Category Archives: Blogs

13
Jul

The King of Glory

Several months ago, I found myself driving around for a few moments of blessed alone time. (And all the mommies said, “AMEN!”). I had been wrestling with some pretty heavy things and was seeking the Lord in the solitude. I had some new worship music blaring and it was just about sunset. I began to sing and pray and all of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. As I meditated on the words of the song and prayed honest, raw prayers, I began to feel this incredible adrenaline rushing through my veins. Though the day had been hot, and the temperature still lingered around 80 degrees, I was suddenly chilled and the air was heavy. I knew that the presence of God was with me. All of a sudden I was weeping in my car, and felt the Spirit leading me to claim the authority I had in Jesus over the enemy. In those powerful moments, I began to claim His promises in Scripture, His power over sin, and His power living within me. After that experience, I realized that God was giving the privilege of being in the presence of His glory. The sunset, the atmosphere, the authority…This is what He does when He shows up in our lives, and we are changed because of who He is. Psalm 24 is entitled King of Glory, and I wanted to share a few verses from that powerful passage…

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,

that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates!

And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory! Psalm 24:7-10 (ESV)

Author and pastor Richard Strauss writes, “The most common word for glory in the Old Testament comes from a root that means literally “to be heavy.” In Old Testament times, a person’s weight was his glory….a person who was considered to have glory in that day was usually one who had some kind of weight, such as the weight of riches, the weight of power, or the weight of position. A man’s glory referred to what he was and what he had—his honor, his reputation, or his possessions….The phrase “the glory of the LORD” appears with such frequency, we begin to suspect that it refers to more than just one attribute of God….God’s glory is who He is, what He possesses, and what He is like. God’s glory is God Himself in His essential being.”*

It is so fitting that when we experience the presence of God in our lives we also experience the weight of His glory. When the Alpha and the Omega enters the room, when the Creator of the world comes to meet with us, the atmosphere changes because of who He is and everything He possesses. What we do understand about God’s glory is that it is eternal, never ending and never failing. Because God’s glory is eternal, and He is the King of Glory- no one has ever had or will ever have more ‘weight’ than God, His Kingdom is unshakable. His reign will never end.

This is important for us as we seek out what it means to know God for a few reasons. First, it means that we can be confident that He is the eternal King. Despite the broken world and all the people that inhabit it, He remains on the throne steadfast in His authority. Second, by spending time getting to know Him through reading His word and prayer, His glory should be evident in our lives, shaping us to look more like Him. Just like the atmosphere changes when He enters the room, our lives should also be transformed by knowing Him. By the cross we have the eternal God living in us, and we can boldly walk in the confidence that no person will ever be greater or higher than the King of Glory.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

Rachel

Resources *https://bible.org/seriespage/24-king-glory

12
Jul

Jesus is My King!

It seems to me that you either love politics or you hate it. I love politics, well it is actually a love-hate relationship. I love it if my candidate wins and the people we elect are doing what I feel they should do for our country. But if my candidate loses…not so much love. I am one of those people that loves talk radio and can get totally obsessed with the whole election process and with this being a presidential election year it seems like politics is everywhere. Who will be our president? How will they lead? Will they keep our Christian values or will we be lead further from Christ as a country by our new president?

Our president is our version of a King in the United States. It is the person that we as citizens place our trust and faith in to lead us and our country. But if we are placing our faith in anyone that is not Jesus Christ we are going to be disappointed. No matter who we choose to be president in November, they will fall short. They will make choices that anger us and leave us shaking our heads in disbelief, because they are human and flawed just like the rest of us. Our faith is to only be placed in the one true King Jesus Christ!

Jesus is our king and He portrays a completely different type of king then what we see in our President or our political leaders today. He did not come to this world with pomp and circumstance, instead He chose to take off His crown and come to Earth as a lowly babe in a manger. Jesus spent His time on Earth not demanding we serve Him, but instead came to serve those around Him, to teach us how to live, and to be sacrificed for our sins and bring salvation.

