Things I Wish My Father Knew (The End) Dad, God is Your Father

Perhaps after sharing

these thoughts,

you, dads, have found yourself

growing closer

to the Heavenly Father

with who you have already

established a relationship.

Or, maybe, you have come

to a realization

that you do not yet have

this close personal tie

with the Heavenly Father.

You can know Him!

Not as God way up there,

but a Father who wants

a close, caring,

personal relationship

with you as His child.

You commit your life to Him

as His child.

He commits Himself to you

as your Father.

There are responsibilities,

but the joys are unlimited!

You can establish

Such a relationship

By having a conversation with Him,

A personal, one-to-one prayer.

Pray below prayer as a model

to help you express

your heart desire:

Dear God,

I confess that I am a sinner,

unworthy of Your love.

Please forgive my sins

and cleanse my heart

from all sinfulness.

I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ,

died on the cross for my sin

and that He rose again

so I might have eternal life.

I need Your forgiveness,

Your cleansing,

Your love,

Your wisdom,

That I may become

a godly father –

one who is pleasing to You.

I ask You to become

the Lord and Master of my life

and to help me guide my family

in the pathway that leads

to eternal life.

                                                                                                                                         

Thank you for being my Father

and for the privilege

of being a father myself.

I pray this in the name of the Father,

the Son,

and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #15 Only the Very Best for His Children

A loving father works hard

to provide for his family.

Providing for the present

with an eye toward the future,

he wants for them

only the best.

God also wants

only the very best

for His children.

With a protective hand

on your present

and an eye toward

your eternal future,

God provided

the very best for you.

Acting according to

His Father’s will,

Jesus the Son took upon Himself

the sins of all

who would trust in Him.

The Son of God died on the cross

and then rose from the grave,

so that all who believe

might be provided

with the best!

Forgiveness!

Peace!

Joy!

Eternal life!

Provisions of a loving Father.

“Praise be to

the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His great mercy

He has given us

new birth

into a living hope

through the resurrection

of Jesus Christ

from the dead”

(1 Peter 1:3)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #14 Indeed, A Costly Commitment

When the bills started coming in,

you probably realized

that having a family

was going to be

a costly commitments.

Those financial obligations

are only the beginning

of a father’s investment

in the life

of his beloved child.

It seems like a lot to ask

of a father,

doesn’t it?

Yet, a loving father

willingly pays the price.

The Heavenly Father

also counted the cost

of providing believers

with membership

in His family.

He willingly paid the price –

the death of His

only begotten Son.

It seems like a lot to ask

of a Heavenly Father,

doesn’t it?

But, our loving Father

willingly paid the price!

“Because of His great love for us,

God, who is rich in mercy,

made us alive with Christ

even when we were dead

in transgressions –

it is by grace

you have been saved.”

(Ephesians 2:4-5)

“What, then, shall we say

in response to this?

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

He who did not spare

His own Son,

but gave Him up for us all –

how will He not also,

along with Him,

graciously give us

all things?”

(Romans 8:31-32)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #13 Yesterday's Failures, Tomorrow's Victories

Perhaps as you look back

over your life,

you see many failures.

Your family life

has not been

what you had hoped.

Your children

have disappointed you,

or maybe you

disappointed them.

Or, perhaps,

you have simply not met

your own expectations.

One of the best things

about your Heavenly Father

is that He is

a God of beginnings.

He will

forgive and forget

the past.

He will

give you joy and purpose

today.

And He will

lead you boldly into

tomorrow.

Trust the Lord to take you

from yesterday’s failures

into tomorrow’s victories!

“Trust in the LORD

with all your heart

and lean not

on your own understanding;

in all your ways

acknowledge Him,

and He will make

your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #12 Pray on Behalf of His Children

Powerful, indeed, is the effect

of a father’s prayers

on behalf of his children!

What a sense of security is provided

for the child who knows that

daddy is sufficiently concerned

to talk daily with the Lord

about his or her welfare.

Prayer not only transfers the burden

from the father and child

to the Lord,

but it establishes a rapport

between them.

And when the answers come,

times of rejoicing and celebration

become a family affair.

That wonderful feeling of fulfilment

is experienced

when the desires of your heart

have been granted!

What a privilege can be yours,

through the family’s daily devotional time,

to weave into the fabric

of your children’s lives

the knowledge that

God has a plan for each of their lives.

“The prayer of a righteous man

is powerful and effective”
(James 5:16)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #11 True Success Is...

You work, you struggle, you sweat,

and still you fail…

What is success?

A new home?

A new car?

A new technology gadget?

There is certainly

nothing wrong with these.

But if success is measured

by these possessions,

then success, at best,

would be temporary.

God’s Word reveals

how we can be successful –

with or without possessions.

