A Fatherhood Prayer
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Oh God,
One of the earliest and most enduring metaphors we humans have used to try to understand you is Father. We experienced the love, protection, security, and devotion of earthly fathers and knew you were no less than all of that for us and so much more. We call you Father God because it gives us a glimpse into your love and commitment to each of your children. It gives us a taste of how mighty and expansive you are, and how near and intimate you choose to be.
We are aware of how seeing you as Father God carries so many different meanings for so many of your different children.
Because you have been our rock, we praise you for all of the fathers you have placed in our lives who gave us strong foundations that we could trust and walk upon.
Because you have shown us radical, steadfast love, we praise you for all of the fathers you have placed in our lives who have loved us wholly, completely, and even sometimes undeservedly.
Because you have been our shepherd, we praise you for all of the fathers you have placed in our lives who have tirelessly guided us, protected us, searched for us when we were lost, and provided us with our every need.
Because you are the father of all of your created beings, we praise you for the men in our lives who have fathered us without biological ties to us. Men who nurture and inspire us because they choose to.
Today, we give thanks.
And today, we ask for your care.
For you are Immanuel—God with us—and we pray that you will bring an extra measure of comfort and care today for all of us in this community who grieve a father who is no longer with us. We pray that you will hold them close, bring them joyous memories to dwell on, and hold them in their tears.
And you are the Great I Am—at your core, you are, and you promise to never leave. We pray that you will bring peace to those of your children who endured fathers who chose to walk away or distance themselves. May your love for us shine more deeply today than that hurt for us all.
And you are a God who has felt deep grief over and because of your children. We pray that you will be a source of strength for all of our fathers who grieve their children—children whom they have said goodbye to far too early, and children who have walked away from relationship. Comfort those who mourn, and bring reconciliation to those who yearn for it.
And you are a God of both justice and mercy. For those in our community whose fathers used justice and judgment as a weapon and forgot the mercy, we pray you will begin to heal those hearts and bring these children close to wholeness.
For every child who grieves, who yearns for fatherhood, who finds it complicated and hard, we pray you will be our comfort and our hope.
And for every child who celebrates, who knows that their life on this earth has given them a taste of your goodness and love, we give you our gratitude and our praise.
Amen
Shelley Woodruff
Pastor for Community Engagement