We as Christians know that in the end, however long that may be, there will be only one King remaining and He is Jesus Christ. You see, it doesn’t matter who our next president is if we have placed our trust in King Jesus. This world will soon pass away along with politics and our sinful nature and we will finally see Jesus upon His throne. Until then, we are to keep our focus on Him and lead people to know Jesus as their personal savior. This way when Jesus comes to claim His kingdom we will have brought many to the Kingdom of God!

“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are called Chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:14.

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

07
Jul

Pep Squad Identity

As we continue to meditate on how the names of God help us to know Him more, we learn a third name of Jehovah.  Jehovah Nissi means the Lord God OUR Banner.  Meditating and knowing God through this name helps us define OUR identity by what He has done for us.

I think most people are looking for an identity and we don’t always start with God’s thoughts about us.  Often, we start searching for our identity for the first time in junior high. I had a pretty good case of identity searching too.  I tried multiple activities and groups as I searched for my identity. I tried athletics, drama, band, and even dance.  The dance identity is probably the one that makes me giggle the most.  If you know me well you would have never ever guessed that I would have wanted to dance.  But, a friend of mine wanted to audition for the Pep Squad at school and I agreed to participate in a week long camp and audition with her for the squad.  When tryout day came, I performed the routine we had learned and felt quite confident that I would not be on the squad.  After a week of totally uncoordinated movements I had figured out dance was not for me.  The Pep Squad list was posted on the cafeteria door and I was relieved to find I was not on it! However, some “dance moms” whose daughters didn’t make the team complained enough that it was decided that anyone who tried out would be on the team.  I followed my friend to join and we ordered our pleated cheerleader skirts and pom poms.

pepsquad

Here is a critical detail you need to know about me in junior high.  At this particular time I was about 6 inches taller than most of the other girls in my grade.  It turns out the tallest girls get placed on the 50 yard line and then the height descends on either side.  So, my incredibly uncoordinated, shy, modest 12 year old self was dead center of the entire football field shaking her hips.  This is the stuff nightmares are made of.  While I can’t say that at the end of the year I had figured out who I was, I definitely had taken a step in the process.  I had learned that my eternal identity was not going to come from an extracurricular activity and God was beginning to reveal to me that His activity in my life was far more important that any identity I could create for myself.

In scripture we see this when God did something amazing for the Israelites in the desert, as they were learning their identity from His perspective.  Israel went into battle with a group of people and Moses positioned himself in a place where he would raise his arms and pray for God to give Israel victory.  The battle was won through God’s intervention.  In fact, the Lord tells them He would blot out this enemy completely from under heaven.  Total VICTORY!!!  Moses built an altar to mark this milestone for the Israelites to remember.  He called it Jehovah Nissi, the Lord Our Banner.

The Olympics are coming up and one of the things you and I will see over and over again is when athletes win they will raise their country’s flag over their heads in victory.  The victory in Exodus was celebrated by worshipping God, by figuratively waving a banner in worship over their lives.  It also foreshadows a victory God has over our lives today.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we can claim a new identity and we can celebrate with a banner of God’s victory over our lives.  Junior High wasn’t the last time I struggled with my identity.  I continue to this day to wander from this truth and become distracted by trying to DO things to create an identity.  I sincerely hope that when I am tempted to claim an identity other than His banner I will remember to stop and know that He has already claimed an identity on my behalf.  He is my Jehovah Nissi.

“And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner”

Exodus 17:15

Amy

 

06
Jul

Jehovah Rapha

This week my faith was tested in a real and tangible way. I felt it to my very core. I knew that Satan had found my weakness, my family, and more specific the fact that I truly have no control of how long I have with my precious loved ones. When we get to the heart of our humanity we realize that we don’t know how long we have here on Earth, but God does. And as I sat in a waiting room with my family I felt one thing… helpless. My mom was in the back having tests run and we heard things like “a spot we want to look at, sonogram, biopsy and recurrent breast cancer.”  Our world had once again stopped.

We had watched my mom go through the fight of her life 5 1/2 years ago. A fight no one should face; though countless people fight cancer everyday. Surgeries, chemo, radiation, side effects, weakness, nausea…this fight is horrific. She won her battle the first time and did it with courage, strength and above all with her mighty belief in Jehovah Rapha-The LORD that heals you. My mom knew without a doubt that God was going to heal her and He did. She also knew that even if she wasn’t healed here on Earth, she would be in Heaven. Her faith during this time was palpable and contagious.  Her focus stayed on her creator and her healer.

