By Mark Ellis –
She grew up in a faith-filled home in Colorado with a dad that encouraged her interest in current events. That interest carried her all the way to the White House, where she became the second female press secretary in history, serving under President George W. Bush.
Since then, she has become one of the brightest stars in the Fox News firmament as co-host of The Five and anchor of The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino.
Her family were regular churchgoers and Perino loved God from an early age. “My sister always wanted to go to the late service, because she wanted to sleep,” Perino told Faithwire. “I always wanted to go to the early service because that meant we could do that, and Sunday school, and still get home in time for ‘Meet the Press.’”
Perino earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Illinois Springfield. During her studies there, she went through a difficult time.
“I just wasn’t happy,” she told Faithwire. “As humans, we try to fix everything ourselves.” She reached a low point where she prayed, surrendered to God, and turned her worries over to Him, which brought her peace.
When she worked for President Bush, her faith began to grow. She observed that the president “really lived his faith” and was “not shy” about his relationship with God.
She was part of the team that traveled with President Bush to Africa in 2008. Since then, she has gone on several mission trips to Africa, many of them with Mercy Ships, a Christian ministry that redeploys ocean vessels as floating hospitals.
“When we go there,” she said, “you really can feel the hand of God,” she said.
She subscribes to a daily devotional by Pastor Rick Warren. In one of the devotionals that was meaningful to her, Warren referenced Matthew 6:25, which reads, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”
“When I read that…I thought, ‘Who am I to worry?’” she told Faithwire.
She tells younger women entering the workforce not to worry about what the future may hold. Perino tells them she was in her forties before she learned that lesson.
Her favorite Bible passage to combat stress, worry, and anxiety is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
For many years, she has silently recited the verse when facing difficult situations. “I’ve done this probably since I was 23,” Perino said. “It comes up over and over again.”
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