Our Abba
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…”
Matthew 6:9
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“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name…”
Matthew 6:9
Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!
I do not like medical offices. I am squeamish around needles, and I’ve fainted before at the sight of blood, so I get nervous even being in doctor or dental offices. I recently had a dental cleaning and filling, and I found myself closing my eyes and concentrating on God, my Heavenly Father, who was right there with me. I could sense His peace come over me as I prayed.
I’ve been reading “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” by Kenneth Bailey and there’s a section on The Lord’s Prayer which lines up with what we’re learning at our When You Pray Bible Study. While I’d heard the Aramaic word abba before which means father, I had no idea that in Jesus’ day, prayers were given in classical Hebrew and not in the daily communication language of Aramaic. This would have caught his disciples’ attention as Jesus was giving us an example of how we can approach God, our loving Father, using our own language.
In some countries in the Middle East, abba is still the first word that a young child learns. It evokes a tenderness of a caring Father for His children. By starting The Lord’s Prayer with “Our Father,” Jesus was affirming that followers of Jesus form the family of God.
I’ll never forget seeing my husband hold our first-born son in his arms for the first time. I could see the joy in his eyes, but also a gentle protectiveness in how he cared for our son. I picture God, our abba, looking at us in much the same way, but with a faithfulness, power, and love that goes far beyond what we can ever grasp.
As I sat in that dental chair, I imagined my abba holding my hand, comforting me, reminding me that He was in control. In what ways do you need your abba to hold you close today, dear one? You can speak openly in your heart to Him and know that He’s listening to you. He’s our Father and He cares for us.