The Intimacy of Prayer

When Jesus responded to the enquiry, "Lord, teach us to pray", His teaching would have caused alarm and religious affront to the spiritual teachers and elders of His day. Why?

Jesus is audacious enough to address Yahweh, Jehovah, the One Living God as "Our Father".

If you examine Yahweh/Jehovah/Elohim in the Old Testament, you will see a God surrounded by lightening and fire. His holiness is so pure and perfect, that only certain people, under certain very strict conditions could even touch the ark of the covenant. Moses was not permitted to look on the face of God. We see Heavenly visions of seraphim, cherubim, smoke filling Heaven, and God being revealed in a long gown on a throne. These images make us step back in reverence, awe and fear. He is God - submit and obey.

We can never dispense with these revelations of God - He is Holy, perfect, and we cannot look Him in the aye as an equal. There is a natural response of humility and awe even when we pray as we bow our head and approach cautiously.

Yet Jesus addresses God as Father, implying an intimacy and personal relationship. We see him demonstrating this beautiful, intimate relationship time and time again in the Gospels as He abides in God with child-like trust, passionate intimacy, and a confidence that is unwavering.

We see no cathedrals where the altar is up the very front, and the only person who can approach is the priest. Rather, we see the veil in the temple torn, inviting us into the very holy of holies to have a personal intimacy with God, made available by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus' body and blood. And because of Pentecost, you do not have to go anywhere special, or be any one special to have this intimacy. The Holy Spirit makes His dwelling among us, we are His temple, so just pray to Him where you are in the intimacy of His Spirit in you.

Yes, fear God and obey Him. Respect Him as higher, better, smarter, stronger and wiser than you. Praise Him as the One who was, is, and is to come. But come to Him as your Father. Approach with humble confidence and trust, believing that He desires this of you and loves it when you approach Him as Father.