The Approachable God | Ps Rob Buckingham
September 9, 2022

Text: Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

The first two words of The Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father,” beautifully encapsulate the entire Christian faith: It’s all about community and relationship.

He’s not just “My” Father.” God is “Our” Father who calls us into community and relationship – a relationship with HIM that creates a connection between others who call Him Father.

In Jesus’ day, there were 18 Synagogue prayers, and they all had different opening words.

Most of the 18 Synagogue prayers started with, “God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob.” Others began with “Builder of Jerusalem” or “Redeemer of Israel.” Two Synagogue prayers began with “Our Father,” and that’s the one Jesus chose to start his classic prayer.

But Jesus made one surprising amendment. He changed the word Father from Hebrew (Avinu) to Aramaic (abba).

Q. Why was this change controversial?

A. Jesus broke with tradition:

Jesus broke with tradition by praying in Aramaic, the language of daily communication, thus making prayer more accessible and God more approachable.

What Jesus did in The Lord’s Prayer was teach His people that there is no sacred language in which we are to address God.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to use our everyday language when speaking to God. We don’t need to learn Hebrew or Arabic prayers. You’re not excluded if you don’t know those languages. Just use your most comfortable language when chatting with your Father.

Q. What did the word abba mean to Jesus’ hearers?

Abba originated as a sound that babies would use as they developed speech. It was then adopted as part of the Aramaic language and is still used in at least four Middle Eastern countries today, where abba is often the first word a young child learns.

Over time abba became a word that children would use with their fathers. It was a term of respect and also of deep, personal relationship.

And so, Jesus teaches us to respectfully come to the Father in prayer calling Him dada or daddy – just like any child would approach their loving Father – and enjoying a relationship with Him and their siblings!

This is an essential truth: Right at the start of The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us how we are to approach God.

Not by:
• Asking for things
• Confessing sin
• Seeking to forgive someone
• Complain about some trial or problem

Q. Have you ever tried to start praying that way?
Q. What was the result?
Deut. 28:23, “…your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze…

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to come to God through relationship. Not conscious of our fears & failures, our sins & sorrows, our wants & needs, our trials & temptations. We can address these later. But FIRST, realise that Jesus has given his Father to be our Father. So, whether you’re praying on your own or with others, relax and enjoy the relationship you have because you’ve been adopted into God’s family.

Q. Where is God?

“Our Father in heaven….”

The word “heaven” is most often translated as “air” in the New Testament.

Ephesians 2:1-2, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

But God is not “up there;” He’s as close as the air we breathe.

“Our Father, who’s as close to us as the air we breathe.”

Where is God? He’s in us and around us just like the air.

Effective prayer rests on the foundation that God is near us and hears us. God is approachable and accessible.

Let’s wrap this up by checking out a few other verses of Scripture:

Acts 17:27-28, God intended that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’

Ephesians 3:12, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Freedom = The sort of frank speech appropriate among friends. Confidence = bold access)

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Cf. Hebrews 10:19-22).

1 Thess. 5:17, “pray without ceasing.

As you walk into a difficult meeting, a challenging conversation, or other situations where you don’t know what to do, utter a simple prayer to your father.

God is accessible to everyone. He is approachable. So, we can draw near to Him with confidence that we are acceptable to him – not because of our works for God, but because of Jesus’ perfect work for us! God is approachable. Let’s access him in prayer.

Discussion Questions

  1. Jesus broke with tradition by praying in Aramaic, the language of daily communication. Has a belief that you should use a special “prayer language” ever hindered your prayers? Share examples.

  2. “Use your most comfortable language when chatting with your Father.” What does this look like for you?

  3. Abba is term of respect and also of deep, personal relationship. How do you maintain respect within your relationship with the Father?

  4. Have you ever tried to pray but began in the wrong way? I.e. • Asking for things, confessing sin, seeking to forgive someone, or complain about some trial or problem. What was the result?

  5. Rather than God being “up there” in heaven, he is “Our Father, who’s as close to us as the air we breathe.” How does this truth impact your prayer life?

  6. Read and discuss Hebrews 10:19-22 in relation to God’s accessibility.

  7. How might you pray without ceasing when you encounter life’s challenges?