“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (Romans 8:15)
“Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9)
The Address of the Lord’s Prayer
Every prayer Jesus teaches begins with two simple words:
“Our Father.”
We say them so often that it’s easy to miss how remarkable they are.
Jesus does not tell us to pray, “Almighty Creator,” or “Holy Judge.” Those titles are true. God is almighty and He is holy. He is the righteous Judge of all the earth.
Yet Jesus teaches us to begin with a family relationship.
“Our Father.”
That would have sounded astonishing to many of the people listening to Him. Throughout the Old Testament, God had revealed Himself as the Father of His people. But now Jesus invites His followers to approach God with the same confidence children have toward a loving father.
Not because we deserve it. Because He makes us His children and loves us like a father loves his children.
On our own, we have no right to call God our Father. We’ve rebelled against our creator and our sin separated us from Him. But through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been adopted into God’s family.
Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry,
“Abba! Father!”
“Abba” was the everyday word a child would use for his father. It expresses closeness, trust, and love.
That doesn’t make God casual or less holy. It makes His grace even more amazing.
The One who rules the universe invites you to come before Him as His beloved child.
Notice something else. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father,” not “My Father.”
Prayer is personal, but it is never merely private.
Whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying alongside Christians throughout the world. We remember that we belong to something bigger than ourselves—the family of God.
That also shapes the way we pray.
When we say,
“Give us this day our daily bread,”
we are praying not only for ourselves but also for our brothers and sisters. When we ask God to forgive us, we remember that every Christian stands before God by the same grace.
The Lord’s Prayer pulls our eyes away from ourselves and toward both our Father and our family in Christ.
So the next time you begin to pray, don’t rush past those first two words.
You are not approaching a reluctant king who must be persuaded to listen.
You are coming to your Father.
And because of Jesus, you already know how He feels about you.
Let’s pray…
Our Father in heaven,
Thank You for adopting me as Your child through Jesus Christ. Help me to come before You with confidence, trusting in Your love and care. Teach me to pray not only for my own needs but also for the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
