Contemplating the Father's Character.
Your image of God will inform how you relate with Him in general, and how you pray, in particular.
The older I get, the more I realize how often my first impression of someone turns out to be inaccurate. Even now, my mind flashes through a series of faces as I recollect these experiences. One interaction, in particular, stands out in my memory as a prime example of how mistaken a first impression can be.
Several years ago, during a visit to a friend's church, I met a man whom I'll call Stan (not his real name). Upon discovering that I was a pastor, Stan approached me with a warm welcome, introducing himself in the process. From the very beginning, Stan made an overwhelming impression. His charisma and warmth were immediately apparent. Tall, handsome, and evidently in excellent physical condition, he exuded an air of confidence. Furthermore, as he delved into his background and described his intriguing line of work, my admiration for him grew. In that moment, I couldn't help but entertain the idea that Stan might just be the embodiment of the legendary "Dos Equis man" – often referred to as "the most interesting man on the planet." I distinctly remember walking away from that encounter with the firm belief that Stan had every aspect of his life in perfect order, effortlessly excelling in all areas.
In God’s providence, my initial interaction with Stan was not the last. Over the course of the next few months, we became friends. As commonly happens, each interaction with Stan, gave me a deeper understanding of him. To my surprise, much of my initial impression turned out to be completely inaccurate. While Stan was undeniably engaging and physically fit, my initial assumption that his life was perfectly aligned on all fronts was terribly off base. The more I got to know him, the more I began to understand the dumpster fire that was his inner world.
To be clear, this isn’t a criticism of Stan. It’s an example of this lesson I continue to learn: First impressions are often inaccurate.
Furthermore, I have experienced this in the opposite direction as well. On some occasions, I have met individuals with whom my first impression was negative. There was a certain aspect of our initial interaction that left me with an unfavorable impression and caused me to feel disconnected from that person. However, as time progressed and I gained further experience with them, I realized the true nature of their character and came to enjoy my relationship with them.
Here’s my point:
The most reliable and trustworthy means of gaining a genuine understanding of someone's true nature and characteristics is through the investment of time and shared experiences.
This principle also holds true when it comes to our understanding of God.
The only way we truly come to honor and understand who He is and what He’s like, is through time and experience in relationship with Him. This has everything to do with our ongoing conversation about prayer. Prayer is the path to relationship with God and as we come back to Jesus’ teaching on this essential spiritual practice, we are reminded of this truth again. Let’s jump in and I’ll show you.
“Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.
-- Matthew 6:9 (CSB)
The first point to note is the opening phrase, "...you should pray LIKE this..." It is important to recognize that Jesus does not imply that we are limited to using only these specific words. When he says "pray LIKE this," he means that these are the key points that our prayers should address.
While we are not restricted to using only these exact words, it is valuable to consider this prayer as an example or model for our own prayer lives. Therefore, it is prudent not to quickly dismiss the specific words in favor of praying in any manner we desire. Here’s why.
My first experience with local church ministry involved music. At the age of 17, I began learning to play the guitar. Over time, I went on to write and record two EPs and two full-length albums before taking a role of as a worship pastor. All this being said, I did not start my musical journey by picking up my father's old Martin guitar and immediately writing my own songs. Instead, I spent a couple of years devoted to learning and playing other musicians' songs. By investing ample time in learning the songs of others, I eventually acquired the skill to write my own.
Similarly, this prayer can guide us in developing our personal prayer lives. By reflecting on and praying the specific words uttered by Jesus, we can learn to formulate our own heartfelt prayers.
In just 56 words and six simple petitions, Jesus encompasses the entirety of human existence. As Darell W. Johnson attests, "Whatever the need, concern, or longing, Jesus' Prayer covers it all. There isn't a single aspect of life left unaddressed."
On the surface this prayer seems so simple. But the longer you sit with it, the more depth you discover. This too is reflective of the practice of prayer itself. It is painfully simple. If you can communicate, you can pray. But prayer is also infinitely deep. We never plumb it’s full depths.
So I want to invite you to try and suspend what you think you know about prayer and instead seek to bring fresh eyes and ears to Jesus’ words here.
To that end, I want to answer three questions about this first petition. 1. What does this say about God? 2. What does this say about us? 3. How might we more faithfully pray like this?
Notice again, this first petition: “Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.”
What do these words say about God?
The first and most significant truth we learn about God is that He is our spiritual, heavenly Father. Much has been said about Jesus' decision to teach us to pray to God as 'Our Father.' A key aspect of this teaching is that Jesus uses the Hebrew word 'Abba,' which conveys an intimate and personal relationship, similar to titles like 'daddy' or 'papa' in our own language. This signifies that praying to God in this way allows for a deeper and more intimate communication than what is considered the norm.
However, it is crucial not to overlook the fact that Jesus not only invites us to perceive God through this intimate lens but also through the lens of His transcendence. By referring to God as our Father 'in heaven,' Jesus highlights the divine nature and authority of God. God is not merely a cuddly and comforting presence, but He also reigns and sits enthroned over the world and our lives. He combines both intimacy and infinity, immanence and transcendence.
So, on the one hand, it is true that the approach to God portrayed by Jesus was more intimate compared to what was considered normative in first-century Jewish culture. However, it is not accurate to say that Jesus introduced an entirely new understanding of the nature of God. N.T. Wright highlights that the first mention of God as "Father" can be traced back to Exodus 4:22-23. In this passage, when God sent Moses to liberate the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt, He instructed Moses to address Pharaoh, saying, 'Israel is my firstborn son. I commanded you: Let my son go so that he may worship me...' Despite Israel's perception of themselves as slaves, God declared them to be His sons and daughters. The idea of God as their Father carried a deeper meaning beyond mere comfort and encouragement; it also signified impending freedom and liberation. As their Father, God was going to release them from slavery and grant them freedom.
