Prayer for Father's Day 2008

Lord, Sunday is Father's Day. I praise You and thank You for the many blessing in my life. I know that no matter how disappointed or discouraged or tired I might get, I need to count my blessings.

• You gave Your own son Jesus to die a painful death like a common criminal to pay the price that had to be paid for my sin so that I could be with You for eternity.
  
• I am healthy enough to work outside in the yard for several hours in summer heat.
• My wife and children are also healthy.
  
• We have not been a victim of senseless violence.
• We have not had any horrible accidents.
  
• I have enough financial resources to provide all the true necessities of life plus several luxuries.

If it be Your will, I pray that You...

• Keep my faith strong.
• Make me responsive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in my life. In particular, make me alert to anyone You put in my path for a reason. Tell me what to say or do that will help them come to accept Jesus into their life.
  
• Help me resist temptation to stray away from the straight and narrow road You have revealed to us in the Bible
• Give me a hunger for Your Word and for time spent in prayer with You.
• Show me how it is You would have me serve Your purposes in this life. Open those doors of opportunity and close all the other doors which would only distract me from Your purpose for my life.
  
• Bless me in my role as husband and help me be a blessing to my wife. Spread Your grace all around our home and remove all barriers which might come up between us. Give me joy in my marriage to her. Give her joy in her marriage to me. Prepare us for the time when all our children are grown and help us find new ways then to serve which fit Your plan.
  
• Bless me in my role as father and give me wisdom in family matters. Help me know when to step back and wait on You and Your timing.
  
• Bless my children thru me and help me set a Christian example for them. Put positive Christian friends, teachers, professors, coaches, ministers, youth workers, etc. in their path that will also be a blessing upon them. If it is Your plan that they should marry, I pray that You are this moment preparing a godly spouse for them that will love them always and be godly parents for any future grandchildren. Help each child also find their place of service to You and Your purposes.
  
• Bless me in my role as provider and help me take full advantage of every career opportunity which is part of Your provision for my family's financial needs. I pray that You guide me thru the changing economic times. Help me trust in You alone and not in my job title, credentials, salary, or 401k balance.
  
• Bless me in my role as employee and help me honor You in my work and show Your light in a dark world.
  
• Bless me in my new role as a manager and help me lead Your way and be a blessing to every person under me.

Lord, I also pray for similar blessings for all the other fathers on Father's Day. Help all of us be the Christian men, husbands, and fathers that You need us to be.

• There are probably millions of fathers struggling to provide basic necessities for their families that I take for granted. I pray You show them Your provision for their families.
  
• There are fathers grieving the loss of a wife or child. Show them Your comfort.
  
• There are fathers faced with career decisions which will affect both their ability to provide for their families financial needs and the time/energy they have to devote to their wives and children. Give them wisdom to balance the seemingly conflicting demands upon them. Help them be good stewards of their time and talents.
  
• There are husbands out there who just found out their wife has been unfaithful. Guide them as they must decide what to say and do next.
• There are husbands out there who have been unfaithful to their wives. Help them repent of their sin and live honorable lives from this day forward.
• There are fathers out there grieving over a son or daughter that has made horrible choices in life and are now suffering the consequences. Help them know Your will and comfort them.
• There are husbands and fathers who are being the spiritual leaders in their home that You intend. Supernaturally enable them to succeed.
• There are husbands who want to be the spiritual leaders in their home that You desire but there attempts have been rejected. Spread Your grace in their home, supernaturally enable them, and prepare the hearts of their families to hear and accept Your message.
  
• There are fathers out there that have let their children down. Lift them up and grow them into the fathers both You and their children need them to be. Help them also to live honorable lives from this day forward.
  
• There are fathers out there who are managers or business owners that have great influence on their employees and their families. Bless them as they honor You in the way they conduct their business.
• There are fathers out there spending their spare time with children and youth as coaches or Sunday School teachers. Lift them up so they are good examples of what it is to be a Christian man today.
  

God, bless all fathers on Father's Day

Amen

Copyright © 2008 by Philip Hartman - All Rights Reserved

Chip Ingram - Living on the Edge

Over the last several months or so, I have really embraced the concept of podcasts. I love downloading great spoken word MP3's onto my iPod and listening to them during otherwise wasted time commuting to work, mowing the grass, and sometimes even while washing the car. It's like an audio book but a shorter, more focused version which can be digested in the time we have available.

I want to recommend several of the best Christian podcasts that I've found in hopes that you too will find these as a way to "renew your mind" (see Romans 12:2 ).

My first podcast recommendation is the "Living on the Edge" podcast by Chip Ingram. I just find that the way Chip Ingram talks about practical application of the Bible in our everyday lives very compelling. His podcast has really helped me grow spiritually. It comes out pretty much every day and each episode lasts about 25 minutes, perfect for commuting.

I was listening this morning as he was going thru a series on the Ten Commandments. His discussion about the commandment about having "no other gods before me" really challenged me about the things in my own life that have the potential to become idols. I have what I hope is a healthy ambition at work. But am I putting too high of a priority on recognition at work? Would my life fall apart if certain people were taken away from me? Would I be willing to give up the nice house, proximity to relatives, or my 401K balance for God if it were really required of me to serve God's purposes? In other words, is God really first in my life?

Listen to Chip now with iTunes or listen online.