Answering Children
URL: https://sethlewis.ie/2023/09/06/answering-children/
How should I pray? The number of books, articles, etc. that I have consumed on the topic is staggering. Like many things, I’ve over-complicated prayer. Just talk to your Heavenly Father.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. Romans 8 tells us a glorious reality about the identity of those who belong to Jesus: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Those who trust and follow Christ are God’s adopted children. And how does this identity impact the way we speak to God? Paul says, “…by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” We can speak to God himself as a child speaks to their father. Not flippantly, or careless about who we are speaking to, but rather confident of his care for those who belong to him. And how does our Father hear us? As a good father hears their child. Paul says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” In other words, even when our language is confused and garbled, when our understanding is lacking and our words won’t come out right and we can’t make sense and our logic and grammar and vocabulary are all falling to pieces and we don’t even know what to say even if we could say it right—even when all we have left is tears to talk through—even then, he hears and answers and stoops down to help us to pray. Of course he does.
He’s our Father. (View Highlight)