The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 2
Praying “Father”: Embracing Our Identity and Relationship with God
Welcome back to The Disciples’ Prayer Series! We’ve explored the unity in addressing God as “Our” Father—now, let’s focus on the next word: “Father.”
Jesus taught us to pray this way for two powerful reasons: To reveal the Father in a way never understood before. To declare that we are sons of God.
Jesus: The Revelation of the Father
Throughout His ministry, Jesus unveiled the mystery of God’s nature. He declared, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” and emphasized, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Though fully God, Jesus chose not to operate in certain divine attributes (such as omnipresence or omniscience) during His earthly ministry. Instead, everything He did, He did as a man in obedience to the Father—showing us that we, too, can walk in obedience.
Sons Through Adoption
While Jesus is the only begotten Son, we become sons through adoption, empowered to cry, “Abba, Father!” This isn’t about physical gender but spiritual identity—both men and women inherit the promises of Christ.
As co-heirs with Him, we share in His inheritance: “God appointed Him heir of all things.” That means all things belong to us in Him, and we are raised up to reign with Christ!
Free from Slavery, Called to Serve
Being sons means we are not slaves to the law. Christ redeemed us so that we could live by faith, rather than striving under the law’s impossible demands.
Yet, as free people, we choose to serve—not out of obligation, but out of love. Unlike servants who work for acceptance, we serve because we already belong.
The Father’s Heart of Restoration
The Prodigal Son parable illustrates God’s heart: He doesn’t accept us as mere servants but embraces us fully as sons. The Father restored his son with a robe (honor), a ring (identity), sandals (freedom), and a feast (celebration)—a picture of our complete redemption.
If you pay close attention to the parable, you’ll see that when the younger son asked for his inheritance, the Father gave both of his sons their inheritance: the one who left and the one who stayed, but neither of them saw the Father rightly.
The younger brother wanted what was his without a relationship with the Father (until he repented). The older brother misunderstood his Father, working for what was already his (“I’ve slaved away for you.“). Jesus reminds us: “I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.”
Sons Who Serve
Understanding our sonship is key: we don’t serve to earn God’s love—we serve because we already have it. The Father disciplines us as His beloved children, shaping us into His image.
One day, when Christ appears, we will be like Him!
Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes. Let’s embrace our identity and live in the freedom of sonship!