25 Bible Verses for Dads and Father's Day

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

Jesus points to the ordinary love of a dad handing his child bread instead of a stone. Every good thing you have ever given your kids is a small picture of the Father who gives far more to you.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

Isaiah prays this after confessing how far his people had wandered. Before you are anyone's dad, you are a son still being shaped in the Father's hands, and he has not set you down.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

Look at the last line again. God gives special gentleness to those caring for little ones, so if you are running on four hours of sleep with a newborn, he is leading you gently too.

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Psalm 55:22

David wrote this when someone close to him had turned against him. Whatever you carry home from work, the bills and the worry you do not say out loud, you were never meant to hold it alone.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

So much of a father's work is quiet and unseen, the bedtime prayers and the car rides and the same lesson taught for the tenth time. Paul promises that none of it is wasted, even when you cannot see it growing yet.

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

Your children feel safe in more than the house you provide. When you walk closely with God, your own shelter in him becomes a place they can run to as well.

The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

Proverbs 20:7

This is not a call to be perfect but to be honest and steady. The integrity you keep on the days no one is watching becomes a blessing your kids will carry long after they leave home.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 4:9

Moses asks parents to remember what God has done for them and then tell it at home. Your story of God's faithfulness, the answered prayer and the hard year he carried you through, is some of the best teaching your children will ever hear.

We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.

Psalm 78:4

The psalmist sees faith passed hand to hand, one generation to the next. You do not need a pulpit to do this, only a kitchen table and a willingness to talk about God out loud.

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

Genesis 18:19

God speaks these words over Abraham, a father who made his share of mistakes. His calling was not to be flawless but to point his children toward the Lord, and that same calling rests on you.

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

Proverbs 4:1

Much of Proverbs is written in the voice of a dad talking to his child. It is a reminder that your words matter, and a gentle nudge to make them words worth listening to.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

Paul speaks straight to dads, and his first concern is the child's heart. Guide them, teach them, and bring them to Jesus, but do it in a way that does not push them away.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Colossians 3:21

Children lose heart when they feel they can never please their dad. A kind word, a quick apology, and a hug after correction can keep a child's spirit whole.

For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

Paul uses a father's love to describe his care for a young church. Notice the three words he chooses, encouraging, comforting, and urging, and ask God to help you speak all three at home.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

Every dad knows the moment when a tired voice wants to rise. This proverb invites you to take a breath and choose the gentle answer, because it will do more good than the loud one.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Here God's correction is compared to a father who delights in his son. Your discipline is meant to come from that same delight, never from anger alone.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

God gave this blessing to Aaron and his sons to speak over his people. Many dads pray it over their children at bedtime, and you can too, with your hand on their head and these words on your lips.

Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Psalm 112:1-2

The psalm ties a parent's joy in God to the good that reaches their children. When you delight in the Lord, your kids get to see what that looks like up close.

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:22-24

The father in Jesus' story does not make his son earn his way back. If you are a dad who has failed, or one waiting on a child to come home, this is the heart of the Father toward you both.

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12

Maybe you look back on years you wish you could do over. God does not keep your worst days on file, and his forgiveness gives you room to begin again with your children today.

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

Proverbs 23:24

This is a lovely verse for a son or daughter to write in a Father's Day card. It says, in God's own words, that the joy you bring your dad is real.

I thank my God every time I remember you.

Philippians 1:3

Paul wrote this to friends he loved dearly, and it fits a dad just as well. If you are looking for a short verse for a birthday card or a note from a daughter, you will not find a warmer one.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 1:4

John is an old man writing about those he led to faith, and he calls them his children. It is the prayer of every father who loves Jesus, and a gift to share with a dad who taught you to walk with him.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Psalm 68:5

If Father's Day is hard for you because your dad has died, or was never there, this verse is for you. God himself steps into that empty place and calls himself your Father.

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:18

Jesus spoke this to his friends on the night before he died, knowing they were afraid of being left alone. Whatever your story with your own dad, you are not fatherless in God's family, and he will not leave you.