Our Father Who Is In Heaven
Pedro Hernandez
Part of Pastor Pedro Hernandez
November 27, 2022

Notas en Español

Sometimes Jesus would go to places alone to have his prayer devotionals. It may be that his disciples were close because one of them says to Jesus,

Luke 11:1

Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

It is good to analyze each of these words because they have beneficial implications for the lives of each of us who consider followers of Christ.

Matthew 6:6-15

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We learn from the Bible that we cannot call God the Father but through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So, to try to approach the Father without the Son, is to call Jesus a liar, because He said:

John 14:1-7

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many [a]mansions; if it were not so, [b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Romans 8:17-27

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of [a]corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession [b]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The apostle John says in his first epistle:

1 John 3:1-3

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

John 1:9-13

9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His [b]own, and His [c]own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the [d]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Jesus wants us to be convinced that God is our FATHER, so that we may approach the throne of His grace and attain timely succor.

Hebrews 4:14-16

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The most relevant biblical example of human selfishness is the rich foolishness of the parable of

Luke 12:17-21

17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

It is interesting to note how Christ teaches praying to the Lord’s Prayer and not to “my” Father. Logically, if he is ours, he is also my father, but we are taught ours and not “mine”. Why? Because “ours is mine,” but “mine is not necessarily ours.”

The Lord’s Prayer is a condemnation of human egoism, because selfishness is one of the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16-24

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Destroys friendships

Proverbs 18:1-2

1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all [a]wise judgment. 2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart.

and hinders prayer James 4:2-3

Pero they don’t get what they want, because they don’t ask;

2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

It was selfishness that led the rich young man to turn his back on Jesus.

Mattew 19:21-22

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Second, OURS is a defense of Christian brotherhood.

The Lord’s Prayer lays the foundation for true brotherhood within the church of Jesus Christ.

When we have God as our Father, our egoism and any human argument that seeks to divide us and create barriers between us are knocked down.

The Bible says we should strive to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:2-7

2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in [a]you all.

May it not cost us so much work to recognize and accept that God has other children who are our brothers in Christ. It doesn’t matter what your nationality, skin color, language, cultural level, social status, or how rich or poor, whether or not you are spiritual. Although Christianity does not erase these distinctions, it does make them irrelevant for us to enter into a covenant with full privileges, as children of God.

Galatians 3:25-29

25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor., 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Jesus told his disciples that

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So, as members of God’s family, we have a duty to encourage each other to faith, to respect each other, and to pray for one another.

Ephesians 2:19

19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

The Bible clearly says that

Hebrews 11:6

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The Bible teaches that God has the earth as his footstool and his eyes walk the earth and nothing escapes his gaze.

Isaiah 66:1

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?

King David had that assurance when he said:

Salmo 139:7-10

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in [a]hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.