Day 1: Wise Fatherly Advice — A Prayer for Love and Faithfulness
Read Proverbs 3:3.
When the bearded, debonair, manly man appears on our TV screens, our ears perk up to hear the humorous and outrageous voiceovers about “the most interesting man in the world.” Can you believe his mom has a tattoo that says “son”?!?
Have you ever wondered what advice the most interesting man in the world would give his kids? Well, whatever advice he would give, we’re sure it would be pithy … and probably ridiculous!
In our Bible passage today, Solomon, the wisest man in the world, is urging his sons to pay close attention to the wisdom he is sharing with them. One of his instructions is “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”
The word used here for “love” is hesed. It means “loyal love and kindness.” Solomon wanted his children to bind these virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts. He wanted his children to remember these qualities always and express them to others.
Let’s use today’s verse as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verse and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:
Father God, help my children understand that love and faithfulness come from You alone. May they accept Your love and faithfulness and truly understand those virtues. In turn, may they share those virtues with others. May they bind these qualities around their necks and write them on the tablets of their hearts. May they remember them always — in the good times and in the difficult trials of life. (Based on Proverbs 3:3.)
Day 2: Watch Me — A Prayer for Passion for God’s Word
Read Psalm 19:7-14.
We often instruct our kids: “Watch me.” Perhaps we are showing our daughters how to kick a ball or teaching our sons how to crack an egg. “Watch me” is often on our lips while we demonstrate new skills. However, it is important to remember that our kids are watching us far more than we realize. As fathers, we are our children’s role models.
In today’s passage, David focuses on God’s Word and his passion for it. He wants to impart that passion to others.
David declares that the law of the Lord is perfect, meaning it is whole, complete, lacking nothing. It is so complete that it can transform the entire person. God’s Word is trustworthy and immovable and can make a person wise. Its precepts are right and they steer a person in the correct direction, giving joy to the heart. The words of God are radiant, enlightening those who follow them. They are flawless and endure forever. The ordinances of God are reliable and designed to result in obedience. They are more desirable than anything the world has to offer and sweeter than honey, satisfying our spiritual hunger.
While David is talking specifically about the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament) in this passage, many of these characteristics can be applied to the entirety of God’s Word today. The Bible has the ability to change lives.
Do you have a love and passion for God’s Word? If so, pass down that passion to your children. If you have yet to discover a longing for the Bible, talk to a church leader or a man who already possesses this passion. He can share how he began to love God’s Word.
Let’s use today’s verses as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verses and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:
God, may my children see Your Word in the way you intended — perfect, complete, trustworthy, radiant and firm. May Your Word bring about the results of this passage. May my children be refreshed, experience a joy-filled heart and discover a light for their eyes. Create in my children a love for the Bible, so they see You as more desirable than anything this world has to offer. May they find Your Word to be sweeter than honey and may it always satisfy their spiritual hunger. (Based on Psalm 19:7-14.)
Day 3: R-E-S-P-E-C-T! — A Prayer for Kids to Honor Others
Read 1 Peter 2:17.
Thanks to Aretha Franklin, we know how to spell it! But do we consistently show respect to others? Do we model this crucial value to our children?
Respect is at the core of successful relationships, so it’s an essential skill to teach our kids. What’s even more important is that they see us model respect consistently. So, who are we supposed to respect? This verse spells it out clearly.
- Respect all people. Genesis tells us that all people were created in God’s image and are due respect, no matter their race, economic status, nationality, etc. We are to model respect toward all people.
- Love the family of believers. Jesus taught the same concept in John 13:34-35, “‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’”
- Fear God. We are to worship God as the sovereign One, trusting Him in all circumstances.
- Honor the emperor. Those in governmental authority are worthy of respect. As fathers, we should be diligent to show respect to leaders, even when we disagree with their decisions.
Let’s use today’s verses as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verses and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:
God, may I faithfully model respect to my children as I interact with them, their mother, my employer, the government and those in my church. May my children learn the value of respect and understand how important it is in creating successful relationships. Give them a love for others, especially those who are in the family of believers. Help them learn to worship and fear You as the sovereign God. Lastly, give them a respect for authority. May I faithfully model these traits to my children. (Based on 1 Peter 2:17.)
Day 4: Even Honest Abe Messed Up — A Prayer for Pure Hearts
Read Psalm 51:10.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” News flash! We’re not perfect dads. We sin. We mess up. In fatherhood, it’s difficult to gauge our success. There isn’t a progress report that hits our desk each quarter letting us know if we’re meeting our fatherhood goals.
We can use our failures as examples to our kids. They will notice how we respond to our sin and whether true repentance is the result. This passage was written after David’s confession regarding his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. He confessed his sin and repented of it.
Confession is agreeing with God about our sin, and it goes along with repentance, where we no longer embrace our sin.
In this passage, David longs to have a pure heart so he will not fall back into temptation. A pure heart is something only God can provide. We cannot conjure up enough cleanness to recreate a clean heart within ourselves. Only God could renew David’s spirit.
Let’s use today’s verse as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verse and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:
Father God, may I faithfully model repentance in my own life. When I sin, help me to admit my errors to You and turn from my sin. May my children see that when I mess up, I go to You for forgiveness. May my kids understand that only You can give them a pure heart and renew their spirit. Only You can purify their lives and revive them. Give my children a biblical view of sin. May they seek to live for You. (Based on Psalm 51:10.)
Day 5: Rooted — A Prayer for Active Faith
Read Colossians 2:6-7.
Do you remember when your child took his or her first steps? Your little one teetered and stumbled along for a few steps before falling down. You probably recorded it all and proudly posted it on all your social media channels. During those first few weeks of mastering this skill, your child was far from steady!
In our Bible passage for today, Paul calls us to be steady and rooted in faith. Belief that has no impact on our behavior is useless. Paul gives us four characteristics of what behavior resulting from active faith looks like. First, we are called to be “rooted” in the faith. It is reminiscent of Jeremiah 17:8, “He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit” (ESV).
That’s what it looks like to be rooted in the faith! However, being “rooted” doesn’t mean we’re finished products. The verse goes on to say that we are being “built up in him.” We are under construction. He is developing us and increasing our faith. Paul lists the third characteristic as being “strengthened in the faith as you were taught.” Next, we are overflowing with thankfulness. As God works in our lives, our response is thankfulness.
Let’s use today’s verses as a blueprint for prayer. Take the concepts of the verses and turn them into a prayer for your children. Here’s an example:
God, may my children recognize you as Lord, the one true God. And may that commitment bring about a change in the way they live — conduct that is consistent with Your lordship. I pray that their salvation will result in their being rooted and built up in You, strengthened in their faith and overflowing with thankfulness. (Based on Colossians 2:6-7.)