Our Father
"He said to them, "When you pray, say: " Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come..." - Luke 11:2
When Jesus taught us how to pray, the first thing He did was tell us how to address God. We're to address Him as "Father". This is a very personal way of addressing God! By using this term, Jesus is telling us how we are to think about God. For some, this is difficult, for their earthly fathers don't conjure up healthy pictures. But Jesus thinks of "Father" as fathers are meant to be. He's not a cold and distant Deity, but He is one who desires a close relationship with each of us. So what does it mean to be a good father?
* It means one who is a nourisher. What is a nourisher? That's one who provides for the family and meets their material needs. A nourishing father is dependable, responsible, and trustworthy.
* He also is describing a father who is a protector. And every home wants a father who is strong, especially in the face of evil, or in threats to the home, or in threats to the children's welfare.
* Finally, He is speaking of a father who is an upholder; the upholder of values, character and the spirit of the family.
That's really what Jesus is teaching us by using the term "Father". God is a nourisher. He is a protector. And He is an upholder. In short, God is not a good father, He's the Perfect Father - a Father like fathers are meant to be.
You are reading a Daily Devotion from Right From The Heart. We invite you to comment, forward it to a friend, and subscribe to the daily email or RSS feed.
Subscribe to the Daily Devotion
We send out the devotion terribly early every morning. Enter your email address to get on the list.
RSS Feed
If you prefer, you can grab the RSS feed and read it in your favorite "feed reader." Huh?
Grab it http://feeds.feedburner.com/rfthdevotions
3 Comments
Isn't it nice that Jesus includes us with Himself when He says, "Our Father"(NKJV). As Christians, Jesus lives in us and His Father is our Father thoroughly and we can know Him as "Abba". Oh, the joys of being a Christian and knowing how much God loves us! Not only is God ruling the world from His throne but He allows us to visit with Him as Abba (Daddy) and crawl into his lap and talk to Him through Jesus. We will always be His children to Him no matter how old we get to be. He is the "Perfect Father". - Janice
I know how hard it is to relate God to a loving, caring father. While I was growing up, my father was a good father, but later in life he became an alcoholic. Unfortunately, these are the memories that are the strongest. To anyone out there that is having a hard time relating God to a loving, caring father, look around you. Is there someone you know who shows himself to be a loving, caring, Christian father? Look at that person and perhaps you can get a glimpse of what the heavenly Father is like. - jag
First I want thank you for the article. I am glad the father chose me for his child. In this article he is saying I want to know you as I want you to him the father. Without God I would be a mess and saying the the our father to teach us how to talk to him in time of need.I want a close relationship him and he with us. A nourisher who meets my needs and yours. He teaches me value, character, and how to be spiritual and looks out for me and you and his our protector. Thank you father for being our father! - Patricia