Father's Day Devotional for Church and Family (5 Minutes)

A Father's Day devotional you can share in five minutes, in kids church or at the family table. It comes from Jesus' story of the father who ran to his son (Luke 15:11–24), and it has three simple points: he saw, he ran, he gave.

The devotional

Read: Luke 15:20 (KJV): "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."

1. He saw. His son was "yet a great way off", but his father saw him. God sees every one of us, and every child has a Father in heaven: God is "A father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5).
2. He ran. The father "had compassion, and ran". God is ready to forgive: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9).
3. He gave. The son came home with nothing, and his father called for "the best robe", "a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet" (Luke 15:22).

Ask: What did the son plan to say to his father? How do you think he felt when his father ran to him? Is there something you need to tell God you're sorry for?

For dads: Ephesians 6:4 and Deuteronomy 6:6–7 ask fathers to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and to talk of God's words at home and on the way. This week, let your children hear you read the Bible and see you pray.

Pray: thank God for being a Father who sees, runs and forgives, and bless every dad, grandpa and man who cares for a child, in Jesus' name.

Use it with

• The prodigal son play, right before the devotional in our Father's Day program for church.
• The prodigal son story set: lesson, craft, coloring page and puzzles, with the same memory verse, 1 John 1:9.
• Our Father's Day prayer cards for the closing prayer.