Guide and Guard. These two words find their way into my prayer life a lot these days. I find myself asking God to GUIDE me in every way. Guide me in loving my wife, leading my boys, serving others, leading the ministry. I’m frequently asking the LORD to direct my steps (Proverbs 16:9) and guide me into all truth (John 16:13). I also regularly ask Him to GUARD me. From pride, sin, error, temptation, my own mouth, evil men. I ask Him to be my shield (Psalm 28) and my armor (Ephesians 6). What I know, and what you probably know too, we can’t live this life to the full on our own. There are too many inputs and choices, so we need to be guided. What do we say yes and no to? And, there’s spiritual attack and distraction all around us. We need to be guarded from our enemy. Maybe you’ll join me in letting these two powerful words influence your prayer life.

Overcome a porn addiction doing these 5 things: A vital weapon against porn addiction is accountability. Tell someone what you are going through. One of Satan’s greatest weapons is convincing you that you are the only one who struggles with sin. Opening up to someone else will help you make genuine efforts towards letting go of this problem.

Let God’s Word lead the way for you and your family: Diving into scripture can be intimidating. But don’t let that keep you from investing valuable time in God’s Word. As dads, we need to effectively handle the Bible so our kids can learn and grow in their knowledge as well. We can help them develop a love for the Bible and see how God’s Word lights their path forward (Psalm 119).

“If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.” – Warren Bennis

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” – Hellen Keller

What are your key words? Do you have a word or two that finds its way into your prayer life regularly? And, this isn’t some must-have. It’s not like key words are some secret code for unlocking a new prayer level. Guide and guard are just a couple that have been on my mind and heart a lot over the last year. If you do have some words or themes that find their way into your prayer life a lot, share them. Especially with your wife and kids. It’ll open great dialogue. Then, shoot me an email to let me know them. I’d love to hear from you!

Kent Evans
Author of The Manhood Journey, co-founder of Manhood Journey and Father On Purpose.

P.S. Was this Mountain Monday helpful? Tell me if you love it, hate it, or if there’s something you’d like in the next one.

Forward this to a dad you know who needs some encouragement.