Todays devotion is written by Mike Loveridge.
Prayer is talking to God. It's a conversation. So, like at the beginning of any conversation, we start by saying hello to the person we are talking to. It’s fairly unsurprising then that the first line of the Lord’s Prayer is ‘Our Father who art in Heaven’.
Those first two words ‘Our Father’ hold a huge amount of significance. In the Hebrew language there are many different words for Father, and each conveys a different meaning. Some are very, others far more relaxed. The word Jesus uses here is most certainly at the relaxed end of the spectrum. In fact, it is the same word as a child would use for their dad. It literally means ‘Daddy’. At the time, to even call God by his formal name would have been shocking so to use such an endearing and personal name for God would have been unthinkable! Jesus, through using the name ‘Daddy’, is conveying to us that we have a heavenly Father who cares about us, who loves us with a kind of compassion that only the greatest father we can possibly imagine would have for a child. It gives us the image of a child running to the door and shouting ‘Daddy!’ when their dad comes home, wanting to be picked up and given their dad’s undivided attention. That is the kind of Father we have.
So, from the first two words we see that we have a loving, personal, caring Father. But, he isn’t just any father. He is ‘in heaven’!
Why does Jesus tell us to remember where our Father is during our prayer? It's because God being in heaven tells us that he is the one who made all things and is in control of all things and over all things. This first line shows us the amazing nature of God who is in charge of all things and who has all the power, and yet we get to call Him, "Daddy." What a terrific, empowering notion that we have access to the God of the universe in such a personal intimate way.
So, in this first line we have focused in on who we are talking to. It’s like the address on an envelope. But it's not for God's benefit that we say these words. It's for our own benefit, to remind us of this unbelievable paradox. When we come to God in prayer, we are approaching the Source of everything. He is immortal, infinite, omnipotent. And yet, he is also our Daddy. He knows us intimately and He loves us unconditionally. What a privilege to be able to draw near to this God each day, confident that he is both able and willing to work all things for our good. Spending time praying to this God, is surely more than worth it.
Song for Today
This song captures the amazing truth that our God is simultaneously an almighty Ruler and a compassionate Saviour. You can listen and sing along here.
From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creations revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
Prayer for today
Loving heavenly Father,
We thank you that you have made yourself know to us through sending your Son into this world to die in our place upon the cross. Thank you that through his death we can have forgiveness for our sins and can enter back into relationship with you, our loving heavenly Father.
We ask that you would teach us to pray as we spend time learning from Jesus through the Lord’s Prayer. May we desire to spend time talking with you in prayer each day and may we come with confidence, knowing that we are your much-loved children.
We pray all this in Jesus’ name,
Amen
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