Matthew 6:9-11, "This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'" I John 3:1, "See what love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

Think

Jesus exploded all of the Jewish stereotypes of God. To them, the name of God was too holy to write or even articulate. So, when Jesus referred to God as "Father," the literal equivalent of "Dad," ears perked up and eyebrows raised. Surely this was blasphemous, right? Wrong! Jesus died and rose again to open the door for us to have a 24/7 all-access pass to our heavenly Father, our Dad. Imagine starting a conversation with your parents by saying, "Thou Father and Mother who art great..." No one does that! It's completely devoid of intimacy. And for this reason, Jesus opened the ultimate model prayer for His disciples, and us, with, "Our Father in heaven." Such familiarity isn't intended to diminish our view of God; rather, it displays our affection for Him. Jesus continued, "Hallowed be Your name." To hallow means to set apart as holy. Our intimacy with Him doesn't lessen our admiration for Him. We hallow God's name when we express our adoration for Him, praising Him for who He is (our Father) and what He's done in our lives. If you know Jesus personally, then you know the Father. So, talk to Him like someone you know well. Thank Him, praise Him, and speak from the heart. After all, as His child, you are the object of His affection, the apple of His eye, whom He loves beyond all understanding!

Act

1 John 3:1 is a great reminder of just how much God loves you. Memorize this verse and personalize it by inserting your name.

Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I adore You! Your name is great and I want to make it known. Thank You for the love You've lavished upon me and the opportunity to be called Your child! In Jesus' name, Amen.