God, The Ultimate Father

Episode notes

The Bible tells us over and over again that God is a loving father. We may have our own ideas about what a father is like based on our relationships with our human dads, but God is the perfect parent. He is the one our hearts ultimately long for. So no matter what our experiences might be with our human parents, we can all look to the Scriptures to learn how to build a relationship with God, the ultimate Father. Check out this episode of Scripture Playlists to for verses all about how God is a Father.

References:

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. [14] For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:13-14 NLT

The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. [15] The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba, Father.” [16] And the Spirit himself speaks to our spirits and makes us sure that we are God’s children.
Romans 8:14-16 ERV

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. [3] Give us each day the food we need, [4] and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”
Luke 11:2-4 NLT

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
Psalm 68:5 NLT

My child, don’t reject the LORD’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. [12] For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT

Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? [10] For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.
Hebrews 12:9-10 NLT

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. [18] He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
James 1:17-18 NLT

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father. We are just clay, and You are the potter. We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.
Isaiah 64:8 Voice

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close.
Psalm 27:10 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. [4] He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT

“You parents-if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10] Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11] So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:9-11 NLT

Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love [5] God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children-this was his pleasure and purpose.
Ephesians 1:4-5 GNT

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. [20] Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. [21] We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
Ephesians 2:19-21 NLT

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I’ll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents.
2 Samuel 7:14 CEV

The LORD your God who goes before you will fight for you Himself, just as He did for you in Egypt before your [very] eyes, [31] and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried and protected you, just as a man carries his son, all along the way which you traveled until you arrived at this place.’
Deuteronomy 1:30-31 AMP

Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father.
Galatians 4:6 CEV

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us-He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either.
1 John 3:1 Voice

There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. [6] But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.
1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NLT

But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 GNT