Before Christ, the Israelites prayed to God as part of their worship. From a very young age Jesus himself fellowshipped with his people in the temples and synagogues. One wonders why then did Jesus’ disciple(s) ask him to teach them how to pray, Luke 11:1.
The disciples had observed that Jesus’ prayer to God was unique; simple yet effective; and radiated a true relationship with God. Jesus’ prayer made him strong and confident; he demonstrated authority, power and boldness in his work; and signs, wonders and miracles accompanied his ministry. Jesus’ knowledge and wisdom was superior yet he was simple and selfless. They attributed these to Jesus’ devotion to prayer.
On the contrary, the Israelites loved long prayers; repeated words in public places; and demonstrated their piety before men in public places during prayer. They did not seek perfection as their heavenly Father was, yet wanted the public to appreciate them for their good works. Based on the laws of Moses, they were vengeful; reciprocated good for good and evil for evil; were hypocrites and loud, Matthew 6:1-8; Luke 11. They sometimes served other gods in addition; were very anxious, impatient and full of complaints, Matthew 6:14-34; Luke 11:5-28.
Jesus who was knowledgeable about all these floors then taught them how to pray effectively, Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4. Jesus said when you pray say:
Our Father who art in heaven
Jesus referred to God as Father in order to show the nature of his relationship with God. He wanted us to have the same true relationship with God. This relationship makes God real and closer to us than we can imagine or conceptualize.
As our father, God brought us into this world. God is thus the head of our family. As the family head, God only God can instruct us in the way of life. This is because he knows the way of life better than we do as in real life. As our Father, God loves us and because he loves us, he chastises us when we go wrong. God provides for our need as a father because he is a responsible father. He shares in our pain and sorrow, joy and happiness, our failures and successes.
As our father who directs and nurtures us by his spirit in love, God sometimes allows us to face challenges in order to test our resilience and faith in him. When God finds us wanting in trials and adversities or challenges, as our father he perfects our weaknesses with his strength in order that we may be overcomers or triumphant just as Jesus overcame sin and death. In effect, God as our father fights for us to protect us from our enemies and downfall.
Because God knows our frailties, he avails to us his divine aids by his word the gospel; the holy spirit as our companion and comforter; and his angels to guard us as a good shepherd who loves and cares for his sheep. As a good father does for his children he loves so has God given us his best treasure and gift in heaven, Jesus Christ by whose blood we have eternal life. As a father opens access to his children to communicate with him without fetters, God has given us the privilege to an unfettered access to commune with him through Jesus Christ.
As our father, God does not delight in our death because he knows the punishment that awaits sinners at judgment. Just as a child cannot compel his father to provide for him what could destroy him so can we not force God to accede to all our wants in prayer. God knows what to provide, how to provide and when to provide when it is a need and not a want. We must therefore approach him with humility because it is a privilege to receive from him. A child has absolute faith in his father in all things and such is the attitude God wants from us, as his children. This should be the foundation of our faith in God.
Jesus wants us to be perfect as our heavenly father is, Matthew 5:48. Our prayer language and manners must show decorum to a father. Countless times Jesus in humility referred to God as Father or Abba Father, Mark 14:36. Paul also did likewise in Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6.
In prayer Jesus wants us to reflect on God’s nature as a good father. Jesus wants us to appreciate our Heavenly Father’s goodness and mercy and grace and love which he continues to avail unto us unconditionally and sometimes without our knowledge or request. Merely referring to God as father or reciting the Lord’s Prayer is not enough. This is not Jesus’ intent. We must pray effectively by appreciating our true relationship with God as our Father in heaven.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, open our hearts to receive you in the relationship that you desire and to commune with you in accordance with you will. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!!!
