Help your child embrace God as his or her heavenly Father.
The Christian faith acknowledges Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God. Yet Jesus taught His disciples to address God as “our Father in heaven.” Since Jesus is the only Son of God, why did He invite us all to call God “Father”? To answer this question we must figure out what defines a father.
Obviously, Jesus holds a unique position as God incarnate, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Consistent with His teachings, however, believers have always used the word Father when referring to God. One of the most important creeds in Christian history begins with the phrase, “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” This simple affirmation carries several important truths our children need to understand. Here are some of those essential truths:
Our earthly fathers are an important source of our genetic makeup. But God is the ultimate source of our lives. He knew us before we were conceived and formed us in the womb.
Fathers find joy in giving to their children. That’s because a chief role of fatherhood is to provide. Jesus used this reality to explain the goodness of God when He said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).
Children don’t like discipline, but it fosters security knowing Mom and Dad love them enough to correct wayward behavior. Good parents mirror the fatherhood of God when they administer the short-term pain of discipline to shape a child’s long-term character. As the Bible says, “The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Hebrews 12:6).
As a parent, you’ve probably received a small taste of how God feels as “our Father in heaven.” When parents look into the face of their newborn baby, they know they will love the child no matter what. That’s exactly how God feels about us.
The following activities and discussion questions are designed to help your children embrace God as their heavenly Father. As you use these resources with your kids, may our Father’s love become real to them in a new way.
— Kurt Bruner
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)
For a more in-depth look at God as our Father, read these Bible passages:
Allow your child to dress up in Daddy’s shirt, tie and shoes. (Single moms: Borrow these items from a neighbor or friend.)
Ask, “Does wearing these clothes make you a daddy? Why not?”
Explain that it’s not a daddy’s clothes that make him a daddy, but who he is. Tell your child that a daddy is someone who protects and loves his child. God is a special Daddy who gives us life, protects us and loves us. We are all His children.
To help reinforce the point, here’s a rhyme that is sure to bring a smile — and you don’t have to be a skilled Sunday school teacher to pull it off:
God loves me (Point to yourself)
And God loves you. (Point to your child)
Like a daddy
He protects us, too. (Make a roof over your head with upraised arms)He knows what we need. (Hold hands out, palms up)
He hears our prayer. (Fold hands in prayer)
We can talk to Him (Open and close hands to mimic a hand puppet)
Anytime, anywhere! (Spread arms apart, with palms facing up)God is our Daddy
Who is never far. (Shake head as if saying “no”)
He’s always with us (Cross arms in a hug)
Right where we are. (Point down to feet with both hands)
—Jackie Perseghetti
In the evening, plan for some “big chair” time with your children. Encourage them to climb onto your lap for snuggling, reading a book or talking about their day.
During your time together, tell them that God is their heavenly Father and they are His children. He wants a relationship with them and invites them to call Him “Abba” (Papa).
Tell your kids that God desires for them to come to Him, just as they came to you and spent time on your lap. They can talk to God about their lives and their problems. Explain that God understands their fears and concerns just as Mom and Dad do.
If your children are receptive, have them take turns praying to God and talking with Him as they would a father. Afterward, close with a short prayer for each child, followed by hugs and kisses.
—Jerry Bowen
Help your tweens get a visual image of the fatherhood of God by playing the “Dad on Deck!” game. Here’s how it works.
Take your tweens to a mall and sit on a bench to watch people. As they walk by, encourage kids to say, “Dad on Deck!” whenever they see a man they believe is a father. Have kids share clues that support their “Dad on Deck” claims.
For instance, dad clues might include: a man and a teen who share an obvious family resemblance (father = source); a man buying snacks for a child (father = provider); a man disciplining a misbehaving child (father = corrector); or a man holding a child’s hand (father = love).
Award one point for every clue your tweens come up with. See who can score the most points.
Afterward, discuss together:
Wrap up with prayer, thanking God for His fathering presence in your lives.
—Mike Nappa
Have you ever wondered what kind of pictures come to mind when teens refer to God as “Father” in the midst of a youth culture so prone to fatherlessness and a media culture so inundated with messages belittling fatherhood? Yet Jesus taught us to pray “Our Father in heaven” because He was confident in the character and the heart of a heavenly Father. This month’s faith lesson provides the perfect opportunity for you to talk with your teen about fatherhood — what it is and what it can be when we see the heavenly Father as our model.
Consider the following questions for discussion:
—Pam Woody
During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’ ” (Matthew 6:9-10). By providing this example of prayer, Jesus emphasized the importance of relating to God as our Father, and He modeled both the reverence and the familiarity with which we should approach God.Helping your child to view God as his Father will foster within him a deep sense of security and a greater intimacy with God.
Ask your child:
—Jennifer Walker
Ultimately, we can look to our Father in heaven to define what a father is. Our heavenly Father is perfect and will not fail us. If you are a father, spend time in the Word to see all the Lord has done for you. If you are a single mother, remind your children of the love the Lord has for them. What an amazing Creator we have that He would call us His children!
This article is a compilation of articles written by various authors. The author names are found within the article.
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