What do David, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Elijah have in common?
What would you say the most important part of being a man is?
~ Some would say that He needs to be the best provider he can be.
~ Others would say that he needs to be the best protector around.
~ Some others would say that he needs to be very loving to his wife and kids.
~ Still, others will say that the best attribute a man can have is to be humble.

I agree with everything that I have put there, but it is still not the most important thing a man can do for his wife and kids.
~ A man must first be regenerated from the inside out.
~ He must be able to humble himself and pray to the Creator of the universe.
~ He must put his trust in Jesus the Messiah or Savior of all creation.
~ A man must pray and ask God to help him commit to a life of communication with Him before anything else can happen.
~ This is just the beginning. If a man can’t humble himself and pray to the Almighty Lord, how can he then try to connect with God’s Spirit to guide him through this extremely tough responsibility of carrying and leading a family?
You see, a strong family leader is one who knows that it is not by his own actions and doings that his family will succeed. It is through the Spiritual communication with the only Power that can make things change in our lives.

~ But how can a man absolutely hear from God in this fast paced world of fast travel, fast internet, and fast morals?

The only way that a person can experience the power of God and be able to lead his family is by seeking and interceding for them in the presence of God. And the only way that a man of God can do this is by unhurried and uninterrupted prayer time with his Maker.

“God’s acquaintance is not made hurriedly. He does not bestow His gifts on the casual or hasty comer and goer.”*(EM Bounds- Power Through Prayer)

I need to say this, and again, I am giving some of you a warning. This has to be said… Here it comes….

~ We as men can spend long hours at work without any problems. We can even volunteer extra time away from our families.
~ We can watch hours and hours of sports and not complain that we are tired.
~ We can spend tons of time on the computer without blinking an eye.
~ Let alone the unadulterated time we devote to video games while our families suffer from absentdaditis, a common sickness found in western culture!

But asked to go to a prayer meeting at church or to just pray at home in your prayer closet and men will find every excuse in the world not to do it!

Imagine if God worked the way we do in our relationship with Him? Or as hard as we do to communicate with Him? What would this world and our families be like?

Oscar, but you don’t understand! I work long hours and sit through horrendous traffic! When I get home, I just want to unwind and be with my family. I don’t see anything wrong with that.

TRANSLATION:

I want to come home and not have met wife unload on me about everything that went haywire in the house while I was away, working hard for them. Is it too much to ask to be left alone with my favorite sports team until I go to bed?

Men, it’s time to step up. You can’t make the excuse that you are the provider and work so hard that when you get home, all you do is sit on a couch and endlessly click on the remote until you are so tired that you have to go to bed.

You can get right with God, your wife, and kids right here, right now. If you can’t pray at night with your family, then get up early tomorrow morning. Better yet, keep still and quiet long enough and allow God to speak to you.

How? Read His Word, the Bible, then sit and ask God to teach you on what you just read. As you’re quietly sitting, don’t think of anything else except an answer from the Holy Spirit.
Don’t wait. I speak from experience. I always have to make it a point of just sitting still enough, and wait on God to guide me. If you knew any of my family and friends, they would tell you that sitting for something is not one of my strong suits. But I have learned that sitting still and waiting on the Lord, renews my strength and gives me the peace I need to handle the tough day-to-day things.

Again, start being a man of prayer right now.

~You will see that this is the most important thing you can do for yourself and others.
~See if you don’t become a mighty man of valor spiritually.
~ If you don’t become a more loving husband.
~ A more loving dad.
~ And a better leader in your home and workplace.

P.S. I never explained what the men in the Bible had in common, I think you know what it is but that will be in PART III B. The power of a praying and patient man…