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.”  Jeremiah 17:14.

As we sat in an all too familiar waiting room with tears flowing at the memories that lingered and the fear of what this second journey might hold, I was reminded that Jehovah Rapha has this. He knew what this test would show, when my mom’s battle with cancer would be won and most importantly when He will return and our would will never hear another horrible diagnosis. There will be no more pain, no more cancer and no more death.

Thankfully we heard just 24-hours later that my mom doesn’t have recurrent breast cancer.  The spot was benign! Again tears flowed, but this time in relief and thankfulness.  I have always said that when I get content and too comfortable I’m frightened that God will have to get my attention by taking my legs out so that I find my knees in prayer.  I found my knees last week and I know that without a doubt that Jehovah Rapha was with my family and healed us closer together once again, but more importantly we were all drawn closer to Him.

Whether you are facing an unthinkable diagnosis, a broken spirit or even an addiction… our God is a healer!  Nothing we can face is bigger than Him.  We can give Him all of our battles and we know that He is with us.  Just as my mom demonstrated for my family, we too can show those around us the power and glory of Jehovah Rapha!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

05
Jul

A Lamb and an Alter

This summer the #IKnowHim blog team has been meditating on different names of God in order to know Him better. This week we are going to be looking at 3 names of God found in Scripture that reveal different ways that God cares for us.

In one of the most suspenseful stories in the Bible, we are introduced to God as Jehovah Jireh, which means “the Lord will provide”. We find this account in Genesis 22:14, when a father takes a son to an altar to perform a sacrifice. During their journey, the young boy notices that they seem to have forgotten the sacrifice. He asks his father, who was named Abraham, where the sacrifice was. For the first time in Scripture, Abraham answered his beloved son—the one he longed for so many years, with this name of God. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. If you aren’t familiar with this story, earlier God had instructed Abraham to take his son, Isaac, up to the mountain and offer him up as a sacrifice, hence the lack of sacrifice Isaac questioned. Soon enough, Isaac realized that his father didn’t forget the sacrifice at all. Abraham laid his son on the altar, raised his weapon to strike, and at the very last moment heard his name called from Heaven, as an angel of the Lord releases him from the task. Abraham, after hearing the angel’s voice looked up…and we see God given this name, Jehovah Jireh.

“And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:13-14)

In my own life, I too have often asked of my Father, “Where is the sacrifice? Where is this thing that we so desperately need?” For example, I have a friend with a beautiful family that loves and follows God, but there is so much hurt in their hearts for various reasons. For years now they have been praying for a breakthrough out of the darkness, out of the chaos. Yet it seems to be one thing after another, heavy burden after heavy burden. In my own prayers for them I have found myself asking God, “Where is their breakthrough? Where is their victory?”  Maybe you have, too. Where is the healing? Where are the finances? Where is the joy? Hear this today, friend: The Lord will provide.

This particular name reflects the truth that He sees every need we could have. Rest assured that God knows just what we need and the exact moment we are desperate for it. He is fully aware of every need from physical to financial, to emotional, to spiritual, and everything in between. However, sometimes just like Abraham we must show that we are willing to be obedient to the hard things and trust that He has already provided what we need— before we ever see the provision manifested. We often are fully aware of what we are asking God for, but we may need to ask ourselves if we know what God is asking us to do first. Not because He is a conditional God, because He isn’t—but because our faith is refined when we must believe without seeing. Before we seek God’s provision, we must seek a relationship with Him. He is a good Father that longs to give us the desires of our heart, but He can’t do that if we neglect to establish a relationship with Him. It is after we have faith that God already did provide for us, through Jesus on the cross, that we can have faith that God will provide in other areas of our lives, because we understand the love He has for us.

