Abba in Heaven

Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father in Heaven.”  Yesterday I wrote about the privilege of calling our Creator Abba, but let’s not forget that Abba is in Heaven.  He is on the Throne.  The Jews of Jesus’ day had such a fear of God that they seemed to have lost their intimacy, but I’m afraid the Church today has such an “intimacy” that we’ve lost our fear.  Tozer famously said, “Worship rises or falls with our concept of God.”  He said much more, but ended that discussion with, “And if there is one terrible disgrace in the Church of Christ, it is that they don’t seek God as Great as He is—we are all too familiar with God.”

Think about what Jesus says, God is “our Father” and He is in Heaven…He is seated on the Throne and is Holy, Holy, Holy.  Our Father is God.  That totally changes how we approach Him in prayer.  If He is Abba and yet God, there is nothing that He cannot do.  We cannot allow our concept of God to be limited…our Abba is omnipotent.

I had total trust in my father when I was small.  I’d climb on the roof, always found a way up, but had a hard time getting down.  So many times, he would stand below me and say, “Jump, I’ll catch you.”  He never let me fall.  One time I was walking ahead of my mom and dad going to visit some of their friends.  I met one of the bullies from school and he mouthed off…I surprised him by immediately engaging him in a fight.  Why was a I so bold?  My father was not far behind me…I knew he would help if I found myself on the losing end.

Our Father spoke this world into existence…can you imagine anything that He cannot do?  As you come to your Father, remember He is in Heaven, spend time worshiping Him, but come with bold intercession.  John Newton often told the legendary story of a man who asked Alexander the Great to give him a huge sum of money in exchange for his daughter’s hand.  

Alexander agreed and told him to go to the treasurer and ask for whatever he wanted.  The treasurer was so shocked by the request that he went to Alexander himself and suggested a much smaller amount.  Alexander said, “No, let him have it all.  I like that fellow.  He does me honor.  He treats me like a king and proves by what he asks that he believes me to be both rich and generous.”

Newton said, “In the same way, we should to the throne of God’s grace and present petitions that express honorable views of the love, riches, and bounty of our King!”  

Our Father is in Heaven…come before Him, bow before Him, but remember the King is your Abba and your Abba is your King!