This morning I was struck by a powerful word picture in Psalm 144. It’s a Psalm written by King David asking God to give victory to his son—his heir—and blessing to the people of Israel. Near the end, David asks the Lord to make their children healthy, their granaries full, the cattle productive, and to shield them from suffering and harm.

I love his request for daughters and lingered over it all day:

May “our daughters [be] like corner pillars cut for the structure of the palace” (Psalm 144:12).

What an image. Corner pillars are strong, essential. Buildings cannot stand without them. And here, David asks that they be like pillars of a palace—the strength of a institution. Amen.

I prayed this morning, as I often pray, that my daughters would be powerful, strong, capable. That they would stand tall, be courageous, bear whatever weight God calls them to for his name sake and for their good and for the good of their neighbors. May my daughters and yours be women who hold up their communities, their countries, their churches, any sphere that God gives them. May our daughter be like the corner pillars of a palace.

Later in the day I learned on social media that it’s World Daughters Day. I researched a bit and found that the purpose is to elevate the status of women—to celebrate the announcement of it’s a girl for moms and dads around the globe—especially in places where sons are preferred.

My husband and I are immeasurably blessed with the gift of four daughters. They are a treasure and my heartfelt cry is that they would indeed be pillars wherever God sends them.

Happy World Daughters Day—may yours and mine be immensely strong in the Lord, for the Lord. .