One: For fathers everywhere,
who have given us life and love,
that we may show them respect and love.
All: Holy God, hear this prayer for our fathers.
One: For fathers who have lost a child through death,
that their faith may give them hope,
and their family and friends support and console them
All: Holy God, hear this prayer for our fathers that mourn.
One: For men, though without children of their own,
acted like a fathers and have nurtured and cared for us.
All: Holy God, hear this prayer for our father figures.
One: For step-fathers who have assumed that role with love and joy,
who have loved the children of another as their own,
and created a new family.
All: Holy God, hear this prayer for step-fathers.
One: For adoptive fathers,
who have claimed the orphan and loved the once unwanted
as a precious gift from God.
All: Holy God, hear this prayer for adoptive fathers.
One: For fathers who have been unable to be a source of strength,
who have not responded to the needs of their children,
and have not sustained their families.
All: Holy God, have mercy on absentee fathers.
One: For fathers who struggle with temptation, violence, or addiction.
For those who do harm, and for those whom they have harmed.
All: Holy God, have mercy on fathers that struggle.
One: For new fathers, full of hope.
For long-time fathers, full of wisdom.
For the fathers yet to be, and fathers soon to be.
All: Holy God, hear our prayer for the fathers of your Church.
One: For those that have shaped our lives
without claim of family or kinship.
For those who have taught us, guided us,
shaped us and molded us into servants of Christ our Lord.
All: Holy God, hear our prayer for the fathers of our faith.
One: God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things.
Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers.
Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.
Grant that we, their sons and daughters,
may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.
Grant this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
— adapted by Robb McCoy from the United Methodist Book of Worship, page 4 4 1 , and posted on his Fat Pastor blog.
For more Fathers’ Day prayers and other creative worship resources for Fathers’ Day, click on Fathers’ Day resources in the list of “Labels” on the lower right side of the page.
