The Christian Origin and History of Father's Day 

Did you know that the origin of Father's Day is linked to Christianity? Like other important holidays filled with Christian themes and events, Father's Day, too, was founded to celebrate the ideals of fatherhood set forth in Scripture.

Many of the world's most important holidays are tethered to Christian themes and events. This is obviously true of such days as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It is also true of Halloween (Hallowed Evening) which once was closely linked to All Soul's Day. Father's Day, too, is linked to Christianity in that it was founded to celebrate the ideals of fatherhood set forth in Scripture.

The Origin of Father's Day

The first widely-promoted Father's Day celebration of modern America was held in Spokane, Washington on this day, June 19, 1910 (a father's day had been observed in Fairmont, West Virginia two years earlier with little publicity). The Spokane event was the brain-child of Sonora Louise Smart (Mrs. John Bruce) Dodd envisioned an event as focused in special religious services and involving small gifts as well as loving greetings from children to their fathers. She brought up the matter with her pastor and he communicated the idea to the local pastor's association. The mayor of the city and the governor of the state endorsed her concept and issued proclamations in support. The famed politician William Jennings Bryan weighed in with words of encouragement.

The History of Father's Day

Despite these presidential pronouncements, it was 1966 before President Johnson established the third Sunday in June as the date of the celebration. Even so, this not made official until 1972 under President Nixon.

The ideals of fatherhood are strong in the Bible. Unlike the gods of other religions, the Christian God is portrayed as a loving Father. Christ described God as his own intimate Father and claimed to show in himself what the Father was like. God gave his beloved son for the salvation of the world. Consequently, wherever the Christian ideal has prospered, fatherhood has taken on deeper and more lyrical meaning. The tender appeals of the apostles John and Paul to their "children" helped foster this attitude. William Jackson Smart's self-sacrificing love for his children led to a national day of recognition for all fathers. We have a grateful daughter to thank for that.

Bible Verses For Father's Day

Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 3:11-12 - 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 20:7 - The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

Psalm 127:3-5 - Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

A Father's Day Prayer

Dear God, We thank you for the gift of Dads in this life. We thank you that you are the greatest Dad ever, Abba Father, and we know that you cover us in your great love.

We pray for your blessing, favor, and strength over every Dad in this world, for those who are seeking to walk closely with you in a dark world, and for those who just need to be reminded that you are real. We ask for your renewed courage, for your boldness, for your Spirit to fill them. Make them always aware and alert of the schemes of the enemy. We ask that you would keep their footsteps firm, and guard their way. We ask that you would help them to always stand strong, to be men of faith, to say “no” to what is wrong, and to say “yes” to what is right. We ask that you would fill their hearts with love, compassion, joy, faithfulness, and cover their lives with great peace.

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