Daly Focus Blog
The question we get from a lot of moms and dads as the spread of the coronavirus dominates the news is, “What’s the best way to do family devotions, practically speaking?”
Could it be that for all the uncertainty and fear associated with this pandemic, it also presents you with an opportunity to make the most of this unanticipated extra time together?
My wife Jean and I have done devotions with our boys all their lives.
The new and rapidly escalating COVID-19 outbreak has left families with far more questions than answers. As developments unfold hour by hour, it’s important to take a deep breath and remember that the Lord continues to hold dominion over every aspect of creation. Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”
As I met with the Focus on the Family team this morning, I shared that the Lord’s words, “Do not be afraid,” have been at the forefront of my mind during prayer.
When Duck Dynasty’s Lisa Robertson was 16 years old, an abortion provider promised her that she was dispensing with a glob of tissue, would leave the clinic that day as good as new, and would never think about that moment again.
None of that was true.
Lisa immediately felt guilt about her decision. She sensed deep inside that something profoundly significant had just happened.
Years later, after she and Al married, she became pregnant with their first child.
The Bible encourages us to manage our emotions.
Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”
Identifying and managing emotions can be challenging for adults. How much more difficult is it for children?
Kids experience big feelings inside little bodies and can easily be overwhelmed and confused by their feelings.
The most important question we can ask ourselves about life is, “What do I really believe to be true?”
There’s one thing that’s ultimately true for any belief: it’s not a mental exercise. It’s an action.
You don’t simply believe truth. You live it.
That concept came naturally to Abdu Murray. He grew up Muslim in Detroit, Michigan. In that culture, even Muslims who don’t read the Quran, pray five times a day, or immerse themselves in the traditions of Islam consider their faith part of their identity.
“I’m pregnant.”
Would you know what to do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a pleasant situation to think about. But that’s why you should.
It’s the moment of truth for you as a parent. When you first hear the news, you’ll feel like the floor has dropped out from beneath your family. How you react sets the tone of your relationship with your child moving forward. It’s a scary, uncertain time for you and for your daughter.
Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly appears in full on Fox News.
Once upon a time, the vast majority of Americans were affiliated with a particular faith community or tradition: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, or Jewish, for example.
In recent years, though, secularism has been growing and a new wave of either atheism or agnosticism is rolling across the country. It may be true that a degree of “unbelief” has always existed, but with rising rates of people unaffiliated with any church or faith at all, the likelihood of interacting and being influenced by a person who believes in a higher power is similarly depressed.
Note: This article by Focus on the Family President Jim Daly originally appeared on CNN.
Inside the Washington, DC Hilton’s International Ballroom on Thursday, it was a scene straight from a script of a highly dramatic film.
Fresh off his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial and seated at the head table before an overflow crowd for the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast was President Donald J. Trump. Seated several seats over was Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — the very woman who led the House of Representative’s impeachment proceedings against him.
We live in a culture of contradictions.
When it comes to issues of race and sexual orientation, society shouts the virtues of human dignity from the rooftops. But when it comes to preborn babies, the terminally ill, or the severely disabled, society’s tone changes. Suddenly, ideas like “choice” and “quality of life” trump human dignity.
The Bible says we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). We all have tremendous worth and value to God from the moment of conception to natural death.
Human beings are designed with five core needs – five desires of our hearts that must be met for us to live lives of wholeness.
Security – who can I trust?Identity – who am I?Belonging – who wants me?Purpose – why am I alive?Competence – what do I do well?
Each of those is in their correct order, by the way. If you feel safe and secure, you’ll feel empowered to discover your identity – your deepest passions and strengths.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
