Title: “Our Father Which Art in Heaven”

Text: “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matt. 6:9).

Introduction

The Master Teacher encourages us to pray and also teaches us how to pray. The model prayer, often called the Lord’s Prayer, is the perfect pattern that we should follow. It was not designed as a strait jacket to restrict our spontaneous petitions, but it is a “seed plot for new prayers.”

The words of the text are actually the invocation, and they prepare the way for the seven petitions that follow. In this address or invocation the Savior gives us a unique revelation of the God to whom our prayers are to be offered.

I. Father.

Jesus came to reveal God to humans. People had thought of God and his people as the Potter and his clay, the Creator and his creatures, the King and his subjects, and the Judge and violators of the law. Jesus brought a unique revelation of God to the hearts of his disciples when he told them to think of God as their heavenly Father.

Jesus always addressed God as “Father” with the exception of the one time on the cross when he cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Jesus did not consider all people to be the children of God (cf. John 8:44). He taught that in the miracle of the new birth a new relationship with God was created. This relationship is much closer than that which exists between the Creator and the creatures of his world. It is tender and affectionate and glorious.

The first recorded boyhood utterance of Jesus speaks of God as “my Father” (Luke 2:49). The dying cry of the Savior on the cross was “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (23:46).

There is much difference between offering prayers to the omnipotent, eternal Creator God and bringing our needs to a warmhearted heavenly Father. Jesus would have us always remember that our prayers are to be directed to our heavenly Father.

A pastor was visiting one of the children’s departments of the Sunday school. With appropriate comments, the teacher introduced him to the children. “This is our pastor.” A bright-eyed lad of three interrupted and said, “This is my daddy.” There is much difference between being a boy’s pastor and being his daddy. God is our Creator, but Jesus would lead us to trust him as our Father.

II. Our Father.

The first person singular possessive pronoun does not appear in the model prayer. Instead, the idea of family is implied by the use of the plural possessive pronoun “our.”

We are not to pray as spoiled children full of selfish love and self-concern. Jesus teaches that as individuals we are to remember that we are members of a great family. The heavenly Father who is both wise and benevolent will not grant our petitions if we are seeking, from a selfish standpoint, that which would in any manner bring deprivation or destruction to one of his other children.

This petition recognizes the relationship that exists within the household of faith. If we are to pray effectively, we must do so as a child within the family. We cannot for one moment believe that God will give us special privileges that would be denied to other members of the family.

III. Our Father which art in heaven.

The heavenly Father to whom we pray is sovereign and supreme, majestic and holy, highly exalted on the throne of the universe. He has perfect knowledge of the past, present, and future. He knows where we have been, where we are, and where we will eventually be. He sees the end from the beginning. Because his purposes toward us are purposes of love, we can trust him, and we should come to him regularly for grace and mercy to help in time of need.

Conclusion

J. D. Jones of England tells of an incident that happened while crossing the ocean by boat that demonstrates the faith and love the truth that God is our Father can make possible. During a terrible storm, many of the people were overcome with fright. A little boy was aboard, and someone noted that he seemed perfectly poised and had complete control of himself. He was asked, “Why aren’t you afraid like the rest of us?” The little boy replied, “My father is the captain of this ship, and I know that everything will be all right.” With the attitude of the little boy, let us approach the heavenly Father in prayer.

I’m a child of the King,

A child of the King,

With Jesus my Savior

I’m a child of the King.