Pray Like One of the Family

There’s no place like home.

Isn’t it great to be one of the family? There’s a warm feeling of security when you know you belong. You have a key to the door and you come right in because you live there. Right?

When you’re part of the family, you can help yourself to whatever is in the refrigerator, unless of course, someone has put an “Eat this and you will die!” note on the banana pudding. As a family member, your picture hangs on the wall. You can snuggle up on the couch and put your feet on the coffee table.

You can relax because you know you belong.

You know you’re home.

Take a moment to think about how amazing it is that God wants us to know Him as our father. Yes we know this, but sometimes we need to stop and let the wonder of His love wash over us anew.

I love the scripture verses that talk about how God is our “Abba, Father.”  A term of endearment, abba is often translated as Papa.  It is a wondrous thing to be a child of God, which is reflected in the following passage:

“…but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” Romans 8:15-16

An outsider no more.

Have you ever spent time in someone’s home where you felt like an outsider? I remember visiting a friend when my children were small. Nervous– I didn’t want their cute little toddler fingers to smear peanut butter on the spotless white sofa. I didn’t feel “at home” and couldn’t relax, because I knew I was a guest.

Knowing God as our Heavenly Papa includes many wonderful blessings. One of those blessings is to come into His presence, knowing that He wants to listen.

In fact, Hebrews 4:16 paints a beautiful picture of the welcome mat of God’s heart.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16.

To come with confidence means to trust that we will be lovingly received.

Bold in prayer.

Coming to God boldly is to come freely, without fear—to be real. No pretense and no games, realizing it really is okay to come just as we are. Understanding that it’s okay to come with our crazy, broken mess.

Bold to come and bold to let go.

Leave your “I should” at the door and lay your heart open.

Place your “I can’t” at His feet and pour out the pain of your need.

Empty your hands of that sin-bound voracious craving for control.

Receive mercy for sin and grace for pain.

Empty to fill, you don’t have to fix yourself.

Sweet friend, it is so much easier to receive Papa’s mercy and grace when we release, because it sure is hard to pick up the blessing when our hands are full of the weight of our pain.

As one of the family, there’s no question of being received or heard. Growing in confidence, we run into the throne room as one of the family, rather than a stranger who knocks hesitantly, wondering if anyone will invite us in.

Let’s choose to respond to this privilege by returning the invitation.

Invite God in. Give Him access to deep-heart needs today as we remember to pray like one of the family.