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"Our Father in heaven" from The Lord's Prayer Small Group booklet
The most significant indicator of Christian prayer is not our posture while praying, the geographic direction in which we pray, or the length or frequency of our prayers, but rather an awareness of the One to whom we pray. Jesus shows this very clearly in Matthew 9:9-10 when He says, In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven. Here, at the very beginning of His model prayer, the Lord teaches us that before we make any petitions or requests of God, we must first recognize the glory and omnipotence of God. When we pray, we need less awareness of self, and more awareness of Him.
It’s incredible, really, that Jesus encourages us to call the God of the universe - the God who has created all things, knows all things, and is over all things - Father. Just as Jesus has an intimate relationship with the Father, He also desires for us to have an intimate relationship with Him, and it is only through Jesus Christ that we can have this relationship to God, the Father. We must see that the image of a father was used for our human understanding. The intimate connection that a child has with their parents is how close God wants to be with us. However, we must also keep in mind that God is much more and entirely different from any earthly father. We are addressing the almighty Creator of heaven and earth.
To pray with intimacy to God is a special right and privilege. In the Old Testament, God is the Father of His people. In the New Testament, Jesus introduces the teaching that anyone who receives the Son and believes in His name can call on God as Father (John 1:12, John 14:6). When we say “Father” to God, we know that we are speaking with someone who loves us without limit, understands us, works for our good and benefit, and will never leave us nor forsake us.
Martin Luther once summed up this unique form of address and intimate relationship nicely: “Abba” is only a little word, and yet contains everything. It is not the mouth but the heart’s affection which speaks like this. Even if I am oppressed with anguish and terror on every side, and seem to be forsaken and utterly cast away from Your presence, yet am I Your child, and You are my Father. For Christ’s sake: I am loved because of the Beloved. So this little word, “Abba,” Father, deeply felt in the heart, surpasses all the eloquence of Demosthenes, Cicero, and the most eloquent speakers that ever lived. This matter is not expressed with words, but with groanings, and these groanings cannot be uttered with any words of eloquence, for no tongue can express them.
The word “our” should also be considered, as it identifies the Lord’s Prayer as a communal prayer. When we pray this prayer, whether within the divine service experience or outside of it, we are praying with - and for - the larger body of Christ. We profess that He is not just my heavenly Father, He is our heavenly Father - and we are all His beloved children. What a sense of community and oneness this prayer affords! As we pray for each other, we should also grow in our acceptance and inclusiveness of each other. We cannot be prejudiced against others if we are praying for all.
Finally, Jesus gives this address special emphasis by calling God, “Our Father in heaven.” This is an indication of the superiority and glory of God. The words in heaven emphasize that God is exalted above all earthly existence. He - God, the Father - is greater and higher than everything and anyone else, and yet, in His omnipresence, He comes close to us as human beings. How humbling this is when we truly stop to ponder this great truth.
Because God is our Father and His love has been poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5), it should be possible for us to love one another, to look at others in a friendly manner, to give a loving word to those who are left out by some, and to help those in need. Then, the Lord’s Prayer will not only be a prayer, but also a way of life.