Our Father in Heaven (Matthew 6:9)

“Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9)                                                          03-29-2015

In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray to “our Father in heaven.”  It sounds at face value as if God lives in heaven, and of course that is true (Ephesians 6:9), but that’s not the whole story. Heaven actually exists and when believers die they go there to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:1-8). But since the Bible also reveals that God is everywhere all the time (Psalm 138:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:28), the words “in heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer do not indicate primarily the location of God, but rather the level on which God lives.  Let me explain. Since God is everywhere he isn’t in a different location from us; but since he is eternal, infinite, independent, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, just, wise, sovereign, the creator, the provider, the redeemer, etc. we can and should most definitely recognize that he exists on an entirely different level from us. He has abilities and authority infinitely beyond what we possess. And that’s the point Jesus wants us to keep in mind when we pray.

Of course he is our Father, and that means we can approach him in prayer. But he is in heaven, and that means he is vastly greater than we are and therefore we need to approach him humbly and reverently. By teaching us to pray, “Our Father in heaven,” Jesus is leading us to set our minds on the greatness and glory of God. So before we ask God for anything, let us take some time to recognize who we are talking to. We are talking to the one who’s in charge, who knows the best course of action, has all the resources, can’t be defeated, and has our best interest in his heart. In light of all this it’s never a good idea to just jump right into making anxious requests. It’s better instead to take a few moments to praise God for being so great and awesome.