Our Father - Our Relationship with God in Prayer
Matthew 6:5-13 "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 "Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 'Your kingdom come Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Prayer begins with an invitation to relationship.
Prayer creates a relationship.
Prayer builds a relationship.
Prayer sustains a relationship.
The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray starts with two relationships.
OUR
Our age of independence is directly confronted with this word. God relates to me and can be called "mine." But not exclusively "mine."
God is "ours"
Because God is ours we belong to each other.
This beginning word of the Lord’s Prayer means that God not only hears my prayer and hears your prayer but most importantly hears OUR prayer. God delights in us understanding that we not only are in need of Him but also in need of each other.
This has at least three things to tell us.
1. Prayer is a shared experience.
2. Prayer is to be done with others in mind.
3. Prayer builds unity in the body of Christ.
1. Prayer is a shared experience
The most precious times of fellowship with others in my life have been when we prayed together.
2. Prayer is to be done with others in mind:
I find that when I pray with others either with me or consciously in my thoughts my prayers are less self centered and God more often answers them.
3. Prayer builds unity in the body of Christ. I have found it very hard to live in hardness of heart towards others when I pray with or for them.
One of the first questions I ask of couples when they come to Carie and I for help in their marriages is "Do you pray with and for each other." Sadly in most cases the answer is no. This is one of the most important reasons their hearts are no longer soft towards each other. It is also one of the most important ways they can rebuild kindness in their hearts toward each other.
Prayer can be the most intimate shared act between human beings. We can even share physical intimacy with each other and still have a closed, selfish heart. But it is almost impossible to sincerely pray with and for each other and remain alienated.
The "Our" in the Lord’s prayer is the invitation and the power to create, build and sustain not only a relationship with God but a relationship with each other.
The second word is one which, though for almost two thousand years was not considered controversial, for some today is.
Father
Some find naming God Father is sexist, authoritarian and demeaning to women. Because God created humans in His image as male and female we know that God in essence is not exclusively male or female. Both men and women fully express God’s image.
Women do not express only the feminine aspects of God.
Men do not express only the masculine aspects of God.
Each person when they are in full relationship with God express Him fully no matter what their sex is.
Yet God is called Father by Jesus. Jesus tells us to call Him Father.
As I have asked God to help me understand why Jesus and the other writers of the Bible have predominately called Him Father I have found some answers which I believe are very helpful.
First of all if a child has a problem with a parent it is most likely with their father. There are mothers who abandon their children but in comparison to fathers their number is very small. God wants for children to have a healthy relationship with both parents. Except in rare cases the most likely relationship to be unhealthy is the father - child relationship.
Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 6 "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."
The last words of the Old Testament are concerning the relationship of Fathers with their Children They give us some idea of the importance of a father in a child’s life.
I believe one reason God identifies Himself as Father is to give us fathers a clear image that we can follow to become the kind of fathers that will bless our spouses and our children.
As a teacher I see the result of fatherlessness on a daily basis. It is why I am so glad to be working with young children to hopefully give them a positive image of masculinity - like God did when He identified himself as Father to me. I was fatherless when it was beyond rare to be so. That God revealed Himself to me as Father did not demean women in my sight. It gave me hope that I could overcome my fatherlessness and one day be a father who would bless my own children in a way I had not known.
I could give many other reasons I have found in my search for understanding of God’s revelation as Father but this one alone is enough to understand it as not being sexist, authoritarian or demeaning women.
When I come in prayer to God as Father I understand that He has in His heart at least three elements that are meant to be the gifts I as a father are to give to my children.
THE GIFTS OF A FATHER
PROVISION
PROTECTION
PRESENCE
PROVISION
James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
Proverbs 19:14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
Protection
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Presence
Hebrews 13:5 "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
You might say that mothers as well as fathers are to give these gifts. That is absolutely correct. Imagine if every child on earth had a mother and father who consistently gave provision, protection and their kind, loving presence to their children. The world would be a so much healthier, safer and kinder place for children to live in.
When we come to God in prayer as Father we find all three given fully in Him.
When I first prayed this prayer I too had to deal with a memory of abandonment from a father. Today the prayer is so powerful because I know God meets me as the most kind, concerned and caring being in the universe.
Not just to me... But to everyone who will call upon Him in prayer.
That is why I love to pray the first two words of Jesus prayer.
OUR FATHER
Our Father
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
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