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Fathers. There are new fathers, experienced fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and fathers who have gone on to heaven. We set aside this day every year to honor them, thank them for what they’ve done and been in our lives, and bless them for the sacrifices they’ve made. But, their is a broader spectrum of fatherhood.

Among those that weren’t mentioned are the almost-fathers; the fathers who live with the decision they made to end their child’s life through abortion, who paid for the procedure because they didn’t know what else to do, or were even completely against aborting their child but were given no say in the matter. We’ve talked about these fathers before in a prayer post, with several links for help offered to this under-the-radar, little talked about part of the population. But, today, I’d like to remind you again, as you go about your festivities with your families, to lift up a prayer for those men that are suffering from their past decisions. The broken lives they often go on to lead effect all of us, as these are the leaders in our homes, businesses…the leaders of our nation.

Yes, today we remember our fathers…ALL of them, in every capacity. Lift them up in love, with hope and prayers for healing.

SCRIPTURE FOCUS

Forgive and go to work on us. Give what each deserves, for you know each life from the inside (you’re the only one with such “inside knowledge”!) so that they’ll live before you in lifelong reverent and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. 1 Kings 8:39-40 MSG

Father God, we come to You today – many believers, one voice – to stand for life. Lord we thank You for giving us earthly fathers, meant to be earthly representatives of You and Your love. Forgive them when they fall short and help us to forgive them, too, remembering that Yours is the only perfect love and You are the only perfect parent. As we celebrate our dads, and the hard work and sacrifice they contribute so that our lives will be more full, we remember those “almost-dads,” Lord. For those who haven’t given their lost child a second thought, we pray that You would prick their conscience and make them aware of the life that was lost. For those who have remembered their child everyday since they were lost, we pray that You would pour the balm of your forgiveness over their wounds and heal them. Help us to show the men, as well as the women – the walking wounded from abortion – Your love instead of judgment. Finally, Father, we pray for President Obama today, a father himself. We continue to plead a great wave of change to invade his heart and wash clean his mind. May You bring this nation to a place where his idea of “change” is in line with Yours. Believing You’ll change one heart for many, we pray in the MIGHTY, LIFE-GIVING NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. Amen.

To my own sweet daddy…I’m SO thankful for you! You have truly been a model of our heavenly Father to me, making it that much easier for me to love and trust Him. The older I get and the more people I meet, the greater a gift that becomes. I love you, Dad.