[Great Verses] Prayer of the LordSample

Our Father in heaven

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven.”

When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, He began with the startling title, “Our Father.” The Jews never called God Father, nor did anyone else. Michael Green noted, “You can search Islam and you will not find that name of Father among the 99 names of God. You will search Hinduism or Confucianism in vain. This is unique.”

The Hebrew term abba is a tender, affectionate, loving name for a father. It has the sense of “daddy” or “papa.” In many ways, the main New Testament name for God is Father. Perhaps you had bad experiences with your earthly father. Perhaps you had an absent father, an alcoholic father, or an abusive father. If you had a good father, then you understand God as Father by comparison. But if you had a bad father, then you understand God as Father by contrast. Since no one has a perfect father, to some extent everyone understands God by contrast, but all of us understand the idea of the Father that is good.

What is a perfect Father like? He is wise, loving, kind, and gentle. He is strong, powerful, fair, and forgiving. He protects us and he provides for us. He is good. That’s the perfect Father. But He is not merely our Father. He is our Father in heaven. This is not God’s location, for God fills the universe. The point is that God is glorious, majestic, exalted, and all-powerful. He is sovereign, infinite, and incomprehensible. He is great.

Never forget the goodness of God, for He is our Father. Never forget the greatness of God, for He is our Father in heaven. This may be the most important thing about prayer: remember the person you are talking to. When you keep in mind Who you are talking to, when you remember Who is right there with you, when you consider that God is Father and God is in heaven, then your prayer life will never be dull and boring. It will be vibrant and exciting. Just remember Who you are talking with.