This article was originally published on www.EricSpeir.com and has been revised for publication.

I love playing the game of Monopoly. The first time I played with my 6-year-old daughter, I made her cry. I didn't mean to, but I took all of her money. I felt bad for a moment, and then I started counting my money again. For some reason, my wife wasn't very happy with me. I quickly realized we weren't on the same page.

I guess she expected more from a Christian father. Maybe I should have tithed first. It probably didn't help that I was wearing a cheap green visor that professional poker players wear. (Just kidding. I couldn't find one.) I tried to explain to her it wasn't personal, just business. For some reason she still wasn't buying it.

The reason my wife and I discussed (argued) about me winning the game was because of our difference in parenting philosophy. I wasn't intentionally trying to be selfish because I saw it as a game to win and as an opportunity to crush someone in Monopoly. However, my wife was thinking further down the road. She saw it as a good teaching moment for our daughter.

I was playing to win while my wife was playing for our daughter to win. My wife taught me a few lessons while playing the game:

1. As a parent, I need to set up my children to win in life

It doesn't mean giving them everything or making sure they have it easy, but it does mean teaching them the principles to succeed in life and to be independent. Monopoly is a good game to teach your children about business and personal finances. When you run out of money, you can't pay for property or rent with your Mastercard. Using Monopoly money is a great way to teach your children about earning money and personal budgeting.

2. As a parent, I need to be willing to sacrifice for my chldren to win in life

It might mean sacrificing some of my personal time so I can help my children with something. It might mean driving a less expensive car or not buying the latest iPhone that just came out so my children can be involved in a life-building activity. Try taking your child on a mission trip or involve them in a mission project. When your children see you sacrifice for them, it builds gratitude in their lives and teaches them to live for a cause greater than themselves.

3. As a parent, if my children win now, I win later

If I take the time to teach my children and invest in their lives now, they will grow up to be responsible and respectable adults. This means eventually they won't need to keep borrowing money from me, and they will be off of my payroll. It also means I can go and get the car I had been eyeing or the latest version of the iPhone.

The lessons learned in Monopoly are cheap and won't cost you now, but you could receive dividends later for investing in your children.

The post Lessons I learned from crushing my 6-year-old in Monopoly appeared first on FamilyToday.

It was both a prayer of desperation and exasperation. It wasn't something I prayed haphazardly. It was an all-in-the-moment for me. It was a place of no return. A one-way ticket with God to a life of significance.

Let fear be your guide

It all started when the Lord asked to do something I didn't want to do. I wasn't trying to be obstinate or disobedient. I had good reasons for not wanting to do it. The biggest reason was fear. Fear can be a horrible motivator and an even harder master. It's not always a bad thing to have fear because it has often kept me from doing something stupid. At times, it also kept me from doing something great. It tends to be the double-edged sword. We can both live and die by it.

Rise to the challenge

I wrestled with God because what I was being asked to do was hard. I knew it would be difficult and painful at times. I have this thing about pain; I try to avoid it. What I was being asked to do would require me to rely on the Lord like I never have before. It would require a level of faith and trust I've never walked in. Looking back, it seems as if the past few years were simply the boot camp and training grounds for the task at hand.

If you ask, don't fear the answer

I found myself asking God why he wanted me to do it. I was just starting to get comfortable in my situation. I started making excuses that I didn't have the right skills or experience to do it. I tend to be the excuse king and can justify almost anything. In fact, as a pastor I can spiritualize just about anything as well. I keep the "God card" in my back pocket like an ace of spades, just waiting to get me out of a poorly dealt hand. It didn't work this time because God doesn't play games.

The Lord's request haunted me for days. I didn't know what else to do but keep praying about it. It's funny now because I was praying for God's will about a situation he had already told me was going to happen. I just didn't have all the information or understand it at the time. I had been praying for the easy path. After a few days I realized I couldn't get out of it, so I started praying differently.

