10 Dec 2023

As Christians, we begin our prayer by addressing the heavenly Father (‘Our Father in heaven’) and end with ‘In Jesus’ name’.

We do this so often that we often forget to pause and consider the meaning and implications of this address.

Our addressing God’s fatherhood reminds us that He is “in heaven”, which means He is free from all limitations, inadequacies, and flaws found in earthly parents and His fatherhood is from every standpoint absolutely ideal, perfect and glorious – there is no better parent more deeply committed to His children’s welfare or more wise and generous in promoting it, than God the Creator. It also reminds us that our heavenly Father is transcendent; outside of ‘time’ and ‘space’ and perfect – contrast this with us the creatures (the created), we are not just imperfect, but we are also wretched, defiled, in all our ways, apart from God’s grace and mercy reaching us through His Son, Christ Jesus, and we are certainly limited in our understanding and ways, as compared to God.

Knowing that our Father God is in heaven, is meant to increase our wonder, joy, and sense of privilege at being His children and being given a hotline of prayer for communication with Him – that means God gives priority to our prayer and communication with Him – though He is Lord of the universe, He always has time for us; HIs eye is on everything every moment – we always have His full attention whenever we call on Him. Have we really taken this in? Therefore, it cannot be that God does not hear our prayer and that He does not hearken to our communication with Him.

If we have His full attention and care, why do we complain that our prayers and calls for help seem always to hit a ‘blank wall’; why do we keep doubting Him and murmuring that God does not hear and He chooses not to care? Have we forgotten that He is our heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us deeply? Scripture tells us that even a mother may forget her baby, but not God, in terms of forgetting us and being indifferent to our cries for help and relief.

In Luke 12, the comforting words of Jesus rang out, “Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom”. It is the heavenly Father who has been pleased to give us the kingdom. We do not earn it in any way; we are just a little flock – we do not have the great strength to secure the kingdom – it is the Father who holds us in His hand, and no one can snatch us out of His strong, secure, and powerful loving hand!

But we should also realise that the heavenly Father ‘comes to us in His Son Jesus’. In Jesus we see God, in Jesus we see the heavenly Father. To Philip, Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14: 9). The Father and the Son come to us through the Holy Spirit and so we have the privilege to ‘see’ and ‘know’ the Triune God – hence the significance of praying in Jesus’ name via the Spirit.

So the next time we pray and address “our heavenly Father” and end in Jesus’ name, let us remember that it is not just words and a ‘routine’; it is impregnated with much meaning and implications for us as children of the living God!!