Did you ever fail to show the proper respect for your father when you were a child? Did your father ask, “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
When we talk about prayer, it is appropriate to ask ourselves the same question: “Who do you think you’re talking to?”
I once heard a deacon pray, “Lord, if there’s anything you can do, please do your best.” This was a heartfelt, honest prayer, but it reflected an obvious lack of understanding about who God is. “Lord, if there’s anything you can do, please do your best?”
God is not a busy, benevolent uncle to whom we go occasionally when our problems are a bit overwhelming: “Gee, I need a favor. I don’t know if you can help me or not, but if there’s anything you can do…just do your best. If it’s not too inconvenient, I’d appreciate any help you can send my way.”
This is the way many people pray, because this is how a lot of people view God. We know better than this. God has all power. God has absolute authority. So, when we pray, we are talking to someone who is able to do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine. There is no limit to God’s ability.
Perhaps the problem, then, is not that we don’t think God is strong enough; it’s that we don’t feel really connected to Him. We don’t think of ourselves as legitimate children, loved unconditionally.
Sometimes I have trouble recognizing that this holy, transcendent, infinite, almighty God has not only adopted me into his family but also wants me to call him “Daddy.” It is hard to imagine.
I could call my earthly dad, “Daddy,” even though I had great respect for him, but the idea of talking to God that way is hard for me. I read in the Bible that I am God’s child over and over again: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) When I think about being a joint heir with Jesus Christ I get excited. But, what should I call my God?
God doesn’t leave us wondering about what He’d like to be called. Through the Gospel accounts, God says to us in essence: “The reason I did what I did, the reason I went through the lengths to which I went, was not so that you can be forgiven. It wasn’t just so that you could avoid going to hell. The reason I offered my only Son is because I wanted to you to become my sons and daughters. I want you to know me as your Father and to know that I love you. I want you to come close to me and enjoy my embrace. I want you to trust me completely. And I want you to call me Daddy.”
God has given us a spirit of adoption whereby we call Him, “Abba, Father.” Abba is the most intimate expression of affection by which a Hebrew child could address his father. For most of us, this is the equivalent of our term of endearment, “Daddy.”
When I read of God’s children calling Him “Daddy” in the Bible, I think, “This is beautiful. This is really powerful. God, this is really great.” Then, I go to pray, and I tend to want to start my prayer with: “O most holy, magnificent, gracious, Creator of all things….”
Often, we approach God with misconstrued ideas about the relationship. We sometimes think we are being reverential and respectful, when we are really being distant. What we’re saying to God is, “I’m going to give you your due, because I want to stay on your good side. I’m going to say the right words and do the right things because I don’t want to cross you. I don’t want to be the one to get you angry. I’m going to show you the proper respect but please don’t come to close to me. You’re too intimidating.” We treat God as if He can’t be trusted.
If God says, “I want you to draw near. I want you to call me Daddy,” we need to obey him. We must draw near to God and call Him what He has asked us to call Him. He put His Spirit in us so that we can cry out to Him, “Daddy!”
Are you praying? Who do you think you’re talking to?
