Two Prayers for Dads
God has always used ordinary people to do remarkable things. That’s where you come in, Dad. You are a man God can use. God knows we are imperfect. And the sooner we dads recognize that fact, the sooner we can exchange those imperfections for His goodness. And isn’t that what you really want? To be more like Him and still rest in His peace, His security, and His blessing?
Here are two prayers for dads today.
We pray for the dad who is hopeful
When you became a dad, you suddenly became the most hopeful person on the planet. This was an exciting event. A living person was born to you and your spouse, or placed into your heart by adoption, and you now had the opportunity to raise a child you hoped would change the world. Because that’s what we want, isn’t it? We’d like to change the world—and if we can’t, we hope our children can.
The moment we become dads, the life we’re living is suddenly not ours. In many ways, we put our own life aside and learn to live it for our children. And it isn’t easy in the beginning. It takes practice. So you’re going to grow up, no matter how old you are, and mature and become a better dad every day. And the hoping begins. You hope because you’ve never done this before. Most of all, you hope you will be able to do this with the success that comes only through Christ.
Scripture says that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7). You love this child with all your heart, soul, and strength. And based on that love, the first thing you have to do, according to Scripture, is believe. You’re going to have to believe that God loves your child even more than you do. And you’re going to have to believe that He wants you to succeed in raising a child who will change the world. And then, Dad, after you’ve loved and you’ve believed, you have to hope. Sometimes hope means looking into the future with nothing but the horizon out there. But then you notice that right over that horizon is the Lord. And you and that child of yours are going to start walking until you get to Him.
Let’s Pray
Lord, this dad has hopes for his children. He hopes they will see him and want to be like him as they see Jesus in him. As Paul had hopes for the church at Corinth, so also does this dad hope that his children will achieve even more than he has. And he knows that he can never stop hoping and praying for their success, no matter where they are. Give this dad peace as he hopes for everything good. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
We pray for the dad who thinks his hands are empty
Dad, you give it your all every day. But there are some days when you think you may have run out of resources. Maybe you’ve lost a job and you know how hard it can be to find another one. You may have financial problems. And then fear starts to set in. I can take care of me all right, you think, but what about the kids? And if one of them gets sick, well, that’s a whole different set of circumstances. Sometimes it feels as though we are out of what we have to offer. Scripture tells a story about a family that had used up every bit of their resources. A mother of a small child had been faithful in much as well as in little. She’d lost her husband, and the income dried up. She was prepared to use her last resources to save her child. Little did she know that God was going to use her lack of resources to do a miracle. God’s plan of provision showed up in the person of Elijah, a prophet, who told her that when she completed her baking, there would be enough for all of them.
In 1 Kings 17:12–13 the widow said to Elijah,
“As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.” Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son.”
Do you know what this mother did? She put her trust in God. Scripture relates that after all of them had been fed with what little they had, God replenished her entire supply of flour and oil, so that they would not starve. She believed that God would save her son. Like this woman caring for her family, your hands are not as empty as they seem. When we give the Lord what little we have, He multiplies it.
Let’s Pray
Lord, this dad has given his all on a number of occasions. He’s had more prosperous times, and he’s trudged along in the scarce places. He can make it, but he wants to be faithful in what he’s been given. You have a miracle for him in just these very circumstances. Help him know that since Your hands are never empty, neither will his hands be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
This excerpt was taken from Midnight Dad Devotional by Becky Thompson and Dr. Mark Pitts. © 2021 by Mark Pitts and Becky Thompson. Used by permission of Zondervan.
is a bestselling author and the creator of the Midnight Mom Devotional community gathering more than one million moms in nightly prayer. Speaking to the struggle of balancing life as a wife, mother, and daughter of God, she has become the voice of modern Christian motherhood. Becky lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Jared, and their three children.
is a graduate of the University of Tulsa Law School. He is an ordained pastor and well-known Bible teacher in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area where he lives with his wife, Susan. They have been married for forty-one years and have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. In 2019, Mark created the Midnight Dad Devotional online community with his daughter, Becky Thompson, the creator of the Midnight Mom Devotional. Mark enjoys teaching Scripture and praying for dads.
