November 30, 2010
A Father Who Loves Me
Today's Truth
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…'" (Matthew 6:6-9NIV).
Friend to Friend
One thing that makes the New Testament distinctively different from the Old Testament is that Jehovah God, the creator of the Universe and all it contains, invites us to call Him daddy. It is the name of God that Jesus referred to more than any other. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He said:
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…' (Matthew 6:6-9).
If you are a parent, you can imagine how discouraging it would be if your children only talked to you when they wanted something. Quite the contrary, we talk to our children to discipline, instruct, nurture, train, comfort, encourage, guide, and teach. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father is much the same. We are called children of God and He longs to gather us under His wing like a mother hen and speak to us in the quietness of prayer. Our heavenly Father is always available and attentive, compassionate and caring, and interested and involved.
Sometimes, God wants to speak to us in our times of prayer simply to tell us how deeply He loves us. I will never forget a time of prayer I spent with a group of women just before I was to speak at an event. I had flown to Tennessee and moments before I went out to minister to the women who had gathered at the church, the leadership team held hands and prayed together. As one woman prayed, she said, "Sharon, God showed me today, just how precious you are to Him."
God's love washed over me and tears began to spill down my face. God loved me! He loved me! See, that's the message that I was going to share with the women at the conference, but in the hustle and bustle of preparation, God wanted to remind me that He loved me, too.
Today, how about talking to your heavenly daddy - not because you need anything - but just because you love Him.
Let's Pray
Father, I come to You today as a little child. I love You so much. Thank You for loving me and accepting me just the way I am. Thank You for being my heavenly Father Who loves me, cares for me, protects me, takes an interest in me, has dreams for me, watches over me, and provides for me. How blessed I am to have a daddy like You!
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
How would you describe the perfect parent?
When you pray, how do you picture God?
God is the great I AM and cannot be confined to one particular image. However, today as you pray, picture Him as your Daddy.
More from the Girlfriends
Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's book, Dreams of a Woman. For just a few more days, this book is being offered at a closeout price…and then it's gone! In February, the revised addition with a brand new cover will arrive.
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Originally published Tuesday, 30 November 2010.
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