In this manner therefore, pray:
Our Father who is in heaven…
Matthew 6:9a
Addressing God in this intimate and personal manner was revolutionary. Before Jesus made this statement, God had been referred to as Jehova, the I Am Who Am, and many more. But this time Jesus introduces Him as Father.
God has been known as the Creator, the Holy One, the Righteous One, the One to be feared and worshipped. And it is just proper to continue to see Him as such, and to give proper worship and adoration that He deserves. However, God being Father to us reveals that part in Him that is endeared to us, that part that shows concern for our every situation, that part that loves us without end.
When we approach God in prayer, we must understand in our spirit the Fatherly love that He has for each of us. The Father loves us enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son to die for our sins. He loves us enough to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He cares enough to listen to our prayers, and to answer our prayers if it will not bring harm to us.
With the knowledge of all this love, let us still remember that He is in heaven and we are on earth. He is heavenly, we are earthly. A stark contrast. He is high above, we are earth-bound. We must approach Him in humility even as we recognize His Fatherly attributes.
And that is how prayer should be. Approaching God with confidence because of His love through Christ, yet humbling ourselves in reverence, still recognizing that He is all and we are none.
Lesson Highlights:
1. Be intimate with God when we pray
2. Always remember to approach in humility
Study Guide
1. Why is it revolutionary when Jesus told His disciples to call God Father?
By Ed Pilapil Jr. ©
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
