Listening in and through the Greatest Prayer

9“This, then, is how you should pray:

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name, (Matthew 6:9)

Thoughts: Many speak of listening to God in prayer.  The scriptures speak of the Holy Spirit helping us to pray and giving us the right words and inner groaning (Rom. 8:26).  So the Spirit encourages us to pray in certain way- and as we listen to His promptings and as we listen for God's peace and wait on God we may hear something of God's character and voice.
      In this great prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray in this way.  It is a prayer not merely to be respected, it was meant to be a rabbinic memorized prayer by the followers of Jesus; used as both a model and as an actual prayer.  In commanding us to pray this way, He would have us listen to the prayer that the Spirit gives us through His Word.
       "Our Father."  God is not merely our God Almighty high and above us.  He is above us with might and respect as a father is above a young child.  Jesus taught his followers to pray "Abba, Father" (Mk. 14:36; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15).  This is a name of trust and love.  Listen to the love Jesus commands us to have for God in prayer.
       "In heaven."  God is with us as Father.  But He is also transcendent- in heaven.
       "hallowed be thy name."  The name of God is to be treated with holiness and respect (3rd commandment).  
      All in all, God calls us to listen to Him with love, respect, and holiness.  

Prayer: Father, let your character flow to and through me.  Give me ears to hear your Spirit speaking in prayer.  

Heidelberg 120- Our Father

"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." (Mark 14:13)

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." (Rom. 8:15)

Thoughts: We call God Father because He cares for us as a good father- a great father would.  God is not an "it" - a "force" who does not care about us.  He is not so far removed from us that He does not look down on us and help us.  One great teaching of Jesus was that God loves us- and loves us as a Father. Seven times in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus refers to God as "your heavenly Father."  Our heavenly Father forgives sins, provides for us, knows our needs, is perfect, cares for even the birds.  He is , in a sense the father of all- birds and all people.  But Jesus reminds us to believe and trust in God as Father.  The trinity names of Father and Son indicate a closeness in relationship, mind, and essence.  We are adopted children as we believe in God- adopted into a relationship of love.  

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that we can call out to you as our Father.  Help me to trust in your fatherly love. 

Q & A 120

Q. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”?

A. To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer what should be basic to our prayer— a childlike reverence and trust that through Christ God has become our Father, and that just as our parents do not refuse us the things of this life, even less will God our Father refuse to give us what we ask in faith.1

1 Matt. 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13

8/8/12- direction in Prayer

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come  (Luke 11:1,2)

⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (Matthew 6:7-9)

SCQ. 100 What does the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
A. The preface of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father in heaven", teaches us to come near to God with full, holy, reverence and confidence, as children come to a father who is able and ready to help us.  It also teaches us to pray with and for others. 

Thoughts: Prayer for Christians is directional.  It is not just talking to the air, or repeating the same mantra or word over and over until we enter into a trance-like state.  It is directed to the Father, and in trust that He cares and is able to do something in answer to our prayers.  They are not just cries, but conversations, addressed to a personal God.  The point of prayer is not simply to relieve blood pressure and lower heart rate- signs of inner peace (though many studies have shown prayer brings peace and such physical signs of peace).  Rather the point of prayer is communication with a person- to God. 

Prayer: Father, help me to grow in trust in you, and may my prayer be directed to you.  Incline your ear to hear and bring your hand to help 

8/1/12- Praying Abba, Father

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name, (Mt. 6:9)

¹⁶ Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

¹⁵ 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.” (Rom. 8:15)

³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. (Mark 14:36)

(Jesus in Garden of Gethsemane praying- Warner Sallman 1942)

SCQ. 100 What does the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
A. The preface of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father in heaven", teaches us to come near to God with full, holy, reverence and confidence, as children come to a father who is able and ready to help us.  It also teaches us to pray with and for others. 

Thoughts: God is not just a father- he is "abba father."  When Jesus was facing his torture and death he still called out "abba, father."  In some ways having faith in God is being able to trust in Him as our father calling him "abba" (an endearing term for a father- similar to "daddy").  Paul says that we do not need to scared of God we are God's adopted children who can call him "abba father."  We can pray with confidence because we know God loves us, cares for us, provides for us, sustains us, watches over us. 

4/21/12- Not all are Children of God

4/20/12- WSC Q. 32- What rewards do those who are really called by God obtain in this life?
A. Those who are really and effectively called by God obtain justification, adoption, sanctification and the several other awards that come with or from them.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God. (1 John 3:1).

You are of your father the devil.  (John 8:44)

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

(Jesus and the children)


Thoughts: In some ways God is father of us all.  He makes each of us.  As part of creation, He provides for us- making His grace to fall on the just and the unjust.  His father's call is offered to all people- to come back to Him.
    But we cannot overlook that some have obviously rejected his fatherhood.  Some have disowned God and refuse to listen to Him or claim Him.  In fact, we all disown God's fatherhood by doing wrong.  The Bible says, and we experience, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Sin ultimately is against God who defines right and wrong by Himself (and thus by His creation and Word).  Jesus even said to those who were rejecting him that they belonged to their father the devil.
    Now without knowing that God is our father, we do not know who we are or whose we are.  Without knowing that God loves us, we have forgotten a key ingredient and hide the blessing of God from ourselves.  Without knowing that God has made us for a reason- a purpose- we struggle to find an eternal purpose in this life.  Without knowing that God loves us as a father- we are alone in the universe.  
    But Jesus teaches His disciples to pray..."Our father..."   It is a loving gift to know that God did not just make us way back when, but cares for us today.  It is truly a gift to know God desires us to talk and pray to Him- and that it is possible to communicate with God.  


Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name.  TYhy kingdom come thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.