Our Heavenly Father

Scriptures: Matthew 6:8-13

When Christ taught His disciples to pray, He told them to address God as "Our Father." They had previously heard Jesus say, "My Father," but now they, too, shared in that privileged family relationship. All of us who has been born again into the household of God have this same right. Since our concepts of God are shaped by our earthly fathers, we all have different perceptions of Him, but Jesus is the only one who has a completely accurate understanding of the heavenly Father. Consider some of the ways He cares for His children:

• 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 (Philippians 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 121:1-8).
• Stays: He's not an absentee parent, since He'll 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 view 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.

Dr. Charles Stanley