The Power of a Praying Dad
Dad Quotes:
• Mark Twain said - When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
• Bill Cosby said - Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is a lime green neck tie.
• A father carries pictures where his money used to be.
• The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.
• To be a successful father... there’s one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don’t look at it for the first two years.
My dad made me do crazy things:
Act right
Do what my mom told me to do
He actually said to me, “son if I every catch you smoking,
even if you are grown, I will beat you to within an inch of your life.”
He made me get up every Sunday morning to have
breakfast with the family and then go to Sunday School.
He made me mow the lawn
He made me pay for my gas in the car that I had to buy
He made me get a job when I was old enough.
He held me responsible for my actions
CRAZY STUFF!!!
I believe that any male of the species can be a father but it takes a man to be a dad.
In an age of throw away families what we need are more dads.
More than that we need praying dads.
EM Bounds said that what the church needs, (and I think the world too), is men of prayer.
Our families need dads who are men of prayer.
There is power in a praying dad.
There are some things that we dads have to do sometimes to see what a difference being a praying can make.
Such as…..
1) SOMETIMES WE DADS MUST WRESTLE WITH GOD
Genesis 32:22-28 (NKJV)
22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."
Jacob was worried that Esau was coming to kill him and his family.
Esua would have been justified in killing Jacob.
Jacob grabbed a hold of God that night and did let go until he got the answer he was looking for.
Jacob named was changed from Jacob the heel
to Israel the who prevails with God
He held on to God with everything he had.
Dad Satan is out to kill your family.
John 10:10 (NIV)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
We must wrestle with God on behalf of our family.
2) DADS WE HAVE TO BE PERSISTENT
Luke 11:5-13 (NKJV)
5 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ’Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ’Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Jesus is talking about a continuing action.
Not some 2 minute shopping list prayer
Prayer that doesn’t quit until you know that you know that you touched the heart of God.
Remember the parable of the persistent widow?
Luke 18:1-7 (NKJV)
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ’Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ’Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ "6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?
Dad, never give up praying for your family.
There is power is in the persistent prayer of a dad for his family.
3) WE DADS MUST BELIEVE
Mark 9:14-27 (NIV)
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered.
22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." 23 "’If you can’?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He’s dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
Believing is the key to salvation.
John 3:18 (NIV)
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Believing is also the key to effective prayer
Mark 11:22-24 (NIV)
22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.
23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ’Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Dad I challenge you to believe God for great things for your family.
Dads, this verse is for you today.
Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)
24 Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
CLOSE: (PRAYER)
This morning we will close the service a little different.
• I would for every dad to gather your family around you.
• If dad is not here then mom you lead.
• If your parents are here, adopt a family.
• I want you to pray together.
• Dads really pray for your family.
• Then I want you to bring them to the front and serve your family communion.
• Take together as a remembrance that Jesus is the Lord of your home.
• This will be our dismissal.
