Dear Heavenly Father,
I've been reading in 2nd Chronicles of your book about Jehoshaphat and I see a powerful correlation between a child's relationship with you through his obedience to following the good and godly examples of his father.
"2 Chronicles 17: 3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father (ancestor) David. He did not seek [to follow] the Baals [the false gods], 4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in (obeyed) His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great wealth and honor. 6 His heart was encouraged and he took great pride in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he again removed the high places [of pagan worship] and the Asherim from Judah."
2 Chronicles 20:32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 Only the high places [for pagan sacrifices] were not removed, for the people had not yet set their hearts firmly on the God of their fathers."
I'm wondering as America keeps deteriorating morally where have all the godly fathers gone! I am certain many fathers pray, go to church, read the Bible, and provide for their children's needs. Yet something seems to be missing in their boldness against worldly ways. A bit cowardly I guess is what I'm thinking and definitely ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So today I pray for a new measure of courage for Christian fathers all across our land, a boldness such as in 1 Chronicles 28:20 “And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”
Jehoshaphat was also weak in some areas -- he didn't always complete the tasks at hand like when he was destroying ALL THE IDOLS (he left a few), his business tactics sucked when he picked the wrong partner (Ahaziah) and his shipping business tanked, he lacked wisdom in giving good direction to his son's choice of a wife and got into a predicament with her evil father (King Ahab).
Mistakes and sins happen but your promises never fail and fathers can draw inner strengths as you remind them of their value and important family and worldly roles. I pray for an outpouring of your love, grace, mercy, strength, and boldness to be release today on fathers as godly role models as they walk their talk before their children. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Jehoshaphat was a bold follower of God's ways and had a national concern that the people of his kingdom would know the one and only true God, he believed in a strong military, and a good legal system.
Please bless our nation with great leadership, that first starts in the homes.
Please remove any blinders the enemy (Satan) has placed upon fathers and open their spiritual ears to your ways and their minds to understanding wisdom sent from above on behalf of children and our nation.
Bless father's everywhere today with your direction and holy presences in their lives, In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen.
Walk a little Plainer Daddy
“Walk a little plainer, Daddy”
said a little boy so frail.
“I’m following in your footsteps
And I don’t want to fail.
Sometimes your steps are very plain,...
Sometimes they are hard to see.
So walk a little plainer,
Daddy, for you are leading me.”
“I know that once you walked this way
many years ago.
And what you did along the way
I’d really like to know.
For sometime when I am tempted
I don’t know what to do.
So walk a little plainer, Daddy
for I must follow you.”
“Someday when I’m grown up,
you are like I want to be.
Then I will have a little boy,
who will want to follow me.
And I would want to lead him right
and help him to be true.
So walk a little plainer,
Daddy For we must follow you.”
“Walk a little plainer, Daddy”
said a little boy so frail.
“I’m following in your footsteps
And I don’t want to fail.
Sometimes your steps are very plain,...
Sometimes they are hard to see.
So walk a little plainer,
Daddy, for you are leading me.”
“I know that once you walked this way
many years ago.
And what you did along the way
I’d really like to know.
For sometime when I am tempted
I don’t know what to do.
So walk a little plainer, Daddy
for I must follow you.”
“Someday when I’m grown up,
you are like I want to be.
Then I will have a little boy,
who will want to follow me.
And I would want to lead him right
and help him to be true.
So walk a little plainer,
Daddy For we must follow you.”
DAD'S turn out all right in time!
•4 years old: My Daddy can do anything
•7 years old: My Dad knows a lot, a whole lot
•8 years old: Dad doesn't know quite everything
•12 years old: Oh, well, naturally Father doesn't understand
•14 years old: Father! Hopelessly old-fashioned
•21 years old: He comes up with a good idea now and then...
•30 years old: Must find out what Dad thinks about it
•35 years old: A little patience; let's get Dad's input first
•50 years old: What would Dad have thought about that?
•60 years old: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more
•4 years old: My Daddy can do anything
•7 years old: My Dad knows a lot, a whole lot
•8 years old: Dad doesn't know quite everything
•12 years old: Oh, well, naturally Father doesn't understand
•14 years old: Father! Hopelessly old-fashioned
•21 years old: He comes up with a good idea now and then...
•30 years old: Must find out what Dad thinks about it
•35 years old: A little patience; let's get Dad's input first
•50 years old: What would Dad have thought about that?
•60 years old: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more
Rodney Atkins - Watching You (Official)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uzK3VwzraM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cats In The Cradle - Harry Chapin
youtube.com
Cats In The Cradle
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad...
You know I'm gonna be like you"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad...
You know I'm gonna be like you"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me
And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then
Disclosure: Much of what is in my posts are things I have compiled through the years and I do not know if they have copyrights. What I do know about origin or website I give credit and have tried to always post a link to the origin. I do not market anything in any way on this blog -- I merely hope it will encourage and inspire others.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment