The prayer that Jesus taught to His followers begins with these familiar words: "Our Father in heaven". We must be careful to not treat the recitation of these words as a mere formality before we offer up petitions to God, for they are rich with faith-building truth.
They remind us that when we pray we are praying to our Father. Who is a father? A father is someone who should love us more than anyone else on the face of the earth. He is someone who should stand up for us, fight for us, provide for us and want what is best for us. There is no better place to be than in the arms of a devoted father. While many people have had bad experiences with their fathers, our Father in heaven is good and loving and perfect. He wants what is good for us and can be trusted, even in the midst of dark and confusing times, to lead us towards the good.
And so we pray to our loving Father. But He is not just any father. While our earthly dad might want what is best for us he is limited. He only has a certain amount of time, money and energy. And while he may want what is best he is limited in wisdom and may not know what is best nor how to achieve it. We don't pray to a limited father but to our Father in heaven. We pray to the One who created the heavens and the earth. The one who knit us together in our mothers' wombs. The one for whom nothing is impossible.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
We are not alone
I was recently chatting with a friend about the decline (in numbers) of a well-known local church. And this church is not the only shrinking community of faith in our city. A walk through downtown Toronto will reveal churches which have been turned into condominiums or which have aging and declining populations.
There are thriving churches though. Bodies which are drawing new members and presenting the Gospel with clarity to a thirsty and skeptical crowd. The number of those drawn to even these thriving churches though are but a drop in the bucket when compared to the number of residents in Toronto. It can be lonely to be a Christian here. At work. In school. On the streets. Christians are a minority.
It is important for us to see reality with eyes of faith. I am reminded of this as I consider 2 Kings 6:8-23. It is a passage well-worth reading and reflecting upon. In this portion of Scripture we see that the army of the king of Aram had surrounded the city Elisha and his servant were in. The servant, upon seeing this mighty force, was terrified. But Elisha saw beyond the physical realm.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2 Kings 6:15-17)
It fills us with courage when we realize that we are not alone in this battle of faith. There is a spiritual realm containing many servants of our Lord Jesus, ready to do His bidding
There are thriving churches though. Bodies which are drawing new members and presenting the Gospel with clarity to a thirsty and skeptical crowd. The number of those drawn to even these thriving churches though are but a drop in the bucket when compared to the number of residents in Toronto. It can be lonely to be a Christian here. At work. In school. On the streets. Christians are a minority.
It is important for us to see reality with eyes of faith. I am reminded of this as I consider 2 Kings 6:8-23. It is a passage well-worth reading and reflecting upon. In this portion of Scripture we see that the army of the king of Aram had surrounded the city Elisha and his servant were in. The servant, upon seeing this mighty force, was terrified. But Elisha saw beyond the physical realm.
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2 Kings 6:15-17)
It fills us with courage when we realize that we are not alone in this battle of faith. There is a spiritual realm containing many servants of our Lord Jesus, ready to do His bidding
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