing strength from God to face the challenges of parenting.”
• Serve the Lord: “We can model a life of service and devotion to God for our children, prioritizing our faith above all else.”
• Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer: “These three directives from Romans 12:12 can be our guideposts as we navigate the joys and challenges of fatherhood.”
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them: “This final directive from Romans 12:12 reminds us to show love and grace to those who may not agree with our parenting choices or may cause us difficulty. We can model forgiveness and kindness for our children in the way we treat others.”