A FATHER’S PRAYER

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sharing with me the blessings of fatherhood.
I offer back to You all the glory from my being a father
for You are the greatest Father of us all.

Inspire me by Your love that I may become a better father.
Teach me how to understand my children, to listen patiently
to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions
kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort

to shame or ridicule when they displease me.

May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.
Let me not temp my children to lie or steal and guide me hour by hour that
I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
May I ever be mindful that my children are children and

I should not expect of them the judgment of adults.

Let me not rob them of the opportunity to make their own decisions.
Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests

and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind, worthy to be loved and respected

and imitated by my children.

Amen.