#104. The Hidden Ministry of Motherhood and Building a Spiritual Legacy for Our Families | 1 Chronicles 26-29

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This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox

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In today's reading of First Chronicles

chapters twenty-six through twenty-nine,

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David continues to prepare for his

son to build a temple for the Lord.

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These chapters are particularly

impactful for me as we learn more about

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doorkeepers, and I think back to our

theme scripture of Psalm eighty-four.

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One of the most commonly known verses

of that passage says, " I would rather

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be a doorkeeper in the house of my Lord

than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

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I have to admit, when I pictured this role

before, I've almost thought about somebody

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waiting outside the party, opening the

door who doesn't get in, almost like a

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butler who doesn't have inside access.

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But as I keep reading it, I'm thinking

more about a bouncer or a security

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guard with a lot more responsibility.

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Several times chapter 26 tells us

they were men of great ability and

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able men qualified for the service.

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And now it's making much more sense to me.

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They were guarding the

treasure of the Lord

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If this temple was going to be

the most stunning place in all

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of Israel, this might also be

the first target of any enemies.

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So instead of thinking about someone

who got rejected and didn't get invited

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to a party, now I'm thinking more about

these mighty men that devoted their

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strength to serving the Lord But they

didn't just protect the treasuries.

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Listen to this list from one of

my commentaries of their other

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obligations that might sound

familiar to your daily life.

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They had other duties such as checking

out equipment and utensils, storing,

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ordering, and maintaining food for the

priests and sacrifices, caring for the

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temple furniture, mixing the incense daily

burned, and accounting for gifts brought

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I may have had a mini meltdown yesterday

because I was mentally exhausted, and

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didn't wanna think about the meal plan

for the week or make the grocery list

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If you get exhausted from all those

decisions, I want to encourage you

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that as the doorkeepers were important

and influential in all of these

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details for the house of the Lord,

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You are honoring Christ by the way

that you serve your family and equip

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them for what they need Chapter

27 lays out the army of Israel.

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Each division would serve

faithfully one month of the year.

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Of course, in a time of

war, more would be required.

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It certainly made me think about division

of labor And ensuring that the same

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people weren't serving the army all 12

months of the year getting burned out

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At the end of the chapter

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It mentions a list that would've been

almost like a cabinet of advisors.

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Ahithophel is mentioned, and that's

one of those names I have to think so

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carefully about every time I pronounce

it, even though he betrayed David,

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it's not mentioned here In fact, the

chronicler doesn't talk about David's fall

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with Bathsheba or Absalom's rebellion.

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Why not?

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Does the chronicler just

have rose-colored glasses?

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It's really not the case.

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The author of Chronicles knew that

the people had the account in the

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book of Samuel and knew it well.

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But Chronicles was written

much later with the purpose of

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encouraging the returning exiles

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To reinstitute the practices

God had commanded and to honor

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him once again rather than dwell

on the mistakes of the past.

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For our main reading today, we'll

read portions of chapters 28 and 29,

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and I absolutely delighted in this

father's heart to encourage his son.

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David hasn't always been a perfect

father, but as he prepares for Solomon

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to build a temple to the Lord and

to become Israel's next king, I'm so

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inspired David has everyone assembled

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And he reminds them of the

opportunity before them.

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Beginning in verse two, " Then King

David rose to his feet and said,

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' Hear me, my brothers and my people.

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I had it in my heart to build a house of

rest for the ark of the covenant of the

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Lord and for the footstool of our God,

and I made preparations for building.

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But God said to me, " You may not

build a house for my name, for you

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are a man of war and have shed blood."

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Yet the Lord God of Israel chose

me from all my father's house

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to be king over Israel forever.'

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For he chose Judah as leader, and in the

house of Judah, my father's house, And

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among my father's sons, he took pleasure

in me to make me king over all Israel.

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And of all of my sons, for the Lord

has given me many sons, he has chosen

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Solomon my son to sit on the throne of

the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

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He said to me, " It is Solomon your

son who shall build my house and my

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courts, for I have chosen him to be

my son, and I will be his father."

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I will establish his kingdom forever

if he continues strong in keeping my

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commandments and my rules as he is today.

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Now therefore, in the sight of all

Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and

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in the hearing of our God, observe and

seek out all the commandments of the

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Lord your God, that you may possess

this good land and leave it for an

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inheritance to your children after you

forever And you, Solomon my son, know

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the God of your father and serve Him

with a whole heart and a willing mind.

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For the Lord searches all hearts and

understands every plan and thought.

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If you seek Him, He will be found by you.

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But if you forsake Him, He

will cast you off forever.

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Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen

you to build a house for the sanctuary.

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Be strong and do it

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Then David gave Solomon his son the plan

of the vestibule of the temple and of

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its houses, its treasuries, its upper

rooms, and its inner chambers, and of

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the room for the mercy seat, and the

plan for all that he had in mind for

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the courts of the house of the Lord.

