The Address

The first thing we note from this, as that our prayer is addressed to someone – our Father in Heaven. It is not a vague prayer for help, like when people call in times of trouble ‘O God help me’. It is a specific prayer, with a specific address. This leads straight to our second point.

God is revealed to us.

We can know God. God has revealed himself to us. We don’t pray to an unknown God. We don’t appeal to a ‘heavenly being’. We pray to the creator of the universe, who has revealed Himself to us both through His creation, His Son, and His word. God is not an unknown, but is knowable!

Family

The next thing we can see comes from both words. ‘Our’ signifies something that is shared. He is our father – not just yours or mine, but ours. We are all part of a family – God’s family. In a way it is a reminder that we are not alone on this earth, but that we are surrounded by brothers and sisters in our heavenly family. It is also to me a humbling reminder – this world is not just about me, and God is not there just for me, but for everyone. We are a family under God.

Authority

Lastly, God holds the preeminent position. He holds the position of authority. He holds the ultimate authority in all things – in creation, in the Trinity, in our spiritual family of His children. God is in charge. And we can take comfort from that, because not only is He all powerful with all authority, but He cares for and loves His children.

Our Father.

So when we begin the Lords Prayer, lets not just take these things for granted, but remember that God is knowable and revealed to us, that we are part of His family, and that He holds the authority. What a great thing it is to have an all powerful Father!

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