Our Daddy

A father reaches down to tenderly touch the cheek of his child, eyes filled to overflowing with love for that child. That's the way God feels about us. But how many of us really believe that's the way He feels about us?

When the curtain in the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51) it marked the new covenant with God. Jesus opened the way to a direct relationship with God. Intermediaries were no longer necessary. Add to that the fact that Jesus addressed God as "Abba" Father in the prayer he taught his disciples and it's clear the type of relationship we're supposed to have with God.

For the vast majority of people, our image of God the way we think about Him comes from our image of our own earthly father or father-figure. Is this where our distortions begin? Ask yourself these questions and answer them briefly, using the words that first come into your mind. How did your father relate to your mother? How did your mother relate to your father? How did your mother relate to you? How did your father relate to you?

When we hear about God for the first time, what we hear is run through the filter of these relationships. For instance, we develop our idea of what "love" means from those childhood relationships described above. Then, when we hear that God is love, what comes to mind is our perception of love formed in our childhood. Is this why it's so difficult for so many of us to comfortably call God our "Father?"

What can we do to correct the distortions? Awareness is the first step. That harsh, judgmental, distant man who helped raise us as a child bears little resemblance to our Heavenly Father. Once we have that awareness, we can pray for change. Ask God to reveal Himself to us as He really is. We may get words, sensations, images, feelings. We may be led to scripture. Don't believe the lie of the enemy that it's all in your head. This is how God communicates with us. Be patient and persistent.

For particularly resistant distortions or if the enemy is really blocking your efforts to change, healing prayer ministry, also called formational prayer, may be the answer. Rather than trying to do it on your own, engage trained prayer warriors to help you.

Take a moment or two right now and imagine the ideal relationship between a father and his child. In your imagination, become the child in that ideal relationship. You can have that relationship and more with God. It's what He wants. If it's what you want, too, just tell Him. Then allow Him to help you let it happen.