We know that God’s love for us is unconditional because what happened that day with a father named Abraham, a son named Isaac, and an altar was a foreshadowing of when God would make the ultimate provision. Thousands of years later, God the Father would provide His one and only Son named Jesus—the spotless Lamb, on the altar of a cross. This was the final sacrifice that would seal His provision and love for us forever. This sacrifice of the Lamb meant that every need we would ever have would be heard and met by a Father that loves us, despite our brokenness.

He sees you, He hears you, and He will provide for you. Take a few moments and if you can write down what it is you are asking God to provide. Then meditate on this promise from Genesis that God will provide. Finally, begin to ask God what He might have you do, so that your faith might be strengthened in the waiting.

Let us know how God has provided for you in your life! We’d love to hear your #IKnowHim story of God’s faithfulness. Keep pressing on,

Rachel

29
Jun

GOD ABOVE ALL

The worship team at my church released an incredible album a few years ago, and for the past 2 years the only song my son will listen to or sing is one of their songs. It’s an upbeat song called Lord Most High (you can listen to it at the bottom of this post). Every time we get in the car, I immediately hear him request this song by yelling, “MOST HIGH!” He got a guitar for Christmas and he will walk around the house at lease once a day eyes squinted, head bobbing, jamming to one of the phrases from the song singing “WE BELIEVE GOD FATHER” (the lyrics say “We believe in God the Father) at the top of his lungs. It is one of the most precious things in the entire world, even though I am so over the song itself by this point. What I love most about this is that even at such a young age, the song that he has become attached too has imprinted the most incredible truth on his little heart. He may not understand the words, but he understands how he feels when we all sing it together. He may not understand the theology of the song, but he knows that he was made by the God that the song is about, and that’s good enough for him. And me.

The name Elyon, which means Most High, is mentioned 31 times in the Old Testament. When paired with the Hebrew word for God, El, it becomes God Most High. This is one of the many names of God that is found throughout Scripture. Author and Pastor Randy Alcorn describes this as a name that “emphasizes God’s uniqueness and his supremacy.”*

The name God Most High resounds the truth that God is above ALL. He is above all creation, man and nature alike (2 Samuel 22:14, Ps. 18:13. Ps. 47:2, Ps. 83:18, Genesis 14:18-20). He is the one that establishes purpose and accomplishes things for man (Ps. 57:2). He is the one that ultimately gives and takes away (Lam. 3:38, Daniel 5:18, Daniel 7:18).

Acknowledging that God is above all is fundamental for believers. When we believe that He is the Lord Most High, we are acknowledging that no one else is. We can be secure that in every moment of every day, He is the one that holds the world and all things in it. And the beautiful thing is that when we belong to Him, there is nothing that could ever be against us (Romans 8:31). He is the ultimate shield, a place for us to rest in when we are weary. A place for us to be strong in Him when we are weak.

Ps. 91:1 says “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Likewise, verses 9-12 of the same chapter say, “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

No matter what opposition we are faced with, we can be confident that we serve the Lord Most High and nothing is above Him. When all is said and done, if we have a relationship with the God above all, we are on the winning team. Thanks be to Him, the Lord Most High, for loving us, pursuing us, and protecting us.

Rachel

**sidenote- This whole album is really incredible, I encourage you to check out the other songs if you ever have the chance!

*http://www.epm.org/resources/1995/Jun/1/elyon-what-does-it-mean/

28
Jun

Jesus is Bigger

The Lord Most High. Let that sink in for a minute…how amazing is He. He created all things, knows all things and knows each of us so intimately that He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, Luke 12:7. Yet, we tend to minimize who He is and what He is capable of. We make rules in our lives and in our churches that limit God not only who He is, but what we are able to do in His name.

About 6 months ago, I was confronted by someone I hold very dear to my heart. She is one of the most precious people I know. She asked me a lot of questions about my beliefs on topics like baptism (submersion or sprinkling), should the Lord’s supper to be taken every time we meet as a church, should there be instruments played during church…etc. I was upset at first because I felt like my beliefs were being questioned, but then I spent hours upon hours in God’s word justifying my beliefs, not to her but to myself. I know what I believe, but why do I believe in the things that I do? Is it because this is what I have been taught all of my life or is it because this is what the Bible teaches me? This was one of the best gifts that I have ever been given, because today I can show anyone what my beliefs are based upon in the Bible. I now have a better understanding of the fact that if our focus is on telling others about how great Jesus is then our focus will no longer be on how a church service is being run, but it will instead be on the one who created the church.