Therefore, when Jesus instructed His disciples to pray, 'Our Father in heaven,' they would have perceived it as a promise of a new Exodus. According to Wright, this prayer denoted not only intimacy but also revolution and not just familiarity but hope. Such a message would have been quite significant considering that their national hope had been greatly diminished. Within a few generations of escaping slavery in Egypt, Israel had again fallen into exile. And following their release from exile, they found themselves living under Roman occupation. Reflecting upon their turbulent history, they could have seen a pattern: 'Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Syria, and now Rome. Are we ever going to truly be free?”
So when Jesus says, “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven…” they would have heard the invitation to dare to hope for freedom again.
Additionally, Jesus teaches us the importance of praying for the Father's name to be honored as holy. In their culture, the concept of a person's "name" carried much greater significance than it does in our society today. While we primarily use names for personal identification, in their culture, a name encompassed one's character, nature, personality, and reputation. Therefore, to honor the Father's name as holy is to show proper reverence and regard for Him as He truly is. Our prayer is not asking God to become holy, as He is already inherently holy. Rather, we are asking Him to aid us and the world in treating Him as the good and perfect Father that He is.
Above all, this teaching highlights the profound truth that God is our perfect Father. In this understanding, we find security, comfort, provision, protection, and care. It signifies that an intimate and close relationship is extended to us. Moreover, it instills within us a sense of hope, as it reaffirms that the Father is actively working to bring true freedom to our lives and to the world as a whole.
What do these words say about us?
When we contemplate what this petition teaches us about ourselves, the first thing we learn is that we belong to Him. He is our Father, and we are His children. This realization brings both comfort and tension. It provides comfort because we are not alone; we belong to Him. Even when people in our lives abandon or reject us, we are not alone. However, this also creates tension as it reminds us that we are not our own. We were created by Him and we belong to Him. Our existence is not meant solely for serving our own selfish desires; rather, we exist to serve His good purpose in this world.
Secondly, we need to note that this prayer begins with the plural pronoun "Our." This simple use of the plural connects the praying individual with other followers of Jesus. Although it may seem insignificant, it serves as a necessary reminder.
According to a decades-long research project, America is currently the most individualistic culture on Earth. While other cultures may prioritize the tribe, the family, or the community, we prioritize the individual. Consequently, the pursuit and attainment of our individual dreams and happiness become the primary focus. The problem with cultural traits like this is that we often fail to recognize what is considered normal. It's similar to a fish not knowing it is in water because it has never experienced anything else. One of the reasons the Bible is a precious gift is that it helps us assess what is culturally normative in light of how God designed us to thrive.
From just this simple word “our” we learn that faith is meant to be communal. It’s personal, but not private. The Bible has no category for life apart from community in the local church. Life isn’t just about you. It’s about us. Not just what is good for you, but what is best for us.
How might we more faithfully pray like this?
In order for us to pray as Jesus prescribes, we need to be aware of and honest about areas where our understanding of who God is may not align with what the Bible teaches. This requires us to allow God to shape our understanding of Him through His Word. What we must avoid is projecting our experiences with our earthly fathers onto God. Doing so will inevitably result in a distorted perception and hindered relationship with Him. If you find yourself resistant to regarding God as your Father, I highly recommend reading "Seeing God as Perfect Father" by Louie Giglio.
Here’s why this is such an important issue and why I personally believe Jesus starts His prayer in this manner:
Your image of God will inform how you relate with Him in general,
and how you pray, in particular.
This is precisely why prayer and Scripture are inseparable. One of the primary purposes of God's Word is to shape our understanding of His nature. Instead of using our experiences with earthly fathers as the foundation for understanding God's character, we should allow God, as revealed in Scripture, to be the lens through which we comprehend the true essence of a father.
EXPERIENTIAL
The longer I walk with God, the more I try and allow the Scriptures to guide my prayers. This has been been an important way God has infused my black and white prayers with more color. Before I pray, I read. Doing so represents my way of giving God the first word in our ongoing conversation.
If you find yourself lacking a structured plan for reading Scripture, allow me to suggest starting your prayer time with a Psalm. As you read the selected Psalm, keep Jesus’ first petition front of mind and ask the Spirit this question:
What facet of the Father's character am I being invited to contemplate?
The Psalm you choose for the day may touch upon various attributes of God, such as His goodness, kindness, mercy, or love. It might also delve into His holiness, sovereignty, or omniscience. Perhaps you will encounter passages describing God as your refuge, comforter, or healer. Regardless of the specific attribute, invite the Spirit to reveal to you a facet of the Father's nature, and start your prayer by talking with God about who He is. How do you feel about who is? How does it inform the way you’ll face the day? Where does it touch a longing inside you? The goal is to ask Him to help you honor Him as the holy Father He truly is.
An easy way to engage…
What facet of the Father’s nature is most meaningful to you in this season?
Comment below! I look forward to hearing from you!
THE sovereign authority under which I submit my life and my own will. This has been so comforting. As my church moves steadily through the book of James and the mirror of God’s Word coupled with the sledge hammer swings from James’ practical approach to the Christian life, I find myself wrecked over and over again by the disparity between the life we are called to and the myriad of shortcomings in my heart and life. In all of this is the comfort that in all these long hard looks at my ugly bits, God has spoken through Jesus, right to me. This is not the end. Right here, in the spaces between each breath, the relentless, unyielding work of God is being done. In me. Heart change is real and it is possible, but not by human hands. Surrender has meant everything to me in this season. And it has been an incredible comfort to know that I have been held by sovereign hands.
Love has been most important to me as it seems to be the foundation and guide for building a deeper intimate relationship with Him