Daly Focus Blog
For the first time since the days of World War II, we awake to news of one European state attacking the other. The far-reaching consequences of such aggression are sobering. We must pray for peace, and for the protection and safety of the many innocent people caught in the crosshairs of Vladimir Putin’s unlawful and unprovoked attacks on the sovereign country of Ukraine.
Thirty years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to eastern Europe as freedom came to the former Soviet Union.
For whom do you pray? Family? Friends? Leaders? Neighbors? All of the above?
Do you pray for yourself?
Some Christians don’t. They’re consumed by the needs of others. They find it easier to seek help on behalf of someone else than to seek it for themselves. Or they believe that praying for oneself is prideful.
Author Jodie Berndt says praying for yourself is essential. For one thing, prayer connects us to the Spirit of God. As the vine feeds its branches, and the branches bear fruit, so the Lord expresses His goodness through us into the lives of other people.
Today is the National Day of Prayer.
If you’re not familiar with it, this annual observance is held on the first Thursday of May and invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.
In honor of today, I hope you’ll tune in for a special edition of our Focus on the Family Broadcast we’re calling “Bringing Purpose and Power to Your Prayer Life.”
Our guest is Kathi Lipp, who will help listeners learn how to pray diligently for themselves and others.
Focus on the Family will host a virtual call to prayer event on Wednesday, January 20 at 10 a.m. ET at www.FocusOnTheFamily.com/NationalPrayer.
The public is invited to join Focus representatives in praying over families, marriages, children, churches, and the incoming and outgoing elected officials on Inauguration Day.
“I can be extremely concerned with current circumstances—even burdened,” said Focus on the Family President and CEO Jim Daly. “But we’re called to act—and trust. Prayer is a powerful way to do just that, so we’re encouraging Christians around the nation to join us in corporate prayer for some of the most foundational aspects of our culture.”
The event will premiere on Focus on the Family’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
Eight days removed from last week’s presidential election, questions and controversy continue to swirl and simmer in America’s political world.
While television networks have projected former Vice-President Joe Biden president-elect, President Trump and his campaign have filed numerous lawsuits in key battleground states alleging widespread voter fraud.
It’s likely that many of these matters won’t be resolved for several weeks, though as states begin certifying results and the Electoral College vote looms in early December, resolution remains on the not too distant horizon.
Let me ask you this question: If Jesus said to you, “I will answer every single prayer that you pray this week,” how many people in your life would you pray for to receive Christ?
Are you praying for them now?
Have you grown weary of praying for someone – or given up entirely – because nothing seems to be happening within them?
What if, as we pray for others, God does something in us? Through prayer, God molds our character, grows our patience, and empowers us to persevere.
In our Welcome Center here at the Focus on the Family campus, children have the opportunity to leave their prayer requests with us.
One of my favorites is from a 9-year-old boy who wrote, “Please pray for my brother. He wets the bed. And pray for me. I share the bed with my brother.”
Some prayer requests are much more serious, like the 8-year-old boy who wanted us to ask God to help his dad stop drinking and be healthy again.
How do you pray? Are you open and honest? Do you pour your heart out? Or do you submit to God’s will and wait?
Author Elisa Morgan believes, through the example of Jesus, that we can do both.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus modeled a truth to prayer that can set us free in our prayer lives. In one thought, Jesus both requested (“If you are willing, take this cup”) and relinquished (“Nevertheless, not my will”).
Are your boys rambunctious? Messy? Loud? Are they always falling off of their bikes? Wrestling with the neighbor kids? Forgetting the same instruction you’ve reminded them of a hundred … no, a thousand times?
Boys will be boys, but author Brooke McGlothlin says that her boys were so wild she was embarrassed. They were strong-willed from birth and their behavior grew wilder the older they became. Some days, her household felt like one big wrestling match.
Today, on our Focus on the Family Broadcast, you’re in for a special treat. We’re airing an episode of our award-winning children’s radio drama Adventures in Odyssey.
Not only are these dramas one of the best things we do here at Focus to communicate the gospel message, they’re a lot of fun, too!
This episode is titled “Hidden Gems.” The story follows young Olivia as Whit teaches her why reading the Bible is important.
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.
