A Father’s Prayer by General Douglas MacArthur

The prayer expresses the values of strength, humility, courage, wisdom, and compassion, and it serves as a powerful statement of MacArthur's ideals for leadership and personal integrity.

⊙ A Father’s Prayer by General Douglas MacArthur

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak; and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee—and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenges. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

​And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, ‘I have not lived in vain.’

"A Father's Prayer" is a prayer that General MacArthur often recited during morning chapel services in the difficult early days of the Pacific War in the Philippines. He prayed this in an effort to leave a spiritual legacy for his son, Arthur MacArthur IV, whom he had fathered at the age of 58. In this prayer, General MacArthur asks God to bestow upon his son the qualities and values that he deemed important in life. He prays for strength, courage, humility, wisdom, compassion, and many other virtues for his son.

Additional resources:

Power and Essence of Prayer: Quotes from Lincoln & Luther

Life's Strength and Inspiration: Bible Verses for Life, Inspirational Quotes, and Words of Wisdom

Inspiring Bible Verses about Love: Guidance and Wisdom

Truth and Light: Lessons from Luke 12:2-3

15 Quotes on Cherishing & Loving Children - Part 1

15 Quotes on Cherishing & Loving Children - Part 2

Motivational Quotes To Inspire You.

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