How To Be A Godly Father
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Mark 1:25
Prioritizing prayer is the beginning of becoming a godly father–it is the concrete and iron of our faith journey! When we start our day in prayer–in God’s presence–and when we walk into that day, we are ready for the enemy’s attacks. He will attack, that is a given! However, his arrows will ricochet–prayer is a repellent–because it is kryptonite to Satan, making him weak and powerless.
1. A Man of Prayer
The busyness of this modern-day life can chip away at our prayer life and we must fight to keep that priority in place. Of course, there are times when that is a difficult effort but this faith fight depends on prayer! We must put forth a determined effort. That determination must be stronger than the forces of darkness that relentlessly battle against us.
We go to God for all of our needs–where we release all the pressures of life and lay it at His feet–which happen in His presence. So when we lose our grip on our priority of prayer, we can enter into a danger zone called “flesh and self.” This is where we will get into trouble. Where we try to do life without His guidance and His strength. Where we try to carry the burdens of this busy modern-day life on our own. Not a good position to find yourself in.
Speaking in our heavenly language and praise and worship music helps us enter into His presence; especially, when our minds are bombarded with the long lists of responsibilities that we face daily. Allow these spiritual agents to clear your concentration and redirect it to the One who has all the answers. God knows how to navigate our lists of responsibilities through His wisdom and His revelation: finances, family, business, relationships, ministry, and many more.
2. A Man of Purity
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8
Keeping our hearts pure will produce power. Like keeping a motor clean, it will bring high performance and produce power. Power to be effective in ministry, power as a husband, power raising our children. When we don’t keep our hearts clean, little by little we can veer off the path of our faith journey and open doors that will lead us into destruction. We just don’t backslide in one day, it is a gradual decline away from the purity of our heart. When we allow a door of sin to open in our life and we don’t address it immediately-repent and move forward–we will eventually find ourselves far away from God and His will for our life.
3. A Man Who Provides For His Family
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
2 Thessalonians 3:10
We have to be willing to submit to somebody and work to provide for our family. God built us to work. We will not become a godly father if we are unwilling to work. We will not be able to provide for our family if we do not work. Work is not an option; work is sustenance.
4. A Man of Priorities
“Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver:”
1 Chronicles 29:3
We must be a man of authority, and a man under authority. We must submit to a leader first before we become a leader. Being submitted to correction is discipleship, and we learn and exercise that in the house of the Lord. By no means is submission to leaders about control. It is about correction, redirection, acquiring knowledge and skills from those ahead of us in this faith journey. This is how we grow our faith and how we allow God to consecrate us for the will He has for our life. This as believers should be our main priority in life. A man that is not submitted to somebody can be dangerous.
Final Thoughts
Prayer is our sustenance equipping us with support, endurance, and strength.
Work is not an option; work is sustenance.
We must be a man of authority, and a man under authority.
