O God, giver of life, nothing will be impossible with You. You know well the weaknesses in my dad’s life. Please direct his footsteps according to Your Word, and let no sin rule over him. May he always know the truth and may the truth set him free!
[PAUSE: Pray for your dad’s weaknesses and pray for God’s grace.]
Pray that You create in Daddy a pure heart, that he may have a righteous spirit within him. May he be temperate, dignified, and self-disciplined, full of faith, love, and patience, not only to have an abundant life for himself, but also to set a good example for future generations.
Please help me to honor my dad in the Lord, to understand him, to encourage him, and in the days to come, to always pray for him.
Bless him and protect him! May Your face always shine upon him, and give him grace! May Your face be lifted up to him, and give him peace!
Help us to love one another as a family, and may Your will be done in our home as it is in heaven.
In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Scripture Reading: Numbers 6:24-26; Psalm 51:10, 119:133; John 8:32; Titus 2:2
Abba, Father
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
The scene belonged on a funny Father’s Day card. As a dad muscled a lawn mower ahead of him with one hand, he expertly towed a child’s wagon behind him with the other. In the wagon sat his three-year-old daughter, delighted at the noisy tour of their yard. This might not be the safest choice, but who says men can’t multitask?
If you had a good dad, a scene like that can invoke fantastic memories. But for many, “Dad” is an incomplete concept. Where are we to turn if our fathers are gone, or if they fail us, or even if they wound us?
King David certainly had his shortcomings as a father, but he understood the paternal nature of God. “A father to the fatherless,” he wrote, “a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families” (Ps. 68:5–6). The apostle Paul expanded on that idea: “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.” Then, using the Aramaic word for father—a term young children would use for their dad—Paul added, “By him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’ ” (Rom. 8:15). This is the same word Jesus used when He prayed in anguish to His Father the night He was betrayed (Mark 14:36).
What a privilege to come to God using the same intimate term for “father” that Jesus used! Our Abba Father welcomes into His family anyone who will turn to Him.
Reflect & Pray
Are you willing to accept and love your dad in the love of the Father? How will you pray for him?
Heavenly Father, I want to be part of Your family. I believe that Your only Son Jesus died for my sins. Please forgive me and help me live a life that pleases You.
A good father reflects the love of our heavenly Father.
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