Our Heavenly Father

"This, then, is how you should pray:

"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'" Matthew 6:9-13 NIV, www.biblegateway.com

When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to call God "Our Father" when communicating with Him. Jesus often addressed God as "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who've been born again are part of the household of God and have this same right.

   Consider some of the ways our heavenly Father cares for His children. He...

LOVES. God's love is unconditional, since it's based on His nature rather than our performance (1 John 4:16).

LISTENS. When we pray, He gives us His full attention (Psalm 55:16-17).

PROVIDES. The Father assumes responsibility for meeting all our needs (Phillipians 4:19).

GUIDES. He is the one who directs our path when we trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

PROTECTS. The Lord shields us spiritually, emotionally, and physically, sifting every experience through His sovereign fingers (Psalm 121).

STAYS. He's not an absentee parent, since He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).

DISCIPLINES. The Lord disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:5-11).

   Though experiences with our earthly dads may have distorted our perspective of the heavenly Father, we can learn to see HIm as He truly is. By viewing Him through the truth of Scripture instead of our preconceptions, we will see evidence of His loving care and discover a security we've never known before.

Stanley, Dr. Charles F. "Our Heavenly Father." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. Atlanta: InTouch.org. November 2018. page 27.