THE FATHER

Matt.6:9 – Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father, who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

I love the simplicity and the unthinkable depth of the teachings of Jesus. One of His foundational teachings is known as the Lord’s Prayer found in the sixth chapter of Matthew’s gospel. In it we catch a glimpse of the all powerful and holy God, creator of all things, as our Father in heaven. Jesus taught us to look to our Father for everything even as He looked to His Father for everything. His words, His miracles, His direction, His wisdom; everything Jesus is and gives to us comes from the Heavenly Father. Here is how William Barclay describes this glimpse into our Father in heaven through this simple prayer Jesus taught His disciples.

“When we say Our Father – in heaven, we place two things side by side. We place side by side the love of God and the power of God. We tell ourselves that the power of God is always motivated by the love of God, and can never be exercised for anything but our good; we tell ourselves that the love of God is backed by the power of God, and that therefore its purposes can never be ultimately frustrated or defeated. It is love of which we think, but it is the love of God. When we pray Our Father in heaven, we must always remember the holiness of God, and we must always remember the power which moves in love, and the love which has behind it the undefeatable power of God.”

Looking and pondering these simple words are absolutely revolutionary. Calling God Father is about as personal as we can get. Fathers love their children and will do anything for their good. If we, evil fallen humans, take care of our children how much more will our Father in heaven care for us. This prayer is a glimpse into the infinite and unmistakeable love God has for us. In this simple prayer Jesus also unveils the power of God. Our Father is the God of the heavens. He is our Father in heaven. His power is past finding out and all of His power is reserved in heaven to act on behalf of His children. This is a great way to begin all of our prayer, our Father Who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. He is all loving, all powerful, and our God is holy. Look to Him today and watch Him respond in your life.