“Father” is the Christian name for God!

Think about that… “Father” is the Christian name for God. And not just Father. Of all the world religions, Christianity is the only one to dare approach God as “Abba, Father.” Jesus and Paul alike added Abba, the Hebrew equivalent to Daddy when addressing the Father. So not just reverently as God, but affectionately, intimately as you only would do with family… Daddy, Father.

Contrast that with your relationship with your earthly father. Our relationship with our earthly fathers can have and in some ways continues to impact our relationship with God the Father… Has to.

So how do we learn, or re-learn how to have a proper relationship with God as Father?

The Psalms.

Max Lucado wrote a book on the Psalms in which he explained that God gave us the Psalms so His children, those with “a heart hungry for God” would have words to say when we stand or kneel before God. Words for worship and words for prayers.

Psalm 30, especially verses 4 and 5 and Psalm 32 are just two examples of why reading the Psalms regularly will improve both your worship and prayer life.

Unlike the Proverbs, Psalms are personal, relational, emotional, even defiant sometimes.

The Psalms teach us how the joy found in the face of God differs from the joy the world has to offer. There is a direct correlation between our relational joy with God and our ability to endure hardship in this life.

Is the joy of the Lord your strength?

However, there is a catch. The promises in Psalms aren’t for everyone, they are reserved for His children. And to be His child we must have an answer for our offenses, we must be forgiven. Jesus can provide that forgiveness and the Psalms can provide an understanding of how to ask for it.

If you’re not sure you're His child, that’s okay. We all were there at some point. Read Psalm 32. Re-Read it and pray it. Pray it until you can sing it. Keep doing it until you can get to verse 11 and own it. Knowing you are His child will change your life forever. And reading Psalms will help you get there and then give you words you’ll want for praise, worship and your prayers.

Pastor Roy