"A Prayer for Father's Day"

From Pastor Scotty Smith: 

    For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth derives its meaning. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:14-19

     Dear heavenly Father, on this Father’s Day, it’s an unparalleled joy to acknowledge that you are the Father we’ve always longed for and needed. Our most loving and engaged fathers have been a wonderful hint of what it means to be your beloved children; but they could never be to us what you alone can be. And our most broken and irresponsible fathers cannot rob our hearts of the joys we find in knowing you and crying, Abba, Father.

     Thank you for adopting us, through the finished work of Jesus. Thank you for freeing us from our slavery to sin and our orphan-like ways; and for giving us the Spirit of Sonship, a secure place in your family, and an inheritance that can never spoil or fade, kept in heaven for us. Thank you for promising to complete the work you began in us, and for always, and only, disciplining us in love, even when it hurts.

     Father, thank you for grace to forgive our earthly fathers who failed us, including those who broke our trust, hurt us, and misrepresented you to us. Continue to heal us and free us from the lingering effects.

     And thank you for grace to acknowledge our failings as parents, and for promising us the strength we need to humble ourselves before our children, and to trust you to write stories of redemption in our families. Please do so, Father, to your glory.

     Lastly, Father, we thank you for the spiritual fathers you’ve given us—the “dads of grace” who help us discover more and more of the multi-dimensional love of Christ. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.

-- Pastor Scotty Smith