A Prayer of a Father for the Fatherless Child

"The father of a righteous man has great joy;
he who has a wise son delights in him" (Proverbs 23:24, NIV).

Fatherless. I am fatherless. No biological father to wish to; no physical father to hug, and no actual father to follow. But having Christ as my Lord and Savior, and my faithful Friend and who is the precious Son of God – Lord of lords, King of kings – says to me over and over again through the Scripture by the Holy Spirit, “Richard, if you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!”. Yes, through the Son, I do know now that God is My Father and I will see Him face-to-face in heaven. I have a Father in heaven. I am not fatherless after all.

But let’s pretend that my earthly father is perfect and he is here with me today. Assume that he cares and loves me so much. Let’s suppose I can hear him pray… this is what I probably heard (and I wish every good father would pray):

“Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak… and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid. One who will be proud and unbending in defeat… but humble and gentle in victory… a son who will know that to know himself… is the foundation stone of all true knowledge. Rear him… I pray… not in the paths of ease and comfort… but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm… here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men. Build me a son whose heart will be clean… whose goal will be high. One who will learn to laugh… yet never forget how to weep. One who will reach into the future… and yet never forget the past. And after all, these are his… add… I pray… enough of a sense of humor so that he may always be serious… yet never take himself too seriously… a touch of humility, so that he will always remember the simplicity of true greatness… the open mind of true wisdom… the meekness of true strength. Then… I… his father… will dare in the sacred recesses of my own heart… to whisper… “I have not lived in vain!” [This prayer is quoted from The Speaker’s Quote Book by Roy B. Zuck. Published by Kregel Publications, 1997, 2009. Page 191]

Happy Father’s Day!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.