A Prayer of Sincere Gratitude for Fathers
By Lynette Kittle
Bible reading:
“Do not reprimand an old man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat young men as brothers.” – 1 Timothy 5:1
Listen or read below:
Born on my father’s 25th birthday, our shared birthday falls every few years on Father’s Day. This makes this day especially meaningful to me because it reminds me how special it was to be born on the same day as him.
Even though it wasn’t perfect, it seemed perfect to me when I was a kid.
Even though I matured and realized that He wasn’t perfect, it didn’t matter because His love for me and my love for Him covered a multitude of sins on our part, just like 1 Peter 4:8 explains: “Above all, love each other deeply, for love covers a multitude of sins. »
It’s easy in life to dwell on how our fathers disappointed or failed us and allow those flaws to overshadow the positive qualities they possessed and the values they instilled in us.
But our fathers don’t have to be perfect for us to have a heart full of gratitude for their lives and influence. Despite their human flaws and failures, God has given us reasons to be grateful for them.
4 reasons to be grateful to dads
1. God gave us fathers. Fatherhood was God’s idea and part of His divine plan. As the original Father of all creation, He created man in His image, training them to reflect His fatherly qualities and giving them strength to pass on to future generations.
Simply because God created fathers gives us reason enough to express sincere gratitude for them. As Leviticus 19:32 reminds us: “Stand up before the elderly, show respect to the elderly, and revere your God. I am the Lord.”
2. God gives us life through our fathers. If we find nothing else to be grateful for in our fathers, we can remember that God gave us life through them.
Without their participation in the creation of life, none of us would be here. Nothing created in a laboratory can replace the God-given ability of human fathers to help bring new life into the world. As Proverbs 23:22 » exhorts: “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
3. God created the fathers essential to life. Although fatherhood has taken a major hit over the years, with many people declaring that men’s place in family and culture is unnecessary or insignificant, this idea is simply false. Fathers are essential to life and irreplaceable.
As Ephesians 6:2-3 command: “Honor your father and your mother” — which is the first commandment with a promise that all will go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on earth.
4. God leads us through our fathers. Many fathers teach their children how to live, work, and take care of themselves because God has given them a place of honor in the family. Yet, even despite their faults, fathers can teach valuable lessons about life; what to pursue, what to avoid, and how to persevere.
As Proverbs 20:20 warns us, we want to be careful in how we speak about our fathers, so as not to suffer the consequences of our words: “If anyone curses his father or his mother, his lamp will go out in total darkness. »
Let us pray:
Dear Father,
Today we want to express to You our sincere gratitude for our fathers, for those who have been faithful to You in the honored positions You gave them.
We thank You, Lord, for their steadfastness, love and endurance as fathers. We are grateful to You for how You have strengthened them and guided their steps so that they can lead us in righteousness.
And Father, we also thank You for the fathers who did not respond to Your will, for they are nevertheless created in Your image and You have given us life through them.
On Father’s Day and throughout the year, we express our sincere gratitude to you for creating the fathers whose lives you have given us.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Discuss today’s devotion with others in the Your Daily Prayer Thread on the pedestrian crossing forum.
Photo credit: Demi-point
Lynette Kittle is married and the father of four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She holds a master’s degree in communications from Regent University and is an associate producer for TV soul check.
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