Short articles of the, "Yes Jesus" Book on prayer. # 46

 

Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father who art in Heaven”

 

The word “our” is plural, but “father” is singular. This clearly indicates that the children are several, but the father is only one. The presence of several children and a father is defined by one word only: “Family”. Family is the invention of God, not men.

 

When Jesus trained His disciples to pray, he put everything under the umbrella words, “Our Father who art in Heaven”. Consequently, the word “family” is the name of this relationship. And again, Jesus, as a Good Teacher, does not spell out for us the word family; but through the first sentence of this prayer He has allowed us the joy of self-discovery, that we are indeed of the family of God, with Him as a father and with us as His children.

 

I am of the family of God. Jesus has certified my identity before God by making me repeat after Him the words, “Our Father who art in Heaven!” This is our pledge of allegiance, our birth certificate, our confession of faith.

 

When a person is naturalized as an American citizen, the immigration officer does not tell him he is an African-American, nor a Chinese-American, nor a Japanese-American. He tells him he is an AMERICAN, period. From the moment he takes his oath and repeats the pledge of allegiance, he is an American.

 

In the same way, once we believe and repeat the words after Jesus, “Our Father who art in Heaven,” we are citizens of Heaven. We are the children of God, and that is what we are to the praise of God.

 

“Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” And with all your mind. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) It should be easy to love a father like God and to pray, “Our Father who art in Heaven.” # 46

 

This is the teaching elder on duty in matters of Prayer.

 

Gerry Gutierrez.