Some churches, in fact, judge each other and some even teach that we will all be judged by what denominations we follow. They believe that we will all face judgment one day for these beliefs and how we worshiped Jesus Christ. I agree that I should have to stand before the throne of God on judgement day and be punished for how I lived, the sins I have committed (unfortunately there are many), and how I have raised my family. My name will be called and God could and should render me a sinner that is not worthy. Yet, before I am judged, The Lord Most High, Jesus Christ will stand and say “She is Mine.” For my name will be written in the Book of Life! There will be nothing to judge because Jesus has already died for each and every one of my sins and He is bigger than any sin I could ever commit. He paid the price so I wouldn’t have to. Jesus is the Lord Most High and He is over all people and all denominations for He is the Church and we are His bride.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11.

You see, we can all use our denominations and our beliefs to minimize who Jesus is. He is bigger than all of our rules and He is bigger than our minds can truly grasp. He is the Lord most High!

Be bold, Be brave, Be blessed!

Whitney

27
Jun

The Wonder of God

#IKNOWHIM is about God intervening in people’s lives in ways where He has clearly revealed Himself to people. Over the past few weeks we have spent time reflecting on God, and how He revealed himself to all of humanity through His name. Last week the blog was about calling God, Abba Father. It is a name for God that helps us experience God in a close and familiar way.

This week we will experience a name of God that helps us to experience Him in a way that fills us with wonder, reverence and brings us to His feet with deep respect and awe, the Lord Most High.

When I was in the sixth grade I went on a really long road trip from central Texas to Southern California. I would like to take a moment to emphasize it was really long and decades later I still have no desire to repeat it, except for one thing. We briefly stopped our vehicle in Arizona and stood at a scenic overlook of the Grand Canyon. Never in my life have I seen anything that made me feel so small. The depth of the hole, the colors of the dirt, the view that went on for miles filled me with wonder. The park signs explained that the canyon had been carved by a body of water over thousands of years. I could not even imagine this to be possible. God has revealed His wonder to humanity through the earth. Through the power He must have displayed in creating the canyon He makes Himself known. He alone can be above all of this earth and all the things in it.   He is God, and in this case so very much NOT like me. He is the Lord Most High over all of the earth even before it was created and will be Lord Most High for eternity.

God has revealed Himself both as an approachable father as well as a Lord over all the earth. To be honest I think sometimes I rob myself of experiencing God’s wonder. While it is truly humbling to be a friend of God, I can only hope to remember that He is the Lord Most High. He is not sitting on the couch with me negotiating right and wrong. God and I aren’t pals that decide together what path the world will take. He is very much God, He is Lord.   Lord, meaning master, over all the earth. Most High meaning elevated above all of the worldly things, thoughts, and activities. He is the Lord Most High.

I believe this name is a name I must call on often to remind me of His place in my life. When I struggle with anxiety, He is the Lord Most High. When people kill people to create terror, He is the Lord Most High. When politics turn friends, family and neighbors against each other, He is the Lord Most High. When children are enslaved, He is the Lord Most High. When I am desperate for answers, He is the Lord Most High.

 

Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

 

For the Lord Most High is awesome,

the great King over all the earth.

Psalm 47:2

 

 

Amy

22
Jun

A Powerful Advocate

There’s something uniquely beautiful and powerful about adoption. Out of billions of people throughout the world, a few individuals are brought together to become one, intimate unit. These individuals bring their hopes, dreams, and lives together to become a forever family. While some may wait years and some for days for their sweet babies to finally be home, one thing is certain; the child or children involved have been fought for by someone that loves them. I have a friend that recently welcomed an older child into her home as her own. While they were going through the court proceedings, I remember her saying that as hard as her new daughter’s story was to hear, the testimonies of other kids were even more devastating to comprehend. The weight of what these little ones had suffered was immense. The light in the dark of the courtroom, however, was that for each of these kids, someone was fighting for them. They had people that loved them waiting for the privilege to be called their mother or father.

