Hello, friend. Welcome back to Authorized Sword Ministries.

We're so glad you're here again.

In Lesson Three, we talked about fathers and sons. Today we're talking to dads about their daughters.

A father has a special place in his daughter's life. Often, he's the first man she learns to trust. The way he treats her helps shape how she sees herself, how she expects to be treated, and even how she thinks about her Father in heaven. Let's see what the Bible says.

Our Key Verse

"That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:" — Psalm 144:12 (KJV)

What a beautiful prayer. Daughters "as corner stones." A corner stone is strong. It holds a building together. And "polished after the similitude of a palace." That means beautiful, like the finest stones in a king's house.

That's how God wants a father to see his daughter. Strong and precious. Worth the care.

Her Worth Comes from God

Before your daughter hears what the world thinks of her, she needs to hear what God thinks of her.

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." — Psalm 139:14 (KJV)

Teach her that verse. She was made by God, on purpose, and she is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Genesis 1:27 tells us God made both "male and female" in His own image. Her worth doesn't come from how she looks, how many friends she has, or what anyone says about her online. It comes from God.

In our lesson A Strong Woman of Faith, we looked at Proverbs 31:30: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Dad, praise your daughter for her heart, her kindness, and her faith, not just her looks.

Honor Her

Look at what Job did at the end of his story:

"And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren." — Job 42:15 (KJV)

Job gave his daughters an inheritance right alongside their brothers. In that time, that was a special honor. He made sure they knew they mattered.

Show your daughter she matters. Listen when she talks. Make time for her. Take her out, just the two of you. Let her know she's never a bother to you.

Protect Her

In Mark chapter five, a father named Jairus had a sick little girl. Here's what he did:

"And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live." — Mark 5:22-23 (KJV)

Jairus was an important man. But he fell at the feet of Jesus for his daughter. And Jesus went with him and raised her up.

The greatest protection you can give your daughter is to pray for her. Bring her to Jesus every day. And watch over her. Know who her friends are. Know what she's watching and reading. Be the kind of father she can come to when something is wrong.

Show Her What a Godly Man Looks Like

Your daughter is learning from you what a man should be.

"The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." — Proverbs 20:7 (KJV)

When you keep your word, she learns that men can be trusted. When you love her mother "even as Christ also loved the church," as Ephesians 5:25 says, she learns how a godly man treats a woman. One day, she'll look for those things in a husband.

Show Her the Father's Heart

In our Fathers Who Lead course, we looked at Psalm 103:13: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him." God compares His own love to a father's love.

Jesus said:

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" — Matthew 7:9-11 (KJV)

When you're gentle, kind, and generous with your daughter, you are showing her a small picture of her heavenly Father. That makes it easier for her to trust Him.

Simple Steps for This Week

First, tell your daughter, "God made you, and you are precious to Him and to me."

Second, plan a time with just the two of you.

Third, pray a blessing over her, out loud.

Your Father in Heaven

Friend, whether you had a good earthly father or not, you have a Father in heaven who loves you.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." — John 3:16 (KJV)

Jesus died for your sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day. Come to Him today.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." — Romans 10:9 (KJV)

Next Time

In Lesson Five, we'll talk to the moms about mothers and sons, and see what we can learn from Hannah and from Timothy's mother.

A Prayer

Before we go, let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this friend who is listening right now, and for every daughter You have given.

Make our daughters like corner stones, strong and precious. Help them to know they are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Help every father to honor his daughter, to protect her, to pray for her, and to show her what a godly man looks like.

And through her father's love, help her see Your love.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

We'll see you in Lesson Five.

From all of us at Authorized Sword Ministries, God bless you.