Our Father in Heaven, on this Father’s Day we come to You on behalf of fathers. We acknowledge You as the perfect Father. You are the One who shows us what it means to be a father, challenges us to a higher level, and helps us get there.
Today we thank You for our fathers who were there for us and who are there for us still. We thank You for their love and their sacrifices. We thank You for those who led us to You and taught us how to live for You. We pray for fathers who do not yet know You personally. We pray that You will open their understanding and draw them to Christ. Help us to be godly examples to them.
We remember our Dads who are no longer with us and we ask that You will help us to honor their memory by the way we live each day.
We pray also for everyone for whom this day is a hard one. For those whose experience with their fathers is or was not a great one. Lord, we pray that You will be a Father to them and help them forgive. We pray for fathers who have lost a child. Lord, give them Your comfort and peace. We pray for husbands who are unable to have children. Lord, bless them with the role of a dad in other ways. Bring children into their lives who need a father figure. We pray for fathers whose hearts are broken by children who are estranged from them and from You. We pray for healing in those relationships. We pray that You will intervene in those situations and give hope and Your Almighty help. We pray for our fathers who are sick or elderly and in the last years of their lives. We pray that they will feel our love and appreciation. Help us to be there for them in every way we can. Make these relationships sweet in the remaining time we have with them.
For each father here, whether we have children at home or grown, we thank You for these special gifts You have given us. We confess that we have not been all we should have been for them. We made mistakes. We've fallen short of Your ideals. At times we have been too busy, short-tempered, unkind. But we thank You for Your patience with us and Your forgiveness. We thank You for second chances and third; however many we need. May we not live in the guilt of the past, but press on to be what You want us to be today and tomorrow. Help us to grow in wisdom, love, patience. Help us to grow to be more like You to our families. Help us to raise them to know and love You. Lord, make us a blessing to those You have blessed us with. We ask these requests in the name of Jesus our Saviour, to the glory of our God and eternal Father. Amen.
Dave
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