In today’s episode of The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries, Stephanie Hickox walks through 1 Chronicles chapters 26–29 and uncovers the powerful role of the doorkeepers in the house of God.

Far from insignificant servants, these men were trusted protectors of the temple treasures and faithful stewards of countless daily responsibilities. As Stephanie reflects on their work, she encourages Christian moms who feel overwhelmed by meal planning, grocery lists, housework, and the constant mental load of motherhood.

This episode explores how the unseen work of serving your family can honor Christ and build a lasting spiritual legacy for your children.

You’ll also discover:

• Why the doorkeepers in 1 Chronicles were men of strength and responsibility
• What the chronicler emphasizes — and omits — about King David’s failures
• How David prepared Solomon to lead with wisdom and courage
• Biblical encouragement for exhausted moms carrying the weight of daily responsibilities
• How faithful parenting creates a God-honoring inheritance for the next generation
• Why generosity, stewardship, and wholehearted devotion matter in the home

Stephanie also shares encouragement for moms seeking balance in parenting, family discipleship, homemaking, and spiritual leadership while trusting God in the ordinary routines of life.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your daily sacrifices matter to God, this episode will remind you that every act of faithful service done for Christ has eternal value.

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 26-29

Scripture Read or Referenced:

• Psalm 84:10
• 1 Chronicles 26:6-8, 22-28
• 1 Chronicles 27:34
• 1 Chronicles 28:2-12a, 19-20
• 1 Chronicles 29:1-2a, 10-17, 22b, 28

Topics Covered:

Christian motherhood, Bible study for moms, family discipleship, spiritual legacy, Christian parenting, homemaking encouragement, biblical stewardship, David and Solomon, doorkeepers in the Bible, overwhelmed moms, faith-filled parenting, Old Testament Bible study, Christian encouragement for moms, Christian nonprofit ministry

Follow The Dwelling Place for daily Bible reading encouragement and practical biblical wisdom for women and families seeking to dwell deeply with Christ.

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