Dear Friends,
According to Wikipedia, Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Signed into law in 1972 by Richard Nixon, Father’s Day is celebrated the third Sunday in June.
When we searched for scriptures that seem appropriate for Father’s Day, Exodus and Proverbs immediately came to mind:
Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Today, we honor our fathers by conceding that they did the best they could with the hand they were dealt.
Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Today we recognize that a father’s first duty is to draw his children closer to the Lord.
The Apostle Paul never married, but he included advice to fathers in two of his epistles:
Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Today we recognize that at times our dads were the “exaperator”… and at times they were the “exasperatee”!
Colossians 3:21: “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Today we ask God to teach us to be encouragers.
We read in Hebrews 12:9: “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!”
With these verses in mind, we offer the following:
“A Father’s Prayer”
Lord, I should allow him to vent.
No matter my intent, he’s spent And wonders where hope went.
He needs my ears, not my advice.
A smile will suffice, or a touch. Not too much.
What he really needs is You, Lord, to lift him from despair.
Please let him know I care.
I’m just his Dad. Today he needs his Father.
Amen
Blessings,
Your friends in Christ
Father’s Day is a great day to remember your dad in prayer.
Because He Loves Us Press 