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And in verse 19, David tells us

exactly where these plans came from.

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" All this he made clear to me in writing

from the hand of the Lord, all the

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work to be done according to the plan.

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Then David said to Solomon his son,

' Be strong and courageous and do it.

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Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed,

for the Lord God, even my God is with you.

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This is amazing on so many levels.

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God's detailed directions for the

tabernacle, were made clear to David

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in writing from the hand of the Lord.

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How incredible and reassuring that

they get to move forward in exactly

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the way that God wanted this also

acknowledges that God communicated with

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David and not every time was recorded

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So when we just read that God told

David that Solomon would be the one to

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build the temple, I really believe that

that was revealed at a different time

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the Nathan's first conversation

with David about the temple

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Because Solomon wasn't even born at that

time and he was Bathsheba's fourth son.

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So I think if God would've said, "Someday

you'll have a son named Solomon, and

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he's gonna build the temple," you

would think that David would name one

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of his sons Solomon earlier than this.

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that's just my hunch,

but it makes sense to me.

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David continues to address

the assembly in chapter 29.

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" Solomon, my son, whom alone God has

chosen, is young and inexperienced, and

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the work is great, for the palace will

not be for man, but for the Lord God.

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So I have provided for the house

of my God so far as I was able."

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David lists off many of the materials he's

provided, and if you do the calculations,

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it would amount to a staggering $16.3

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billion worth of gold and

$637 million worth of silver

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Instead of the people of Israel looking

on saying, " Oh, it looks like you've got

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plenty to build a temple," they followed

David's generous and willing example

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continuing to give to the Lord and

rejoicing in the way they could honor Him.

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And why can they be so generous?

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David explains beginning in verse

10, " therefore David blessed the Lord

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in the presence of all the assembly.

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And David said, ' Blessed are

you, O Lord, the God of Israel

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our Father, forever and ever.

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Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the

power and the glory, and the victory

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and the majesty, for all that is in

the heavens and in the earth is yours.'

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Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and

you are exalted as head over all.

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Both riches and honor come from

you, and you rule over all.

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In your hand are power and might,

and in your hand it is to make

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great and to give strength to all.

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And now we thank you, our God,

and praise your glorious name.

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But who am I and what is my people that

we should be able thus to offer willingly?

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For all things come from you,

and of your own have we given you

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For we are strangers before you and

sojourners as all our fathers were.

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Our days on this earth are like a

shadow, and there is no abiding.

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O Lord our God, all this abundance that we

have provided for building you a house for

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your holy name comes from your hand and is

your own I know, my God, that you test the

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heart and have pleasure in uprightness.

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In the uprightness of my heart, I have

freely offered these things, and now

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I have seen your people who are present

here offering freely and joyously to you

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" Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart

that he may keep your commandments,

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your testimonies, and your statutes,

performing all, and that he may build

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the palace for which I made provision."

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At the end of the chapter, they confirm

Solomon's kingship And David passes

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away, but we're not going to focus on

that too much today because we'll read

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about it later in Kings As we dwell upon

a father setting his son up for success,

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I can't help but think how unlike David

is for many earthly rulers like Herod.

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Herod was ruthless and paranoid, and

if he heard that one of his sons had

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their eye on the crown, he would kill

them but David put everything he had

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into ensuring a fruitful reign and

legacy for his son And in the midst

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of all the day-to-day duties you take

care of, much like the doorkeepers

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I know you're a mom that also desires

to leave a solid spiritual legacy

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to your kids, and God is so honored

by every time you've prayed for

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your kids, turned to His Word with

your family, , and worshiped Him.

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And also for every battle that you've had

to deny your flesh and walk by the Spirit

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Keep up the good work of giving your

kids a beautiful inheritance that enables

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them to serve Christ wholeheartedly

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Heavenly Father, we thank you that all we

have comes from your hand With David's

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words, we're reminded to hold what we

have loosely and to give generously

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for things that have eternal value.

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Give us willing hearts to devote our

finances to you and steward them well.

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I'm so encouraged that you provided this

detailed blueprint for David to build

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the temple, and I thank you that the

blueprint for what matters to you and

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our parenting is laid out in your word

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Give us clarity to stay steadfast

in the things that matter to you

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We pray that our kids would have a whole

heart and a willing mind to serve you

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Help us to be faithful in educating

them spiritually, but also academically,

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because each subject points to your

glory, your order, and your goodness.

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You are a God that searches all

hearts and understands every thought

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Train our kids to seek you And I

pray that they would be delighted

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by your faithfulness to be found

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Guide us to a reasonable

division of labor in our homes

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And when we're taking

too much upon ourselves

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help us to be able to rely on our

husbands and train our kids to

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serve jesus, thank you that you

are the king who will reign forever.

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In your name we pray, amen