NOVEMBER 15
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN
Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. (WEB)
The name of God was so sacred in New Testament times that the Pharisees couldn't even say His name. Then Jesus came and taught the disciples to pray the Lord's prayer in Aramaic, which was the people's language. Jesus didn't instruct the ordinary people of His time to recite a grand, impersonal prayer to Almighty God; instead, He advised them to begin with these simple words... "Our Father in heaven".
This is a prayer that millions have said of people since the early days of the church. It is a prayer recited by dignitaries, politicians, and even children in Sunday school. My hope today is that when we say this prayer, we will all be reminded of why we call God "Our Father." For this is the core message of the gospel... Jesus died for each of us so that we could know Him personally.
In John 20:17, the first post-resurrection message that Jesus delivered to Mary when He met her in the garden was this... 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (WEB)
May each and every one of us understand that it is God's desire not only for us to call Him our Father, but also to know Him intimately as our true Heavenly Dad.
John 16:25-27
25 I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. (WEB)
9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. (WEB)
The name of God was so sacred in New Testament times that the Pharisees couldn't even say His name. Then Jesus came and taught the disciples to pray the Lord's prayer in Aramaic, which was the people's language. Jesus didn't instruct the ordinary people of His time to recite a grand, impersonal prayer to Almighty God; instead, He advised them to begin with these simple words... "Our Father in heaven".
This is a prayer that millions have said of people since the early days of the church. It is a prayer recited by dignitaries, politicians, and even children in Sunday school. My hope today is that when we say this prayer, we will all be reminded of why we call God "Our Father." For this is the core message of the gospel... Jesus died for each of us so that we could know Him personally.
In John 20:17, the first post-resurrection message that Jesus delivered to Mary when He met her in the garden was this... 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (WEB)
May each and every one of us understand that it is God's desire not only for us to call Him our Father, but also to know Him intimately as our true Heavenly Dad.
John 16:25-27
25 I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. (WEB)