Father's Day Prayer

Our Great God and Father,

Thank You for adopting us as Your own; making us truly Your children, and Yourself our true Father. Lest we should doubt our own adoption, like a father You patiently reassure us over and over in Your Word that this is Your plan and our status. Indeed, the same Spirit who makes constant intercession for us bears witness that we are the children of God; joint heirs with Jesus Christ! And just as an earthly father provides a family name and sustenance for his children; You give us baptism to mark us out as separate from the children of darkness, and communion to feed us at Your table.

Help the fathers of Christ Church, and throughout Your church catholic to follow Your divine example. Help each of us to feed and disciple our families as You have commanded in Your Word, and to be willing even to lay down our own life for our bride’s. Endow us with the wisdom to guide and direct our households by word and example, that we may say with Paul; “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Guard us equally from autocratic dictatorship on the one hand and effeminate abdication on the other, and grant that we may exercise our roles of prophet and priest in the home with a balance of authority and humility. Lord we know we are not equal to the task on our own; so we ask that You would help us by Your grace to accurately embody for our children the character of our Father in heaven – never provoking to wrath, but seeking always to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

And even as our little ones never doubt whether we will provide them with food or shelter, help us to trust in You with the same childlike confidence. As their fear of the dark or of bugs turns to bravado when Daddy’s at hand, fill us with the boldness that stems from knowing that our Abba Father will never leave nor forsake us. And just as they run to us with their injuries and injustices, cause us to run to You each time we are tempted to sin or to doubt Your eternal plan; even as Jesus modeled when He taught His disciples to pray, saying…