Five Qualities of a Fathers

“Five Qualities of a Fathers”

by Pastor Kent Munsey

June 21, 2020

“The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. He is my savior; he protects me and saves me from violence. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!”

• 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (GNT)

Fathers are protectors, providers, promoters, priests, and prophets. As they pray and fulfill their calling, they become a blessing. Jesus encouraged us that when we pray say, “our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). We have a Father in heaven who loves us. 

1. Fathers are protectors. A good father makes us feel safe. A good father recognizes that their first and foremost responsibility is to provide covering, safety, and security to their family. A good father shields his family, particularly his children, from adversity, from challenges, and unseen forces. We have a Father in Heaven who is our protector. As fathers, we have the very nature of God on the inside of us, and we are to provide protection and safety. Fathers don’t just bring protection through their strength but their wisdom, perspective, and presence. Fathers: Don’t ever underestimate the protection that we bring to our family just by our presence.

2. Fathers are providers.  We see in scripture that God is a provider. He introduces himself to the Israelites as Jehovah Jireh, the provider. Fathers are providers to their families, and this is not just financial: fathers provide wisdom, knowledge, and friendship to their children. As fathers we should not just provide financially but spiritually, providing leadership, strength, and wisdom to our children.

3. Fathers are promoters. God the Father promotes his son in Matthew 3. Fathers are supposed to be vocal about their children. God says, “this is my son in whom I am well pleased,” before Jesus has even performed his first miracle. He has a father in heaven who is affirming him. Fathers, speak life over your children and encourage them. We should live our lives in a way that brings promotion to those whom God has placed under our authority. We should be setting up our children to go further than we’ve ever gone. 

4. Fathers are priests. “We are a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Every father is a priest. One of the responsibilities of a priest is a commitment to prayer. Most men don’t pray because of what they believe to be a sin problem, that they are not righteous or holy enough. Scripture says “if my people will call on my name…” tells us that sin isn't the problem, but a lack of prayer is the problem (2 Chronicles 7:14). When men begin to pray, they provide spiritual covering, and they begin to promote their children. As fathers, we need to be like priests, we need to pray, we need to learn how to turn things over to God. Prayer means turning things over to God. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. We have to be continuously turning things over to him, cast our cares upon him because he cares for us. A life built on the foundation of prayer is a life that God can bless. We don’t have to have long, complicated or impressive prayers, but we do have to learn how to pray. Prayer changes and transforms us supernaturally. When we discover who we are as priests in the family of God, we find our prayer life, our purpose and our significance. 

5. Fathers are prophets. When we prophesy, we say out loud what we see in the spirit. A good father can prophesy over his family, his children, and their future. We see this in the life of Jacob, who was celebrating the birth of his second son when tragedy struck. His wife Rachel passed when she was giving birth. She named her son “Ben-Oni”, which means “Son of my Sorrows.” But, Jacob, who was a protector, provider, and priest, refused to allow his son to carry a name of sorrow for the rest of his life; instead, he named his son “Benjamin”, which means “Strength of my Right Hand.” He spoke life, hope, and a future to his son, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, kings were produced. We need fathers that can see a future, a purpose, and a destiny in their home, and prophesy these things into the future of their children.

On the day that he was shot and killed, Martin Luther King Jr. declared that he had been to the mountaintop and the Promised Land and could see it from a distance. He admitted we were not there yet, but that we would get there. This is still true today. Where are the prophets with enough vision to see into the future? God is raising up prayer warriors, prophets, and protectors--mighty men of God. Our future hope rests on a bold, strong community that supports fathers.

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1. If you are a father, which of the aforementioned characteristics is your greatest strength?

2. Which of these fatherly characteristics would you like to grow in, and how do you intend to develop it?

3. If you are not a dad, what was your experience like as a child? How can you lean into your heavenly Father’s protection, provision, promotion, and prophesy over you?