There is no mistake that in Scripture we see God referred to as our Father. In the New Testament the phrase Abba, Father is described by Walter Elwell as “ a term expressing warm affection and filial confidence.”* In Romans 8:14-17 Paul writes, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…”

Knowing that God wants only the best for us, it is not surprising that the term Father expresses warm affection. His love for us is like no other and a deep comfort that children are made to long for. I also believe it is no coincidence that we see God referred to as Father in reference to someone in which we have total confidence. Before the creation of the world, God knew us and God loved us. He knew our names, what passions we would have and what color our eyes would be. He also knew that we would be faced with temptation, and would fall hard to it, choosing sin over the freedom He offers us. Despite this, He loved us enough to know that even when we would fail, we would be worth loving, worth redeeming. God knew that we were worth advocating for. So before the world began He was fighting for us. He had a plan that involved a cross, the sin of man, and the ultimate sacrifice. Paul again discusses this in Ephesians 1:3-5… “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…”

The fact that we call him Father means that we can have total confidence that no matter what our story is, He is there fighting for us. He is there on the side of victory shouting over the enemy, “SHE IS MINE, my beloved, and I have paid a great price for her.” Nothing can ever take that away,  we are forever HIS. Just like those incredible moms and dads and countless advocates for children all across the world, Jesus pleaded our case on the cross and finally bridged the gap so we could go home to our Father.

What does it mean to you to know that He is fighting for you? If you have found yourself feeling far from Him, what does it mean to know that He is still there claiming you as His beloved?

I’d love to hear how you understand the name Abba Father. Share with us in the comment section of the blog!

Praying for each of you,

Rachel

* (http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/abba/ ; Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for ‘Abba'”. “Evangelical Dictionary of Theology”. . 1997.)

21
Jun

A Familiar Name

It is clear that God intends to be close to us.  He sent His son to earth to physically walk among us in order that we would know Him.  Scripture also teaches us that His Spirit dwells within us.  It is also clear that God desires to be near us.  One of the ways that He reveals himself to us is as our Father, Abba Father.

In Matthew 6, Jesus is teaching against the hypocrisy of some religious leaders.  He calls them out for being prideful and boasting of their assistance to the poor (vv. 1-4), praying loudly for others to hear how pious they are (vv. 5-15) and for being boastful about their fasting.  These religious leaders were caught up in being holy and righteous for all the wrong reasons.  They had placed themselves on a pedestal of righteousness for all to see instead of simply revering the holiness of God.

I explain all this because I think the context is important.  Jesus is addressing individuals who are hyper aware of the holiness of God.  Unfortunately, they have placed acting holy above knowing God. At this point in his teaching Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray.  A prayer you probably know! It starts with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”  By addressing God as Father in this particular setting it probably caught their attention.  Instead of using the name Lord or Yahweh (a name so holy many would not even pronounce) he used a fiercely personal name.  A family name that was warm, earthly and intimately familiar with people.  It would evoke comparison to the men that they knew from the day they were born.  Jesus taught them to pray to their Heavenly Father. Why?

Because God loves us like a Father does.  This includes every aspect of a father’s love.  We can directly communicate with God as our father, there is no need for someone to intercede between us. We belong to His family and therefore, we do not need to go to a great effort to access Him.  He listens as a father would listen, not just filled with judgment and consequences but He also listens with mercy and grace.  As a father would, God disciplines us with the intention of making us holy like He is holy.

I’d like to challenge you to do something with me.  Would you take a minute and totally focus on talking to God as your father? Maybe you call your father something else, Daddy? Pop? Dad? Or perhaps, you did not know your father or he did not reflect Christ in his relationship with you.  If this is the case choose a new name that would articulate how you wish you felt about your father.

I believe God wants us to address Him with familiarity and respect for His holiness.  Would you pray to Him right now, but address Him first with the same name you may have called your father?  It could go something like this:

 

Dad, thank you for________

Daddy, I am sorry____________

Please forgive me.

Father, I love you.

Help me to remember

I am your child, your precious baby.

Papa, I want to know you more.

You know me best, Daddy.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

Praying you will continue to grow in your faith!

Amy