When you turn to God because you have something specific on your mind, do you tend to start your prayers by focussing on the issue straight away? It’s so tempting to do this, and in some ways it’s quite natural since it’s probably uppermost on your mind – but is it the most important thing?
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, presumably they wanted to learn to pray in the way that he did. Jesus responded by stating the most important thing, which was not the immediate needs facing them, but rather to focus on the word ‘Father’.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, presumably they wanted to learn to pray in the way that he did. Jesus responded by stating the most important thing, which was not the immediate needs facing them, but rather to focus on the word ‘Father’.
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At this point, you may have to distance yourself from any negative images of fatherhood that you might have picked up, either through your own parenting or parenting you have observed in the lives of others. God is committed to parenting us, as the following words from Isaiah 49:15 beautifully demonstrate:
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” |
This, I believe, is how Jesus wants us to begin all our times of prayer, by focussing on the unending, relentless love of God for us. This is not just the ‘first stage’ of encounterprayer, but rather a foundation we need to build our lives upon; a resting place we need to revisit regularly and a pool in which we need to learn to soak continually.
