Dads
Dad’s Prayer for March 12th
A short, Scripture-shaped dads prayer for an ordinary moment of Christian faith.
The prayer
A prayer to pray now
Lord, Jesus said to love my neighbor — and He won't let me shrink that down to just the people who already like me. Today, my neighbor is the loud guy at work whose desk faces mine. The neighbor whose dog gets into my yard. The kid in my son's class whose family I have judged from a distance. Make me love them — not as a feeling, as a verb. Stop me from being polite when I could be actually warm. Pull me past my habit of choosing the people who agree with me. Your word cuts wider than I want it to, and I need that today. Amen.
How to pray it
- Read it slowly. Move through this prayer one line at a time, out loud if you can, letting each phrase land before the next.
- Make it personal. Pause where a line meets your day and name the person, fear, or hope it touches before God.
- Carry it with you. Keep one sentence with you — on your phone or in your pocket — and return to it when the day gets loud.
Verses to pray
Pray these slowly, one line at a time. Scripture quoted from a public-domain translation.
and hate your enemy.’5:43 not in the Bible, but see Qumran Manual of Discipline Ix, 21-26
Matthew 5:43But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
Matthew 5:44
Questions about this prayer
When should I pray dad’s prayer for march 12th?
Pray it whenever the words fit your moment — at the start of the day, in a hard stretch, or when you simply want to turn toward God.
Which Bible verses anchor this prayer?
This prayer is anchored in Matthew 5:43, Matthew 5:44. The "Verses to pray" section above quotes them in full.
Can I save or share this prayer?
Yes. Use the Copy prayer button to copy the words, or open the Chosen Portion app to keep a daily prayer, devotional, and Scripture with you.