When Father’s Day rolls around each year, it can bring up a lot of different emotions. For some of us, it brings joy and excitement that we get to celebrate our dad each year. For others, it can bring grief, overwhelm, and even despair as we remember a dad who has passed or feel the pain of a dad who was never there. So, this year, our team at Ask About My Faith has written prayers for every situation on Father's Day.
Have you received Jesus into your heart yet? If not, today is your day! Learn how to surrender your life to Jesus and receive the hope that He offers in our blog: This is For You!
A Prayer for Your Father on Father’s Day
Prayers for your father on Father’s Day can be said privately at home during a time of prayer, or you can take time to intentionally pray over your dad, in person, on Father’s Day. Whether you decide to pray for your father at brunch or decide to pray for your dad in your prayer closet, choosing to bless your father through prayer is a noble and honorable thing. Here’s a simple prayer for your father this Father’s Day:
“Heavenly Father, I thank you for my dad. I thank you for all the time I’ve had with him and all the memories we’ve shared. I honor you for designing our family with intention. I thank you, God, for my wonderful dad who protects and provides for me. As the years go on, I pray that you would keep his heart soft to you, his ears open to your voice, and his eyes fixed on making earth look more like heaven. Help my dad receive your love and encounter your presence each and every day. And as I grow older, help me to honor my father the way Your Word instructs me to. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Discover more ways to bless your family: 6 Ways to Create Generational Blessing in Your Family
Praying for an Estranged Father on Father’s Day
Praying for an estranged father or an unavailable dad on Father’s Day can feel intense. Whether you haven’t seen your dad in a few years or you haven’t seen your dad in decades, praying for an estranged father on Father’s Day can feel like salt in a wound. However, making the choice to forgive your dad and intentionally bless him from the place of prayer is a profound part of the healing journey. Whether your dad was emotionally abusive, physically abusive, narcissistic, or absent, here is a simple prayer on how to pray for an estranged father this Father’s Day:
“God, though I feel upset, wounded, and angry at the thought of praying for my dad, I want to pray for him. There are so many moments I wish I could have experienced with my dad…and so many memories I long to make. But today, I choose to forgive my father and bless him. Lord, I ask that you would heal his heart and encounter him as his Heavenly Father. Show him just how awesome your perfect love is and change my dad from the inside out. I also bless my dad with the peace that surpasses understanding, which only comes from your presence. And Lord, should you see fit, give my dad and me grace to experience the fruit of reconciliation. I surrender our relationship into Your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Learn more about the Heavenly Father who promises to be with you always: What Does the Bible Say About God as a Father?
Praying for a Sick Father on Father’s Day
Walking through Father’s Day with a sick dad is challenging. Whether your father is facing a terminal illness, chronic illness, a mental illness, or is trying to kick an intense cold, here’s how to pray for your sick father on Father’s Day:
“Jesus, I thank you that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. I thank you that it is your desire to heal the sick. This Father’s Day, I ask that you would have mercy on my dad and heal his body. Set everything into perfect alignment and restore what the sickness has stolen. I honor you for your heart that is full of compassion for my dad. I praise you in advance before I see the healing, whether in this life or the next. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Learn more about how to grow your faith as you’re believing for healing: What Do I Do When I’m Waiting on God?
Praying on Father’s Day When Your Dad Has Passed Away
While you can’t directly pray for your father on Father’s Day if he’s passed away, you can pray for your family and yourself. When your father has died, grief can feel like a tidal wave that threatens to strike at any moment. Thankfully, prayer can help you weather the storm of grief on Father’s Day. Here’s a written prayer for when your father has passed away:
“God, how I need your grace. The grief and the pain feel overwhelming, and my soul feels heavy within me. Lord, I need you to comfort me during this time and help me each and every day. Thank you for your Word, which says that you “have borne my griefs, and are acquainted with my suffering” (Isaiah 53). Minister to me as I grieve my father and help me to receive your love during this time. Equip my friends and family members to walk with me, as I go from sadness into joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Related Post: How to Survive Mother’s Day When You’re Grieving
Conclusion
Praying for your father on Father’s Day is a great way to honor your dad, bless your family line, and bring joy to your heart. Our team at Ask About My Faith hopes that our prayers for Father's day have blessed you. We are praying for you to encounter your Heavenly Father, no matter what you’re going through this Father’s Day and that you experience the love of God that changes everything.
