A Prayer for Fathers to Trust in the Lord
By Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. –Psalm 112:1-3, ESV
Listen or Read Below:
My husband and I have this “game” we play: “Tell me something you love about me,” where we list a quality we admire about each other. Since we have been married for 10 years now, I’m sure we have repeated some of the answers, but I always try to come up with something new or something that pertains to our current season of life.
Without hesitation, I replied, “I love that you are a hard worker.” He is always working hard to provide for our family and help me take care of things around the house (I have never mowed a lawn in my life!). I am thankful for that quality of his because this man is anything but lazy. Yet, if I am being honest, because my love language is quality time, it sometimes can get under my skin that he has trouble slowing down and resting.
Most men (and women) have a drive to work, work, work, and find pleasure in accomplishment and productivity, and a longing to provide for their family, but I think it is important to find a balance between work and rest, much like we see how God rested on the seventh day in creation.
God has given us husbands and wives (and vice versa), so it is important to pray for them in this area so that they do not become exhausted physically and mentally. But more important than praying for them to find balance and rest is their walk with the Lord. Apart from God’s grace, we are all limited, so we need to make sure we are leaning upon the Lord and looking to Him for wisdom and strength for everything we put our hand to. We see in Psalm 112 the benefits of a man who fears the Lord:
“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever”(Psalm 112:1-3, ESV).
A man who seeks the Lord and trusts in His word is a reason for praise. God calls this man and his children blessed. This isn’t a passage about “getting rich quick,” but it shows that, in addition to the blessings of God’s peace, joy, and love in our lives, God also provides for us materially. As a father’s love for God grows and he leads his children in God’s righteous ways, his children will want to imitate him and follow in his footsteps. Much more than teaching them how to work hard and use the gifts that God has given them, a father with a fear for the Lord and a hunger for God’s word is one of the best treasures he could give them. As women, we should pray for the men in our lives, especially when they have children, that we would learn to find a balance between work and rest, and, most of all, to seek God first in all things.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, we pray for the men in our lives. If the father of our children does not know you, we pray that You would draw him to Yourself and that He would have a hunger for Your word. We pray that He will learn the importance of rest so that he can be restored. We ask that he would lean upon Your grace in all that You have called him to do. We thank You that You are a faithful Father who always provides for our needs. We pray that the father of our children always looks to you first for wisdom and strength as he learns how to walk in your righteous ways and leads his children in the admonition of You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional spoke to you on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Prostock-Studio
Related Resource: Why You Feel Overwhelmed Even When Life Seems Okay
Life feels okay. So why do you still feel overwhelmed?
Maybe you’re constantly on edge. Maybe your body won’t relax. Maybe you find yourself carrying the weight of heartbreaking headlines, other people’s pain, or experiences you thought you’d already moved past.
If you’ve ever wondered why you feel exhausted even when nothing seems “wrong,” this conversation will help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface. Carol McCracken sits down with Rebecca Taguma of the Trauma Healing Institute to discuss why overwhelming experiences affect our minds, bodies, and faith, practical ways to calm our nervous system, and how God gently leads us toward healing—one step at a time.
If this episode helps you face fear with God’s confidence, be sure to follow Faith Over Fear on Apple or Spotify so you get new episodes every week!
About The Author
