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A Prayer About Submission to Abba, Father

      We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Hebrews 12:9

     Gracious heavenly Father, though I understand the illustration, the first half of this verse needs some qualifications. Indeed, many of us didn’t grow up respecting fathers for the ways they disciplined us. Some of us we’re just flat out willful, rebellious and disrespectful of good fathers. Others of us had fathers who seemed to delight in crushing our spirits more than cherishing our hearts.

     Still others of us grew up as orphans in our own homes—either suffering an early death of our dads… the disappearance of our dads through divorce or abandonment… or we had fathers who we’re physically present, but in another orbit, emotionally and spiritually. You know all this and you meet each of us exactly where we are…

     But the second half of this verse is wondrously incontrovertible—it needs no qualifications and it cannot be denied. You are the Father of our spirits and you generously give us life—eternal life… abundant life… everlasting life. No matter how healthy, hollow or horrible our experience of our earthly father was/is… you can be trusted without reservation.

     You delight in us as your God and you discipline us for our good. You deploy angels on our behalf to protect us and you deliver good gifts to us for our enjoyment. You’ll complete the good work you began in us, and you accomplish your transforming work through us.

     No one parents like you, dear Father, no one. You paid the ultimate price—the gift of your Son, to make us your sons and daughters, and you’ve placed your Spirit in our hearts, to convince us we’re your beloved children. And by him we know you as, “Abba, Father”—the most intimate, secure and privileged of relationships.

     Submit to you? Why would we hesitate for one nanosecond? With palms up, we enter this day with growing wonder and grateful surrender. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ matchless name.

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