Often fathers, stepdads, and grandfathers are the stepping stones to creating a life of meaning, purpose, and success. When it comes to celebrating our fathers, there are infinite ways of showing your love and appreciation, which is why Bible verses about fathers work so well. 

As wonderful as being a father is, it’s no easy task. The moment a man becomes a father, he’s tasked with being responsible for a whole new being, and that comes with its own set of challenges. As tough as these may be, it doesn’t compare to the joy that comes from being a dad. 

Below is a collection and explanation of Bible verses about fathers, parenthood, the qualities of being a parent, and the work that often gets overlooked. Honor your father and remind him of how he is loved by speaking with the words of God’s heart. 

 

 

Bible Verses About Fathers: Compassion on His Children

It’s often difficult to find the right words to express your feelings for your father. In both happy and trying times, we can turn to the words of Lord your God to commemorate our dads. These Bible verses about fathers can be a reflection of our thoughts and emotions.

1. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" - Hebrews 12:7 NIV

This Bible verse shows us that no matter how great of a father you are, life will reveal hardship and suffering. A great example of this is Jesus Christ, who was completely sinless. Yet, he suffered much hatred and suffering. It’s important to remember that this hardship isn’t a sign of God’s abandonment, rather it’s seen as a way of establishing resilience and courage. 

As a parent, there are going to be times when having the motivation to discipline your child may be tough. But it’s a parent’s responsibility to guide the way for children, to purposefully allow for their growth, and to endure hardship as discipline. 

2. "I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble." - Proverbs 4:11, NIV

 

As a father, it’s your duty to lead the way for the younger generation. Take what you’ve learned from great fathers before you and spread this knowledge and wisdom. See it as a way of lighting up the paths for future growth and positive development within your child. This knowledge will stay with them throughout their lives. 

This verse also reveals that the path we are showing our children is safe and a way of keeping our children out of harm’s way. The choices we make will always have some rocky situations, and fathers need to be there to guide them through troublesome journeys.  

 3. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;" - Psalm 103:13, NIV

This verse teaches us about the importance of a father’s compassion for his children. It highlights that compassion isn’t an emotion but is rather a feeling that inspires positive action. A father carries his son and daughter, just like Lord your God carried Jesus.

When your child is ill or in pain, a father doesn’t simply express how sorry he feels. Rather, he uses compassion to nurture and heal his child through Godly duties.

4. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6, ESV

As children grow up to face the world on their own, they learn to make decisions and choices for themselves. This includes life choices around their understanding of God. But the foundations of this decision-making lie in childhood and are deeply influenced by your guidance as a father. 

You can’t tell the future, and there is no way of knowing what life may throw at your children. But in some way, you can help to prepare them by offering a framework for doing the right thing, whatever the situation. Then trust in the understanding of God’s word that you have imparted to show them the way. 

 

5. The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him." - Proverbs 23:24, ESV

 

A father who finds great joy and love in his children’s righteous achievements is indeed blessed. While God the Father creates life and watches over all his people, a father has a particular role to play in guiding his children. 

When that child becomes an individual who lives wisely and graciously, it is cause for great happiness in a father.

Father’s Day Scriptures & Dad Verses

Fathers get one day a year to feel all the love! This Father’s Day spread the love and joy and let your dad know that he holds a world of responsibility, and for that you are grateful. 

6. “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching," - Proverbs 1:8, ESV

Listening to your father isn’t as simple as hearing his words. Instead, look up to your father and mother and follow the instruction of the Lord. Follow his guidance with respect and consideration, your father will always want the best for you and your bright future. 

Just as children show this respect to their fathers, in the new testament, Paul instructs fathers to raise their children in "discipline and instruction of the Lord."

 7. "And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV

Blessed is the man that knows the love of a family. But a family comes with its own challenges. A family needs to grow in faith and mature together spiritually. 

 8. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” - Colossians 3:20, ESV

A fairly straightforward instruction to children, advising obedience and cognition of their parents’ teachings. Within this statement, however, there exists an implied understanding that parents are obliged to instruct and teach their children accordingly. 

 9. “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6 ESV  

As much as grandchildren are the pride and joy of the elderly, we also acknowledge that righteous and noble lives spawn the same in what follows. Meaning: The achievements of children can be rooted in their parents’ deeds and lives. 

Children, after all, grow up seeing their parents as great and praiseworthy. Their image of their fathers is often what propels them to their own greatness.

Bible Verse About Being a Good Father

There are times when as a father, your spirits are going to be down. Often you might not have the answers for difficult situations that come with parenting a child. There are also times when parenting feels like a breeze, in both cases, you turn to these words to keep the love and support coming.

10. "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." - Ephesians 6:4, ESV

Along with mothers, fathers have a huge responsibility for raising their children and setting them up with the life skills needed to thrive. However, there’s a fine line between how you equip your children with this knowledge. 

If you provoke your children and involve unfair and cruel behavior, it can often lead to sin. While emotions like anger and frustration are completely normal, it doesn’t progress to productive behavior. A father carries his son all the way, with the word of God held close to his heart.

 

 

11. "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke," - Proverbs 3:11, NIV

The Lord disciplines those he loves, meaning that he clears the path of obstacles and guides the way. Therefore we can’t despise the way he disciplines; we know that it’s done out of pure love for us. 

Your young child is still a long way off of knowing the right way to go about things. A father needs to display patience knowing that the right discipline teaches them the way.

12. "Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge." - Proverbs 14:26, NIV

Whoever fears the Lord isn’t seen in a negative light. We should instead be confident that God directs his love and efforts towards our hearts. We find that the fear that is placed in God actually leads to the strongest confidence in his grace and goodness. 

As children of God, we will always have a place in his refuge. As a father, we should keep these words close to our hearts. 

 13. "I will be a father to him, and he'll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I'll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I'll never remove my gracious love from him." - 2 Samuel 7:14-15, ESV 

God promised David that he would treat his child as his own. This involves disciplining the child when required and appropriate. But God also promised that he would never withhold or remove his love from their relationship and that he would always love him as his own. 

As such, a father, reflecting God’s love, should act accordingly whenever a child needs guidance or discipline, but ought never to act without love. And to continue loving and caring for his children, regardless of offense.

14. "So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.’" - Luke 15:20, NIV

One of the Bible’s most well-known parables, the Prodigal Son, is a vivid portrayal of forgiveness, love, and grace. It also directly addresses a father’s love for his child within those frameworks. 

Even when our children disappoint us in their actions, the parable tells us to not be prideful, should they ever return to us.

15. “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” - 1 Timothy 5:8, NIV

A direct invocation of responsibility. As a father, it is dutiful to provide for your family and especially your children. We can relate this to other passages above, drawing from the principles of providing righteous leadership and living by God’s word. 

It’s a verse that we can read with a slightly more tangential understanding. In this passage, David prays for his son, so that the Lord may grant him loyalty, in order to live a pious life and fulfill his destiny.

 

 

Bible Verses To Honor Your Father

Fatherhood is indeed a joy and a privilege for many. The lifelong gift that is a child is to be celebrated and treasured. 

Living this part of your life through God involves discipline and courage. But fatherhood is also an opportunity to bring yourself closer to His grace, by offering your own child a guide to life and its challenges.

Through every lesson taught, time spent reflecting, and general interaction with children, you have the power to wilfully enact God’s grace on earth.