Our Father

Our Father: Prayer is Relationship.

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rayer is communication with God. This communication is based on Relationship—a family relationship; where God is our Father and we are His children. As Christians, the only grounds by which we qualify to offer prayers to God is the relationship we have with Him (God) through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13).

See the beauty of this relationship we have with God. We are “…born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God” (vs. 13). Our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ places us in the family of God; it makes us siblings with Christ Jesus “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Our inclusion in the family of God is purely an act of grace (Ephesians 2:8). We were once slaves on the slave market of sin, but God through Christ Jesus bought us into His family.

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Eph 2:19). This is the only grounds by which we can approach God in prayer—“fellowcitizens of his household”. Our Citizenship right, through adoption, conferred on us by faith in Christ is finally sealed by the Holy Spirit: “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).ABBA FATHER! “…we cry, Abba, Father: and thus our adoption into the heavenly family is testified and ascertained to us in the only way in which it can possibly be done, by the direct influence of the Spirit of God. Remove this from Christianity, and it is a dead letter. It has been remarked that slaves were not permitted to use the term Abba, father, or Imma, mother, in accosting their masters and mistresses” Clarke (e-sword commentary) on Romans 8:15

Relationship cannot be substituted in our practice of prayer. It cannot be substituted for any formula or principle. Jesus said it clearly in John 15:5-7: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” The importance of relationship in prayer is clearly indicated—“without me ye can do nothing” and “If ye abide in me…ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done”.

It is important to note that our relationship with God the Father and God the Son is fueled and strengthened through our communion with the Holy Ghost. No fruitful relationship can exist between us and the God head when the communion with the Holy Ghost is taken out. Do you know the Holy Spirit, who is He to you? Water, wind or dove? These are just symbols used to depict the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person and He has a personality. During His last moments with His disciples before Jesus went up the cross, He taught them very specific attributes of the Holy Spirit.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things  to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26).

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (John 15:26).

…when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).