Devotionals by Dr. James Dobson
The Main Course
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart.
Psalm 86:12
Most of us have little trouble remembering to pray during times of crisis. I certainly called on the Lord the night a burglar startled me out of my sleep and again on the evening that Jim suffered a stroke. We do pretty well at bringing other requests before Him, too. We know that Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). These are easy prayer concepts to teach our children.
But our prayerful communication with the Lord has another purpose: worship. After all, God is not a “genie in a bottle” waiting in heaven for us to send a laundry list of needs and wants. He is worthy of our praise and is pleased when we come before Him with humble reverence. He wants to be appreciated, just as we do.
Praise and adoration are not merely “appetizers” in the lives of believers—they are part of the main course. David, who gave us so many wonderful words of praise in the Psalms, put it this way: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.… Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29).
In the same way, praise and worship are essential to an effective and satisfying life of prayer. When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He began with praise: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9).
Our loving Lord is the sovereign Creator of the universe. He loves us as His own children and has given us every good thing that we have; He is worthy of our praise every moment. Let’s remember to focus on Him when we pray and to teach our children to do the same. It will move us away from being self-centered, filled with worry and distress, to being God-centered, with joy and peace in our hearts.
Listen to today's broadcast of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk at OnePlace.com. For more from Dr. Dobson, visit the resource center at drjamesdobson.org.
This devotional is taken from Night Light for Parents. Copyright © 2000 by James Dobson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
About Family Talk
Family Talk is a Christian non-profit organization located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2010 by Dr. James Dobson, the ministry promotes and teaches biblical principles that support marriage, family, and child-development. Since its inception, Family Talk has served millions of families with broadcasts, monthly newsletters, feature articles, videos, blogs, books and other resources available on demand via its website, mobile apps, and social media platforms.
The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute (JDFI) is a Christian non-profit ministry located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded initially as Family Talk in 2010 by Dr. James Dobson, the organization promotes and teaches biblical principles that support marriage, family, and child development. Since its inception, Family Talk has served families with broadcasts, monthly newsletters, feature articles, videos, blogs, books, and other resources available on demand via their website, mobile apps, and social media platforms. In 2017, the ministry rebranded under JDFI to expand its four core ministry divisions consisting of the Family Talk radio broadcast, the Dobson Policy and Education Centers, and the Dobson Digital Library.
Dr. Dobson's flagship broadcast called, “Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk," is aired on more than 1,500 terrestrial radio outlets and numerous digital channels that reach millions each month.
About Dr. James Dobson
Dr. James Dobson is the Founder Chairman of the James Dobson Family Institute, a nonprofit organization that produces his radio program, “Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.” He has an earned Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and holds 18 honorary doctoral degrees. He is the author of more than 70 books dedicated to the preservation of the family including, The New Dare to Discipline, Love for a Lifetime, Life on the Edge, Love Must Be Tough, The New Strong-Willed Child, When God Doesn't Make Sense, Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls, and, most recently, Your Legacy: The Greatest Gift. Dr. Dobson served as an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for 14 years and on the attending staff of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for 17 years in the divisions of Child Development and Medical Genetics. He has advised five U.S. presidents and served on eight national commissions. Dr. Dobson has been married to Shirley for 64 years, and they have two grown children, Danae and Ryan, and two grandchildren.
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