Teach Us to PrayExemplo

HE IS OUR EVERLASTING FATHER

I grew up in the Lutheran denomination, and we often recited the Lord's Prayer in church service. When I went through Confirmation, we were required to memorize the Lord's prayer. I didn't fully grasp what the Lord's prayer meant then. I memorized it as it was required to be Confirmed. As I have grown in my faith, I have dug deeper into what the Lord's prayer means to me, starting with "Our Father in Heaven."

Depending on our upbringing and relationship with our earthly father, this can significantly impact our thoughts on God our Father. There can be deep wounds from our earthly father that we need to work through. I do not want to skip over this. If this is you, I encourage you to seek wise counsel.

“Our Father in Heaven”...He is our Everlasting Father. The scripture says, "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." This blows my mind. Personally, I have had a good relationship with my father. He loves me, and he cares deeply for me. But way more than that, my Heavenly Father, who is our Everlasting Father, loves me even more. And He loves YOU!

Some of us may have grown up reciting the Lord's prayer, and you simply recited it by memory. Have you ever paused long enough to say each sentence and reflect on its meaning and relevance today? As we are in our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, I encourage you not just to read each daily devotional and check a box but also to commit to spending a little more time going through the Lord's Prayer line by line. You may have less of something as you fast, but let's have more of God's Word! And if you think, "Ugh, I blew the fasting already."...I encourage you to start again.

- Chantel Miller