Wednesday, July 20, 2016

OUR FATHER

"Our Father in heaven,..."  Matthew 6:9


            Greetings in the name of the Lord!  This is the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad in it!  God is great.  I pray this finds everyone in good health and spirit.  I pray that these efforts are a blessing to you and that they are for God’s glory and your good.

            This week I will begin to break down the “Lord’s Prayer”.  The opening of this prayer is of the utmost importance.  Without the opening there is no point, there is no prayer!  Without God we might as well not waste our time.  Sure we can pray to the sky, the moon, the sun, and etc., it has been done by many civilizations over the last few thousand years.  Ironically they are all historical societies no longer in existence.  Knowing who our prayer is addressed to and that who He is is the entire point!  “Our Father Who is in Heaven.” (Matt 6:9).  This is it, the big time!

            Look at that!  The privilege and blessing of prayer is we get to go straight to the top.  We get to take our petitions, concerns, fears, and worries directly to the Creator of the Universe.  Jesus Christ and His loving sacrifice opens up a direct line of communication between you and God.  Let that sink in for a moment.  Chew on that. 

            People file requests to visit the White House.  There are limitations to where a tourist can go inside the Vatican.  Try getting into Buckingham Palace for some chat time with the Queen.  These are just humans in a position of authority.  You have a direct line to the Authority.  If that does not get you excited, then you need to check your pulse.  Above all presidents, kings, queens, emperors, popes, bishops, and prime ministers there stands the One True God!  And you get to talk with Him whenever you want.  You get unlimited access to the Father, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year.

            Last thing I want to let sink in is the word “Father” in this verse.  Max Lucado says it clearly when he quotes Joachim Jeremias “More specifically, our ‘Abba in heaven.”  Abba is an intimate, tender, folksy, pedestrian term, the warmest of the Aramaic words for ‘father.”[1]  That is Daddy!  Not only do you have a direct line of communication to the Creator of all things, but you have a relationship with Him that is so intimate that you get to call Him Daddy!




[1] Lucado, Max. before amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer. 2014. Nashville. Thomas Nelson. 13

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