Lord’s Day 46
Q120. Why did Christ tell us to call God "our Father"?
Right at the start of our prayer, Christ wants to fill our hearts with the childlike awe and trust that a child has for a parent. Through Christ, God has become our Father. And just as our parents give us what we need, even more will our Father in heaven give us what we ask for in faith.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Matthew 7:9–11
“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
Luke 11:11–13
“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why did Jesus tell us to call God "our Father"?
- 2
What feelings does a good father want his children to have toward him?
- 3
How does it change your prayers to know that God is your Father through Christ?
Illustration
A child who falls and scrapes a knee runs to a parent, not to a stranger. The child knows the parent loves her and will help. When Jesus tells us to call God "Father," he is telling us we can run to God with that same confidence. God is not a distant stranger. Through Jesus, he is our Father.
Application
The next time you pray, start by saying "Father" and pause for a moment. Let that word sink in. Because Christ has made God your Father, you can come to him with the trust of a child who knows he is loved.