The word of God is filled with many treasures of bible verses about fathers and sons to guide us.
There’s nothing like a dad’s loving embrace of encouragement and firm guidance, alongside a son’s genuine honor and respect for his father.
The father and son relationship is special, holding great potential of power and blessing. God shows the beauty in the father and son relationship between Him and us. As dads but also sons, we can learn a lot from how God engages us with reckless love and grace.
10 Bible Verses About Fathers and Sons
1) Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Dads, let’s be careful not to correct our children in a way that makes them bitter but rather encourage them, raising them up in the Lord. Let’s let our son(s) know we’re proud of them every chance we can.
2) 2 Samuel 7:14-15
“I will be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I’ll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I’ll never remove my gracious love from him.”
Here, we can adopt God’s illustration of fatherly faithfulness in discipline and never-ending grace towards our sons despite the common life challenges they face.
3) Malachi 4:6
“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”
As fathers and sons, we can embrace the promise of the Lord that when He returns, the hearts of fathers and sons will be recalibrated back in alignment with one another.
4) Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Here is a clear and direct blessing God promises when sons honor their fathers. Honoring means showing your respect and expressing that you care.
5) Psalm 103:13
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
With this verse, we can be encouraged by the fatherly compassion God has on each of us when we turn away from doing things our way and have faith in Him.
6) Proverbs 15:5
“A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is sensible.”
As sons, this verse whispers we don’t know it all. When dad is advising us, let’s open our ears, take God-aligned instructions, and respond well. Fathers have more experience.
7) Luke 11:11
“Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?”
This verse reveals we (as good yet imperfect dads) would never aim to harm our kids, so why would our Heavenly Father (who is perfect and loves us perfectly) give us anything besides the best?
8) Proverbs 1:8
“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.”
This verse reminds sons that becoming wise starts by listening to dad, while reminding dads that parents need to show their kids the way to God.
9) Proverbs 23:24
“The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.”
Clearly given in this verse is how a son can put a smile on his dad’s heart and soul by walking faithfully with God in his faith, decisions, and actions, becoming wise.
10) Luke 15:20
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
Kids, in our hands, are like arrows that we can aim anywhere and achieve anything as we release them. With this verse, I always ask myself, “What does the bow and arm of my fatherhood look like, and in what direction am I sending the arrow of my children?” If I realize my strength is weak or my direction is pointed wrong, I ask God to give me strength and guide my arm as a father.
Here’s the Thing
Every day, God receives each one as his adopted son, providing fatherly guidance, safety, and the perfect love we need. All He asks is that we obey His commands as His sons. In one effort, He provides a blueprint of fatherhood for every dad, while teaching every son what it means to be a godly child.
These bible verses about fathers and sons live close to my heart, not only as a father of twins but also as a son. Strategically drawing plans for the life of my family is wise, but there is nothing wiser than leaning on God to show you the plans He’s already made. Trust me, they are way better than any dad could draw up. Want to dive into God’s word with your sons? Try this free download: Embarking Bible Study guide.
