Our Father in Heaven

Matthew 6:1-9

Key Verse 6:9

"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,"

This passage teaches us three things: 1) How the Lord God became our "Father"; 2) as His children what is our supreme duty; and 3) how we can fulfill our duty as his children. 

** Our Father in heaven

1. Skim through the passage. How many times is the expression "Father in heaven" repeated? What does "Father in heaven" mean?

** 3

** "In heaven" indicates that our Heavenly Father is different from earthly father in that, among other attributes, He is omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, and spiritual. 

2. Why is He sometimes called "your" Father and at other times "our" Father? What does the title "Father" suggest about His relationship with you? 

** He is "your" Father in that He is a personal Father with whom you can have an intimate personal relationship. 

At the same time He is our Father in that just as a human father can produce many children, so also He has many children. 

** He is not a remote God, but the God who gives birth to each of us, so that we are related to Him, and therefore can have a relationship with Him. 

3. How did He become your (and our) "Father" ([Genesis 1:1, 26-29, 31; 2:7; 2:17]; [3:1-19; Jn 3:16; 1:12; 6:40; Romans 8:15-16; Hebrews 10:19; Eph 1:5])? 

** Basically He is our Father in two ways: 1) creation; and 2) re-demption (and adoption).

1) Creation: Genesis 1, 2 teach us that He created us with three features, i.e., dust (hardware), His image (software), and His breath (a living being). These features are geared up for us to know God the Father in person knowing what He has in mind, like his plan, purpose for us, etc.)

2) Re-creation (or re-demption and adoption): As Genesis 3 teaches us we sinned by disobeying God's command, and thereby fell from the graceful position as a child of God to the position of God's enemy, so we came to die not only physically but also spiritually. But God did not leave us to perish. He loved us so much as to send His one and only son Jesus so whoever believes in Jesus would have the right (=power) to become God's child again. Practically for those who believe in Jesus God sends His Spirit so we would call Him Abba Father. In this way in and through Jesus we can come near to God in prayer, calling Him, "Abba Father!" Then when Jesus comes again, He will gives us a new risen body, so we can be adopted as His children bearing the full image of God, just like Jesus has His Father's full image.

4. Why do you think He called you as His "child" (Isaiah 43:7; 1Pe 2:9)? 

** 1) The purpose of his calling is to help us reveal His glory. [Glory means God's inherent character, the attributes unique to Him, like his selfless love, holiness, kindness, mercy, and so forth.]

2) But after the Fall, we could not live for his glory. 

3) But through Jesus, he saved us from our fallen condition, so we can live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, declaring the praises of him who called us from darkness into his wonderful light. 

** Hallowed be your name

5. Read v. 9 again and memorize it. How is the prayer topic, "Hallowed be your name", related to your position as His child?

** It is related to our position as His child in that it describes the first and very naturally following duty (and of course our own willing desire) to live for the glory of God. 

6. How can we practically live a life that is consistent with the prayer request that says, "Hallowed be your name" (Mat 4:10 [Romans 12:1; Psa 50; 23; Heb 13:16; Phi 4:18; Mat 6:21]; Heb 11:6 [Phi 4:13; Lk 1:37; Rm 8:31])?

** First, we must worship and serve Him (Mt 4:10). 

What does worship mean? 

Worship means: 

1) giving ourselves to God as living sacrifices (Rm 12:1); 

2) giving thanks to God in all circumstances (Psa 50:23); 

3) sharing what we have with others, particularly the word of God, particularly the gospel (Heb 13:16); and

4) offering money (in tithing) to God, for money talks (Phi 4:18; Mat 6:21).  

Second, we must live by faith in Him who is the Lord God Almighty, with whom nothing is impossible. Nothing makes God more sorrowful and therefore dishonors God's name more severely than the one who has no faith and therefore lives always in doubt of his absolute love and power. By the same token, no one can please God more than the one who lives by absolute faith in Him who loves to reward those who believe in His existences and earnestly seek him. 

7. Read v. 9 again. Why do you think Jesus asked us to "pray" for this prayer topic?

** Again we are asked to pray, for on our own we cannot live fully to glorify God's name. We can live only through His power. This is why we are asked to pray for this prayer topic. 

The end. 

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