Daughters need fathers too...

This is such a great devotional and I wanted to share it with everyone. I hope you'll take it to heart and if you like it, you can go to www.crosswalk.com and sign up for daily devotionals that are sent to your e-mail. Hope everyone has an amazing week!



by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
April 20Daughters Need Fathers, Too
Psalm 144:12Let our...daughters [be] as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace.
We read a lot today of the problems that occur when boys grow up without male role models. But did you know that a father is just as important in helping girls understand their sexual identities?
Boys are not the only ones who lack a sense of how a man should behave. Many young girls don't know, either, because they aren't exposed to healthy male-female relationships.
How do you give your daughter a healthy perspective of male-female relationships?
The most influential way is by how you treat her mother. As she sees you loving your wife, giving preference to her, giving to her in a sacrificial way, she will learn how a man should treat a woman.
Second, your daughter needs to know you love her. She needs to be assured of your protection and your guidance. She will feel a greater sense of self-esteem if she is assured of your love. Hug her. Kiss her. Appropriately express affection for her even as she matures and goes through adolescence.
Another important way you influence your daughter is through your spiritual guidance. She should be shaped by Scripture and by prayer to be "corner pillars fashioned as for a palace."
Corner...like her role, designed by God to be supportive yet essential to holding a home together.
Pillars...because her inner strength is derived from a confidence and faith in God.
Fashioned...as you guide her to have a soft heart, willing to be led by God's Spirit.
For a palace...because her inner beauty attracts others to Jesus as much as it makes her willing to follow a godly man.
I pray the next generation of women will be pillars of love, faith and commitment to the husbands, families and the communities that need them. Maybe, with godly fathers involved, millions of little girls will develop into women who will, in turn, build godly families.
Prayer:
That God will give you the wisdom to know how to begin influencing your daughters to become "corner pillars fashioned as for a palace."
Discuss: Evaluate together your involvement as a father in each of your daughters' lives. Prayerfully establish some goals for the upcoming year for each of these relationships.