Matthew 6: 8-9: “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before we ask Him. Pray, then in this way, Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name.” I have a real concern for something that I see in our culture and churches today that disregards the teaching of Jesus. It ignores and lessens the personal family relationship between God the Father and those of us who have been adopted into His family through Jesus. God has always shown Himself to be a loving parent and it is only through Jesus that we’ve inherited the right and position to call Him, “our Father.” Galatians 4: 6: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Look at our Scripture this week where Jesus told believers to pray to the Father and to make his name Hallowed or Holy. My concern is that the modern movement is just to say, “God.” Yes, He is God, but He is more than that. He is our Father and deserves the recognition of the intimate relationship of being honored with the proper name of Father.

The name Father appears 245 times in the New Testament and over 100 times in the book of John alone. Paul opened each of his letters acknowledging God as our Father. With only one exception, Jesus always prayed and referenced God as Father. The only exception was on the cross when He prayed several times to the Father, but then said in Matthew 27: 46 as He died, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” You may take issue with me on this concern, and that is your right. However, I believe that the enemy and his influence on our culture sees this as another subtle deviation from God’s Word to attack our Christian relationship with the Father and to remove the Christian family role of the father in the home. When we fail to pray to our Heavenly Father where Jesus Himself is seated at his right hand, I believe it’s like your own children and grandchildren calling you by your first name. I do not want my children or grandchildren hollering out, “Hey, Dean!” That removes the sacredness of the relationship, shows disrespect and God’s intention for the family. Now that I’ve gotten this off my chest, I humbly ask that you set the example as Jesus instructed Christians to pray in every setting to your “Father.” It may well be a bigger issue than you think.