True success is not measured

by what you have,

but by what you are.

And what you are is determined

by whose you are.

Work at developing

your relationship with God.

Spend time with His Word:

Commit it to memory.

Meditate on its teachings

so that your children

will desire to follow

your godly way of life.

Be successful… God’s way!

“Better little

with the fear of the LORD

than great wealth with turmoil!”

(Proverbs 15:16)

“When God gives any man

wealth and possessions,

and enables him to enjoy them,

to accept his lot

and be happy in his work –

this is a gift of God”

(Ecclesiastes 5:19)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #10 When Financial Pressure Arise Again

Utility payments,

auto expenses,

Study loan,

children schools,

is there no end to them?

Just about the time you think

you are going to get out

from under it all,

something happens and

the money-go-round begins again.

Perhaps you think

the problems would be solved

if only you had more money.

But would they?

It seems that even when

there is more money,

there just never seems to be enough.

You have a Heavenly Father

who is concerned about

the financial pressure you feel.

The bills will probably keep coming,

all earthly belongings

may be lost,

the pressure may continue,

but rest assured –

God will always be with you.

Remember, your Heavenly Father knows

all about those problems –

those situations that test,

develop and expand your faith.

“I know what it is

to be in need,

and I know what it is

to have plenty.

I have learned the secret

of being content

in any and every situation,

whether well fed or hungry,

whether living in plenty

or in want.

I can do everything

through him

who gives me strength”

(Philippians 4:12-13)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #9 Balance Between Work and Family

Whether it’s called labour, job,

employment, business, career,

or simply – MAKING A LIVING –

work is a necessary and natural part

of being a father.

Providing your family with

food, shelter,

clothing, and security

is not simple task!

It takes much

time, energy and thought.

And sometimes,

it is easy to fall

into the trap

of giving work

too much of yourself.

However important your work is,

it must be balanced

with other things.

There must be

time for your family,

time for yourself,

time for rest,

recreation,

refreshment!

And, especially time

to develop and strengthen

your relationship

with the Heavenly Father

who wants you to enjoy

the life He gave you.

“Do not worry, saying,

‘What shall we eat?’ or

‘What shall we drink?’ or

‘What shall we wear?’

For the pagans run after

all these things,

and your heavenly Father knows

that you need them.

But seek first His kingdom

and His righteousness,

and all these things

will be given to you as well”

(Matthew 6:31-33)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #8 Setting the Example

One of the greatest challenges,

for you as a father,

is setting the right example

for your children.

Children DO follow

the example

of their fathers

How quickly those little ones

imitate your actions

and pick up your words –

good or bad.

How important, then,

if you would leave

your child learn the way

of eternal life,

that you provide

a good example

both in word and deed.

What a priceless privilege it is

to introduce your youngster

to the Son of God,

Jesus Christ,

who was given by his Father

that we might enjoy

eternal life.

“Jesus said,

‘I have set you an example

that you should do

as I have done for you.’”

(John 13:15)

“Set an example…

in speech,

in life,

in love,

in faith, and

in purity.”

(1 Timothy 4:12)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #7 How to Handle Anger and Disappointments

Among the treasures of fatherhood

are shared moments of accomplishment

with your child –

times when your child

follows the right path

and make you proud – SUCCESS!

There are other moments also – FAILURE!

Times when your child

want to go his own way…

moments filled with

rebellion,

wrong choices,

disappointment.

How can you handle these times of

strained relationship,

disillusionment,

anger?

At times such as these,

your Heavenly Father’s example

can give you patience and courage

to sustain you while you await

the return of your wayward child.

And, He can help you maintain LOVE

sufficient to greet your

returning prodigal

with open arms –

just as the Father,

wait for YOU!

“As a father has compassion

on his children,

so the LORD has compassion

on those who fear him”
(Psalms 103:13)

“Train a child

in the way he should go,

and when he is old

he will not turn from it”

(Proverbs 22:6)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Things I Wish My Father Knew #6 Provide Protection

A father is

instinctively protective

of his children.

He provides

a firm grasp

on the hand of his toddler,

crossing a busy street;

a watchful eye

on the growing child,

testing his boundaries;

a word of

wisdom, guidance or warning

to the fledgling

asserting his independence.

Protective measures

of a loving father!

Our Heavenly Father

also protects his children.

His firm grasp

will guide you

through the busy highways

of life.

He watches protectively

as his growing child

tests the boundaries

of His love.

His word provides

wisdom, guidance, and warning

to His child

seeking identity and direction.

Protective measures

of a loving Father!

“The LORD delights

in the way of the man

whose steps he has made firm;

though he stumble,

he will not fall,

for the LORD upholds him

with His hand”

(Psalms 37:23-24)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.