AT THE WELL...Encouraging daughters

#1 How do you encourage your daughters in their relationship with the Lord?
#2 How do you encourage them in areas of domestic service in your home?
#3 How do you encourage them in their future of loving their husbands and their own children, and also being content if marriage isn't in God's plan for them?

These are the questions posed to us by our host this week over AT THE WELL. Penny is our host this week.

On my bookshelf is a great book to read if you have a daughter. It is "Your Girl" -raising a Godly daughter in an ungodly world written by Vicki Courtney. It is a timely book for us raising daughters in the society we live today.

I have the most beautiful, cherished daughter. She is such a blessing. She came 13 years after we had our first son. In between her and the oldest, 2 more brothers. For me to finally buy "pink" things was extraordinary!!!

That pink bundle of joy is now 13 years old. WOW! a teenager and still an over-the-top blessing to me.

This week, Penny has posed a great topic for us to discuss. I want to concentrate on two points of her questions. How do I encourage my daughter in her relationship with God and in a future relationship with her husband.

The first (and most important) step is ...PRAYER

She is never too young to begin to pray over for her salvation and her future husband. Begin early...in the womb if possible!

• PRAY for her!
• PRAY with her!
• PRAY over her!
• PRAY because of her!

And teach HER to PRAY!

The second (and just as important) step is ...BE A GODLY EXAMPLE

Daughters learn not from lecture but from example. I can remember when my 'lil princess was much younger, and a teacher asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied, "a mommy just like my mommy!" ...

"oh be still my heart!" - says mommy

As cute as that is...that should also be taken very, very seriously! What an awesome responsibility we, as mothers, have to mold our daughters to become Godly women.

To accomplish both of these steps (prayer and being a Godly example), we must allow our daughters to see God in us.

• When is the last time you prayed WITH your daughter?
• When is the last time your daughter saw you PRAY or READ YOUR BIBLE?
• What does your daughter hear you say to your husband...negativity or building up?
• When you place boundaries on your daughter...do you live within those same boundaries? .......do YOU dress appropriately or are YOUR jeans too tight, YOUR shorts too short and YOUR top too low?
• When is the last time your daughter saw you help someone in need?
• Does your daughter see a different "mommy" at home than at church?

In the book, "Your Girl", 3 main areas are covered:

1. PREPARING for battle
2. BATTLES worth fighting
3. ARMING our daughters for battle

Face it ...today's culture is filled with battles...teen pregnancies on the rise; girls "cutting" themselves; pornography and sexually illicit things on our televisions, at the movie theatre, in our music, in every magazine. Society is filled with battles that our daughters are fighting.

Our daughters need the armour before going into the battle.

PSALMS 3:3 "But you, oh Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts my head."

It is my prayer that the encouragement my daughter receives from me is not just encouragement from my love and adoration for her but that she will be encouraged to see the love and adoration I have for my heavenly Father.

YOUR DAUGHTER (my daughter) is worth fighting for. May the battle be won thru Jesus Christ!

For more writings on this topic, please visit us AT THE WELL, click here! Thank you Chelsey for spurring us on to be more like the TITUS 2 woman!