Part 2: Healing Father Wounds

Earthly Fathers, Heavenly Love: Healing the Wounds That Distort God's Heart

When Earthly Fathers Fail

For many of us, our understanding of God the Father is deeply shaped by our relationship with our earthly fathers. If your father was absent, harsh, abusive, or emotionally unavailable, that pain didn’t just stay locked in your past—it may have clouded your perception of your Heavenly Father. Similarly, wounds from spiritual leaders—those meant to guide us—can create confusion, anger, and disillusionment. But hear this clearly: those human failures are not reflections of God's nature. They are distortions, often twisted by the father of lies to push you away from the love of your true Father in heaven.

The enemy is crafty. He weaponizes trauma, manipulation, and rejection, not only to wound us but to manipulate us into distrusting God.

"You can’t trust God any more than you trusted your dad.""Fathers leave. Fathers hurt. God will too."

These are lies. God is not the sum of your earthly pain—He is the perfect answer to it.

The Battle for Our Hearts

From the dawn of time, two opposing voices have fought for your heart:

• The Father of Love — who heals, restores, nurtures, and draws us close.

• The Father of Lies — who wounds, deceives, isolates, and distances us from God.

“A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!” — John 10:10 (TPT)

The Father of Love whispers, “Come to Me. You are My child.” The father of lies shouts, “You’re unworthy. God can’t be trusted.”

Recognizing whose voice you’re hearing is the first step to healing. You are not disqualified from God’s love—He is pursuing you in it.

Discovering God Through His Names

The Bible overflows with names that express God’s character. These aren’t just titles—they are personal revelations of His heart:

• Jehovah Jireh — The Lord who provides. (Genesis 22:14, TPT)

• Jehovah Rapha — The Lord who heals. (Exodus 15:26, TPT)

• Jehovah Shalom — The Lord is peace. (Judges 6:24, TPT)

• El Shaddai — The All-Sufficient One. (Genesis 17:1, TPT)

When your earthly father failed to protect, Jehovah Jireh covered your needs. When your soul was broken, Jehovah Rapha reached for your healing. When chaos surrounded you, Jehovah Shalom offered peace. When you felt empty, El Shaddai reminded you: “I am more than enough.”

Let these names speak into your scars and build in you a healed identity.

Why Earthly Pain Can Steal Your Connection

The enemy is relentless in using father wounds to draw us away from the Father of Love. Negative experiences with earthly fathers—or with church leadership—can become false evidence that God is distant, disappointed, or dangerous.

“The same way a loving father feels toward his children—that’s but a sample of your tender feelings toward us, your beloved children.” — Psalm 103:13 (TPT)

“To the fatherless he is a father... the lonely he makes part of your family.” — Psalm 68:5–6 (TPT)

God isn’t just aware of your pain—He steps into it.

The Spirit of Adoption

“The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” — Romans 8:15 (TPT)

The Father of Love does not reject you—He adopts you. He doesn’t shame your wounds—He holds them. He doesn’t expect perfection—He offers presence. While the father of lies sows rejection, God counters with redemption.

You are not abandoned. You are adopted.

Processing the Pain

Healing begins with honesty:

• How does the word “Father” make you feel?

• What comes to mind when you think of God's voice?

• Did a father figure’s betrayal make God feel unsafe?

Naming these things doesn’t dishonor your past. It simply opens space for the Father of Love to speak truth into the silence the enemy has tried to fill with shame.

Guarding Your Heart, Choosing Truth

“So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being.” — Proverbs 4:23 (TPT)

When anger, fear, or despair rise, pause. Ask: Whose voice is this?

Then speak truth:

“I am deeply loved. I am chosen. I belong to the Father of Love.”

“Let every unwholesome and destructive word be banished from your life. Rather, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God, through Christ, forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:31–32 (MSG)

You were never meant to live disconnected from God's heart. Jesus came to restore that bridge and call you home.

Step Into the Father’s Embrace

If wounds have made you guarded or skeptical of God's love, take one small step today. Tell Him:

“Father, I want to know You as You truly are. Heal what hurts. Rewrite what was broken. Reveal Your heart to me.”

This is your invitation:

• To stop striving and start receiving.

• To stop surviving and start healing.

• To stop hiding and come home.

You are not orphaned. You are His. And He is always—always—good.

~Pastor CJ

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You are the Father of Love. You are Love, I praise you and thank you for your grace and mercy as I walk through learning more about you. I come before You today with a humble heart, seeking Your love and healing. I acknowledge that I may be harboring unforgiveness, whether known or unknown, towards my earthly father. I repent for any bitterness or resentment that I have held onto, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Cleanse my heart and free me from these burdens that weigh me down.

Lord, fill those broken areas with your love, with the precious Heavenly things you desire me to have.

Lord, I ask that You give me tangible ways to feel Your love as I navigate my journey as Your child. You are the perfect Father, and I thank You for Your constant presence in my life, guiding and supporting me.

As I sit in Your presence, I choose to let any walls or guards down to receive the love and forgiveness that You have for me. Help me to embrace this grace fully and to allow it to transform my heart. Father, Fill me with Your peace and restore my spirit, so I may walk forward in love and forgiveness.

In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Stay tuned for more in our series: The Father of Love vs the father of lies