Prayer: The friendship and the fear

This then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven,…’ Mat 6:9

Jesus teaches his disciples how they ought to pray. The opening line shows 2 powerful aspects of who our prayers are addressed to. Firstly, Our Father. We looked yesterday at how he desires that we address him intimately. The Aramaic word “Abba” is the equivalent of “Daddy”. He is near and accessible. He is also in heaven, far above our imagination displaying unending power, a Creator God, able to do anything and certainly able to answer your prayers.

Amazing how those two, seemingly extreme qualities are held in the first 4 words of our prayer. We approach God both with friendship and with fear. He is infinite and intimate all at the same time. He is tender, graceful, gentle, merciful, loving and approachable, and at the same time he is also a consuming fire, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Approach him boldly because he is your Dad and wants to be with you. Also have lots of faith in him because he is very powerful.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb 4:16

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