These are Fathers Day prayers I wrote to be inclusive and expansive of different perspectives and experiences. Permission is granted for one-time use with the following attribution: Written by Leah D. Schade.

As God’s beloved people, let us pray for the church, the whole human family, and God’s good Creation.
We pray for men who are expectant fathers; those who are waiting with joy, and those who are filled with uncertainty and fear. We pray for men who are new fathers, that they may be full partners in caring for and raising their children. Hear us, Fathering God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for men and women who long to be parents, but who struggle with infertility. Join their cries with those of Sarah and Abraham, Hannah and Elkanah, Elizabeth and Zecharias, that your will may be done in their lives. Hear us, God of Life.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for men who are fathers, either by birth, by adoption, through foster care, or through raising grandchildren. We pray that they may be supported in their parenting by their partners, fellow fathers, their workplaces, supervisors, and other men in their lives; that their children may be provided with sufficient food, shelter, education, and healthcare. Hear us, Fathering Jesus.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for fathers who have lost children, either in utero, through sickness, through war and violence, or through tragic accident. Comfort them, Holy Spirit, with your everlasting presence and assure them of new life. Hear us, Fathering Christ.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for fathers who are incarcerated; fathers who have been abusive; fathers who have been hurtful and neglectful; fathers who have left their families. We pray for your will to be done in their lives and in the lives of their families. Hear us, Fathering Spirit.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for men who give of themselves not just through childbearing, but with their intellect, their skills, their gifts, and their physical abilities. Bless all men, that they may advocate for women to have equal compensation for their work, may be an ally to protect women from abuse and harassment, and may be valued as unique individuals. Hear us, Holy God.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for people of all genders and sexual orientations, those who are transitioning, and those who are parenting in many forms and in the many ways families come together. Help us to understand who you have created them to be and the gifts they offer in their bodies, minds, and spirits. May those who are in danger be protected during their time of vulnerability, and show us ways to keep them safe. Hear us, Creator of Diversity.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for boys and men who struggle against a culture of toxic masculinity. We pray for men who strive to protect and advocate for those most vulnerable – children, the poor, God’s Creation, the disenfranchised, women, and those men and women whose voices go unheard. May they heed your call to justice. Hear us, Holy Jesus.
Your mercy is great.
We pray for those for whom this is a day of mourning and sadness. For those who have lost fathers and other important men in their lives, that they may be comforted with the peace that passes all understanding. We pray especially for _______ that they may be surrounded by your peace. Hear us, Comforting Spirit.
Your mercy is great.
We give thanks for men who have been our father, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, sons, husbands, life-partners, and friends. We give thanks for women who have had to serve as both mother and father as a single parent for their children. We pray for men who strive to reflect the caring, affection, nurturing, and friendship modeled by our Triune God. We lift to you now the names of those who have mirrored your fathering spirit, Holy God. (congregation is invited to say names aloud) . . .
Give them your grace and bless them in their lives. Hear us, Loving God.
Your mercy is great.
For who else does the church pray today? . . . For all those we name, and for those who have no one to name them, hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Holy God, we lift our prayers to you through the Holy Spirit in hope, entrusting all for whom we pray to your great goodness and mercy, made known to us in Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own. She is the author of Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019) and Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is also the co-editor of Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
Twitter: @LeahSchade
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeahDSchade/