Our Abba, Father In Heaven

[dave c]

HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #132b, Re-Written 29JUL09

The Disciples’ Prayer—Page Two: Our Abba, Father In Heaven

by rev dave c


Mt 6:9, "This, then, is how you should pray: "`Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (NIV).


Just as Genesis (the “Book of Beginnings”) opens with the phrase, In the beginning God created, as a straight forward declaration of Elohiym’s divine nature and eternal power, Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 6:9&10 to begin our prayers with the recognition of who God the Father is in relation to our existence. It is interesting to note that in the New International Version the first three points of The Disciples’ Prayer are phrases appended one to another as one sentence, but the second half of the prayer is made up of three petitions presented as individual sentences. This lends itself nicely to an expression of God’s eternality as one thought when speaking of His dominion and glory. Jesus is encouraging us to declare the reality of God (Our Father in heaven…); that His almighty holiness extends into the past from before the beginning (...hallowed be your name...); His plan for our future is imminent (...your kingdom come…); and that He actively shapes our present (...your will be done on earth as it is heaven.). In Revelation 1:4b, John describes Jesus as, him who is, and who was, and who is to come.


Throughout the New Testament, Jesus consistently refers to the First Person of the Godhead as “Father” (with Matthew 27:46 being the notable exception). As the Son of God this would seem correct and proper, but Christ tells us that we should pray to Our Father. This is remarkable. In John 1:12&13 we are assured, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God (NIV). Even more remarkable is our being granted the privilege to call God, Our Father, “Abba”—an Aramaic term indicating both warm intimacy and filial respect. Again, we would expect Jesus to have an intimacy with the Father as suggested by such a term of endearment, but Paul tells us in Romans 8:14-16, ...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children (NIV). “We cry, ‘Abba, Father.” Wow.


As Our Father, God is being described as He from whom we originated, Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Ge 1:26&27; NIV). He who supplies all our needs, And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Ph 4:19; NIV). He who protects us, But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze (Is 43:1&2; NIV). He who teaches us, It is written in the Prophets: `They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me (Jn 6:45; NIV). He who disciplines us, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son" (He 12:5&6; NIV). But first and foremost, and always, He who loves us, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1Jn 4:7-11; NIV).


It is often stated that as spiritual children we tend to view God the Father through the filter of our experiences with our earthly father. For many of us, then, our picture of Abba, Father basically conforms with the description of Him in the previous paragraph. Unfortunately, for too many, our picture of God is colored by a father who displays indifference, or abuse, or who is altogether absent. If you are right now struggling with a view of God the Father that has been tainted by the failures and weaknesses of a biological father, know that God loves you absolutely and without qualification. Try to imagine what the perfect abba, father would be like—and then some—and know that this just begins to describe Our Father. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations (Ps 106; NIV). The Lord is good and His love endures forever. Amen.