My friend was sharing something he had taught on recently at his church regarding being a good father, and it really spoke to me. I think his three points are simple to remember, yet very profound in how those of us who are parents could shift our approach and thinking. I felt like he really had some good thoughts and I wanted to pass them along.

He suggested that as parents we should be sure we are doing three things: teaching, modeling, and praying.

We ought to be sure to communicate and clearly teach the values and principles that we want to pass on. Teaching means spending time in dialogue and in sharing. It involves give and take as you try and teach what is worth dying for, which will shape how one lives.  This does not simply happen by living with your kids.  There are moments where you have to actually communicate truth.

We should also be certain our lives are reflecting what we are teaching and what we are wanting for our kids. We need to model. It is often easier to say do as I say versus what I do. Often our kids lack what we lack. What are you modeling?  How our lives teaching our kids? 

Lastly he suggeted, we should be busy praying for our kids. Pray for them, pray with them, pray over them, etc. Just pray. We need God to show up in the lives of our kids. There are many things we are not able to do as parents, and there are many things we will get wrong, there are many things we will not teach – but we can and should pray.

Teach, model, pray.