Hearing God about our Fathers
Episode Description:
Today, on Father’s Day in Australia, we acknowledge the wide range of emotions we feel about our fathers. When our earthly fathers leave needs and expectations unmet, we can project that lack onto God. Join Gary & I as we unpack how our relationship with our earthly father can affect how we hear our Heavenly Father, and what we can do about it.
Episode Notes:
Introduction:
- We acknowledge the wide range of emotions around our father and Father’s Day.
- You can’t out-sin God’s love.
- Your past doesn’t define you. Your mistakes don’t define you. If you have made some bad choices, your mistakes don’t define you. Some of God’s best players are His imperfect, broken prodigals. God specialises in short-tempered, reckless, flawed people. God constantly uses broken, messy people to bring glory to Himself and to reach others.
- Nun working in a men’s prison. Bought Mother’s Day cards for prisoners to write a letter to their mums. Had to get heaps more in. Father’s Day was coming up, so she contacted Hallmark to arrange a bulk delivery of Father’s Day cards – none taken. Not one single card. A lot of father issues.
- A father’s role is to love, protect and keep safe, provide for, and give identity to their children.
- Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world.
- A lot of heartache.
- Honour our fathers and mothers. Fifth commandment Exodus 20:12 – “Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lordyour God is giving you.”
First Principle: See your dad through God’s eyes
- My dad – unmet expectations.
- Had to accept that he was incapable of meeting my expectations and functioning as a healthy dad.
- His early years were horrific.
- Ask God to show you His view of your father, His love for your father, His compassion towards you for what you may have missed out on by having your father as your father. You may need to deal with your baggage and hurt first so you can hear God clearly. Eg SOZO / prayer ministry
- Minimise judgement.
- Recognise we are not perfect either. See our dad through God’s eyes.
- Sometimes through unmet expectations of our father, we project our father’s lack onto God.
Second Principle: Don’t carry baggage – deal with it.
- Hurt people hurt people.
- Love and forgive.
- It can help to write a letter to your dad – even if you never give it to him.
Third Principle: Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father.
- Romans 8:15-16 Message version: “God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.”
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 “I will be a Father to you,and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
- Ephesians 1:4-5 “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago, he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.”
- 1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
- The Old Testament doesn’t talk much about God being a father.
- Exodus 4:22 Lord talking to Moses, “Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lordsays: Israel is my firstborn son.”
- Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion on his children,so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
- Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
- Psalm 68:5 “A father to the fatherless, a defender/protector of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Verse 6 – God sets the lonely in families,
- Luke 15: 20-24 – parable of the lost son and the father’s response when he returns home.
- Song, “Good, Good Father”
- The beauty of God being a Good, Good Father is that if there are areas we feel as though we’ve missed out on from our own father, God can fill the gap.
Summary:
- See your dad through God’s eyes.
- Don’t carry baggage – deal with it.
- Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father.
Prophetic activation:
Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him:
- “God, what have I missed out on from my earthly father?”
- “God, what do I need from You as my Heavenly Father?”
Fathers provide presence, protection, provision, love, and identity.
Time Stamps:
[0:40] – Gary & Jane share how they have heard God this week.
[6:39] – Introduction.
[8:27] – First Principle: See your dad through God’s eyes.
[11:49] – Second Principle: Don’t carry baggage. Deal with it.
[14:42] – Third Principle: Our Heavenly Father is the perfect father.
[16:52] – Summary
[17:15] – Prophetic activation.
[18:31] – Gary & Jane share a prophetic word for a listener.
[20:43] – Gary prays for you.
Resources / Links Mentioned:
- Sandra Sellmer-Kersten, House of Nacham Ministries in New Zealand: https://houseofnacham.com/
- Elijah House Ministries in Australia: https://elijahhouse.com.au/
- Elijah House Ministries in the US: https://elijahhouse.org/pages/elijah-house-ministries-pastoral-counseling-faith-based-guidance-for-healing-and-restoration
- Ellel Ministries (prayer ministry): https://ellel.org
- Orbis Ministries (prayer ministry online): https://orbisprayer.org/
- Australian Inner Healing Network (AIHN): https://innerhealing.org.au/
- Restoring the Foundations (prayer ministry): https://restoringthefoundations.org/
- Bethel Sozo (prayer ministry): https://www.bethelsozo.com/
- Bethel Sozo Australia (prayer ministry): https://www.bethelsozoaustralia.com/
- Song “Good, Good Father”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqybaIesbuA (Instead of that song, Jane meant the song “Goodness of God”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0FBb6hnwTo)
- Book on fathering/raising boys: (He’ll Be Okay: Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men by Celia Lashlie): https://www.raisingworldchangers.com.au/hell-ok-book-review/
- 30-Day Devotional ‘Hearing God for the Year Ahead’: https://www.unlockingthegold.com/product/hearing-god-for-the-year-ahead/
Bible Verses Mentioned:
- Exodus 20:12
- Romans 8:15-16
- 2 Corinthians 6:18
- Ephesians 1:4-5
- 1 John 3:1
- Exodus 4:22
- Psalm 103:13
- Isaiah 64:8
- Psalm 68:5
- Luke 15:20-24
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- Visit the Hearing God podcast website: https://garyandjane.co
- Email admin@garyandjane.co or garyandjaneb@gmail.com
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