I prayed not for an easier life, but to be a stronger person

If God wouldn't let me take the easy path, he would give me the strength to do it. After I prayed those words I felt liberated. It was an honest prayer and somehow I think it pleased God. I almost get the feeling it made him smile, like a proud father would. I think it pleased the heart of God. It was the most dangerous prayer I've ever prayed.

The Apostle Paul understood this type of prayer as well. He wrote in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength." This verse wasn't a trite saying he used to make people feel better. As an apostle, he probably experienced more pain than any other man alive, except for Jesus. He was shipwrecked on three different occasions, beaten with rods three times, jailed on a few occasions, went hungry and naked, and bitten by a viper at least once. This verse looks differently now because it's not just a scripture verse, but also a mantra of faith for me. I truly can't do it without him.

God doesn't want to just take up residence in your life; he's looking to take over

It's a prayer for God to invade my circumstances. Yes, it's a dangerous prayer, but an exciting one. It's exciting to see what God is going to do in this situation. It's both a prayer of surrender and total abandonment. I felt like a kid jumping into the deep end of the pool into my daddy's arms for the first time. It was simultaneously scary and exciting.

The Lord would never ask me to do something he's never done before. Before his death, Jesus prayed the same kind of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed, "not my will, but your will be done." It was a dangerous prayer because it cost him his life, but it changed the world. It's impossible to change the world while avoiding risk and pain. I prayed this prayer because I want to change the world as well.

Sure, it's a dangerous prayer, but it's one He is sure to answer.

The post Brave steps to saying a dangerous prayer appeared first on FamilyToday.

If you've been a believer long enough, you'll admit he hasn't answered all of your prayers. In hindsight, you're probably thankful for it. There are times I'm glad he didn't answer them. I believe there are a few reasons why He might take his time to answer our prayers. Here they are in no particular order:

1. You ask Him to do something you could do yourself

It doesn't take faith to do what you know you can do. Faith is required when you have to do something beyond your own abilities or comfort zone. The scriptures teach us in Hebrews 11:6 NJV, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." In other words, if your prayers don't require faith, it's not a God pleasing prayer.

2. You are praying selfish prayers

If we're honest, most of our prayers are for ourselves. James 4:3 NJV says, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." Our prayers sometimes go unanswered when they're all about us. It's easy to disguise a greed as a need in your life. I often find myself having to do a motive check during my prayer time. The other day while I was praying, I stopped myself because I was rattling off my wish list to God. Frankly, I was boring myself with my own words. It's true that our Heavenly Father longs to take care of our needs, but He expects us to be his hands and feet to others. I've learned over the years that if I'll take care of someone else's needs, He'll take care of mine.

3. You are living in disobedience to His Word

God expects his children to live according to his Word. Proverbs 28:9 NJV teaches us, "If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable." Put another way, if we ignore God's word, He'll ignore our words. We can't ignore God and then expect Him to show up like a genie in the magic lamp when we need Him. He wants a relationship with us first and foremost.

4. You are asking too little of Him

One time I was out shopping with my daughter, and she asked for something. I was floored because in my mind it was such a miniscule thing. I almost felt insulted because I could do so much more than what she was asking. I ended up giving her the whole package, because I was willing to do it. All she had to do was ask for it, because it was my desire to give it to her. James 4:2 NJV says, "You do not have because you do not ask God." I think sometimes God is just waiting for us to ask.

Jesus experienced this as well in the Gospels. On one particular occasion after coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, He met a man who had a demon-possessed son. The disciples had already tried delivering the boy to no avail. The boy's father said, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." You can almost hear Jesus' sarcasm in his response when he asks, "If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes." I think sometimes God is waiting for us to get our faith up to ask.

This isn't an exhaustive list of why God doesn't answer our prayers, but it's a good checklist to start with. There are some prayers He may not answer this side of Heaven. There will be times when we just don't have all the answers. When this happens we must fall back on our trust in God. We must trust He knows what He's doing and has our best interest in mind. If we can believe this we can get through any situation.

The post Why God is taking his time to answer your prayers appeared first on FamilyToday.