“Pray, then, in this way: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.””
—Matthew 6:9
We address God as our Father, but do we truly know Him as Father? Knowing God as Father involves an intimate relationship of childlike love and trust. So on a scale of one to ten, how well do you know God as Father?
Recently the Holy Spirit revealed to me that images of my imperfect earthly father were keeping me from truly knowing my heavenly Father. He penetrated my heart with these words:
I embody the extremes of all human emotions, not like your father. I embody
- passionate, pure love, not like your father.
- passionate compassion, not like your father.
- passionate mercy, not like your father.
- passionate joy, not like your father.
- passionate humor, not like your father.
- passionate, deep empathy, not like your father.
- passionate jealousy for you and everyone I love, not like your father.
- passionate anger and fury against evil and our enemies, not like your father.
- passionate demonstration of righteous power and authority over all, not like your father.
- passionate forgiveness, not like your father.
I am the sacrificial, passionate lover of your soul, not like your father nor any other person. I am your Father, and you are Mine.
Dear child of God, you now have a trustworthy, almighty Father who calls you to experience the heights and depths of passionate relationship with Him. I encourage you to let go of negative images of your imperfect, earthly father to embrace your loving, eternal Father. Ask Him to show you the truth of who He is, and brace yourself for an adventure in love!
O Lord, may Your passionate love and righteousness fill and overwhelm me. May I love what You love and hate what You hate. Father, I love (passionately) because You first loved me (1 John 4:19).
Cynthia Schneider, From Passover to Pentecost (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2021), Used by permission.
