Friday, March 15, 2024
Complete Access
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15 NLT)
Years ago when I was first getting to know Billy Graham, I addressed him as “Dr. Graham.”
But he said, “Don’t call me Dr. Graham. Call me Billy.”
That was hard for me to do. It felt too personal. But I finally got around to calling him Billy. His children, though, had a more intimate name for him: Daddy. And his grandchildren called him Daddy Bill. Only his children and grandchildren had the right to address him that way. It was because of their relationship with him.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. And we have complete access to Him through prayer.
We are God’s children, and He loves us. He wants to hear from us. He wants to talk to us and spend time with us. It’s never a drudgery; it’s always a delight. And the same should be true for us when we spend time with Him.
We know from the Scriptures that He is a good Father. For instance, in the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus presented God the Father as a dad who missed his wayward son and longed for his return. Then, when his son made his way back home, he ran to him and threw his arms around him.
He said, “We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found” (Luke 15:23-24 NLT). This is your Father in Heaven. He’s a father who always will be there, a father who listens, a father who loves you.
In addition, Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9 NLT). Therefore, if you want to know what the Father in Heaven is like, then look at Jesus.
Jesus was approachable. Little children were drawn to Him, and He blessed them. Tears streamed down His face as He stood at the grave of His friend Lazarus. In the upper room, He got down on His hands and knees and washed the feet of His disciples, including the feet of Judas Iscariot.
Maybe you’re thinking, “He’s the Father in Heaven, but Heaven is so far away. I need someone on earth.”
God is omnipresent, which means that He is present everywhere. And is Heaven really that far away? Perhaps in a sense it is. But in another sense, Heaven is closer than we may realize. Heaven is another dimension. It’s a supernatural realm.
Thus, for the Father in Heaven to step into our world is nothing to Him. Remember, when Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He began His model prayer by saying, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10 NLT).
God is deeply involved in and deeply concerned about what you’re facing right now. If it concerns you, then it concerns Him.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
