Day 1: Our Father
For Jesus to be speaking these words, to those people, in that time, in this way, was revolutionary. He was flipping the paradigm of how so many had viewed God as a distant Creator, a far-off idea that was Perfect but unreachable, a Great Deity who could never be communicated with except for by the priesthood, prophets, kings, and religious leaders.
For Jesus to start off His prayer with this relational, familiar, and intimate voicing of “Daddy,” is to bring us to the place in which prayer makes sense. Prayer is relational as the Father, Son, and Spirit are relational and create us in that manner. It is to be in eternal dialogue: to listen and to speak. Prayer is familiar as we can come in reverent expectation that we are welcome, that our Abba is listening, and that ultimately, He has already been speaking, singing, and dancing over us in prayer as well. And finally, prayer is intimate, as well as corporate. Jesus speaks these words out revealing that this Father is not just His, but our’s as well. When we pray in this manner we are able to demonstrate that we are confident in our identity as God’s beloved children, both individually and as a part of the Body of Christ.
Today, as you walk, work, run, breathe, speak, listen, look, drive, send emails, text, scroll, eat, etc. remember to come to the foundation of prayer. Come to the place in which you can speak and listen relationally, familiar of the voice and love, and intimately in both the secret and corporate gatherings. In doing so, I believe we find rest, assurance, and the purpose of our existence: His name is Love. Amen.
Action: Today, when you find yourself believing God is not present, or that He is too far off to communicate with, simply breathe: Abba, align me with You.
