This is Kathi. I often get asked to speak for Mother’s Day at churches, and I thought that for Father’s Day, it was only fitting to have a real live father blog for us. Meet Rob Tiegen; he is a dad who not only works at my publisher, Revell, but is a real, live author on the topic of fatherhood. He is sharing some keen insight today into where your husband really needs your prayers.
When Kathi invited me to share some thoughts on how wives can pray for their husbands in their fathering I was excited but a bit overwhelmed. There are countless ways each man needs prayer as a father, so in ten seconds I had thought of ten different things that I would love to know my wife was praying for me about.
As I continued to think it through, I decided to focus on just one thing–time. This is something that God has been burdening my heart with in my own life lately. I would be encouraged to know that my wife was standing in the gap and holding me up in prayer as I face the challenge of making ample time to spend with our kids.
I’ve been reading a great book titled Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids by Dr. Kara E. Powell and Dr. Chap Clark. The authors include disheartening statistics about the 40 to 50 percent of “church kids” who leave their faith behind in the college years. As a father who is trying to raise my kids in the Lord that is a hard statistic to hear. I desperately need prayer to make time with my kids, because time leads to relationship, and relationship opens the door to sharing my faith with my children through each stage, age, and challenge that comes their way.
As important as it is to work hard to provide for our families, to set an example of service to our churches and communities, to stay physically fit, and to connect with our wives, kids desperately need their dad’s time so they can receive love, spiritual guidance, and training. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (ESV) The passage is assuming the father is sitting, walking, and ending and beginning his day with his kids. The deep truths of our faith are passed on during intentional time together.
Wives, your husband will benefit so much from your prayers and encouragement with this. Pray for your husband to have a heart to spend time with your kids. Since you probably organize the family calendar, make room for him to take each child out for some one-on-one time. When you see him making a positive connection with your son or daughter, point it out and be his cheerleader. We need to know that our wives are in our corner praying for us and encouraging us to keep pressing on with our kids, even when it’s hard. Ask God to create opportunities for us to pass on our faith, and for opportunities for you to be an encouragement to him as well. Your love and support mean more to us than you can know. Thanks for praying!
Friends -this is Kathi. I want to take the verse that Rob shared with us above and pray it for the men in our lives this Father’s Day:
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (ESV)
Heavenly Father, I pray that your words, your love, your direction would flow through my husband’s heart. I pray that my husband would find time in each day to pass on your wisdom to our kids. Lord, let every moment they spend together be something to grow both my husband’s heart and my child’s heart toward you. And Father, show me ways every single day to call out those things in my husband that are your way – your good and perfect way. Amen
One little bonus – as of the time this blog is going to press, the price for Rob’s great book 88 Great Daddy-Daughter Dates is only $4.99 for the Kindle download.
Plus, as always, let me know you prayed for your man and I will enter you into the drawingfor Rob’s book (a real live physical one!)
You can follow Rob on twitter at @strongdads
AM very encouraged by your program such that i can’t wait but to thank you for it. I come from Kenya and some of your books may not be in our bookstores, please help me know how to get them .
Praying for my David and his relationship with our little Rachel.
Praying! Great reminders here!
Thanks Kathi!! Praying. : )
I prayed for my man today. Thank you Father for blessing us to be parents of three.
Wow, Kathi, this was a great post. I prayed for my man!
I have prayed for my man for the entire week d will be doing so everyday from here on in . Thanks Kathi.
prayed . this week I have seen a transformation .Amen
Yes…prayed. How appropriate on Father’s Day.
This week has been so good. I now will continue to pray for my husband this also draws me closer to god. Aloha ladies. Shawna
Thank you! I need to pray this today.
This was great! Prayed for my husband today. Been a really rough week..we are being attacked spiritually and things are really hard. What I realized is, we are being attacked b/c I am praying diligently for my husband. I know I can’t give up b/c God has great things in store for us an I don’t want the enemy to win. Thank you Kathi for these prayers! God bless you and your family!
I prayed for my husband today. I loved this blog!
I prayed for my hubby this AM!
Thank you, Rob and Kathi! Prayed for my husband this morning. I really enjoyed the series
This was a great prayer for our family as we search for ways to share our faith with our 3 year old daughter. My husband does a great job of carving out special time with his little girl.
Just spent time in prayer for my husband. I wish you could know him and be able to see the true transformation that God is no doubt responsible for…theres just no other way to describe it. I will coninue to pray that he remembers to share Gods Word with our children not only by example but also by teaching and encouraging their education in a living relationship with God through the Spirit.