Our Father: Finding Unity in the Family of God
Our Father: Finding Unity in the Family of God
When we recite the Lord's Prayer, we often breeze past two of the most significant words in the entire passage: "Our Father." Not "my Father," but "our." This simple pronoun shifts everything, reminding us that faith is not a solitary journey but a shared inheritance among all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.
A Common Father, A Shared Family
The universal church—what theologians call the "catholic" church with a small "c"—extends far beyond the walls of any single congregation. It encompasses every believer who has placed their trust in Jesus Christ: born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.
This shared faith makes us family. And like any family, we have our quirks. We have our crazy uncles. We don't always get along. Sometimes we even become estranged. But underneath it all runs a powerful current of love that unites us because we share one Father.
When God is our Father, we bear family traits. The acorn shouldn't fall too far from the tree. As we spend time with Him, His character—His morality, goodness, mercy, and attributes—should increasingly be reflected in us. We become more like Jesus because Jesus perfectly reflected the Father's will while on earth.
The Infinite and the Intimate
Here's something that will blow your mind if you let it sink in: God is both infinite and intimate. He is limitless—without bounds, never depleted, never having an off day. His power, wisdom, faithfulness, and goodness have no end. The same God who rested on the seventh day didn't do so because He was tired, but to establish a pattern for His people to remember Him and trust His provision.
Yet this same infinite God knows the number of hairs on your head. He formed you in the womb. He knows your thoughts, your struggles, your dreams. He doesn't just know you physically—He knows you emotionally, intellectually, completely. And here's the staggering truth: He loves you. Unchangingly. Regardless of what you do.
Your worth doesn't come from your bank account, your accomplishments, or your social status. Your worth comes from the fact that you are an image-bearer of God. That's what makes you valuable, and that's why His name is hallowed—set apart, holy, worthy of our worship and sacrifice.
A Kingdom Priority
After establishing our relationship with the Father, Jesus immediately directs our attention to God's kingdom: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
This raises an uncomfortable question: Whose kingdom do we really serve when we wake up in the morning? Do we see our customers, coworkers, bosses, and students through God's eyes? Do we seek His kingdom first, as Matthew 6:33 instructs us, trusting that He'll take care of everything else?
God's perfect will is done in heaven. But here on earth, we live in the tension between God's perfect will and His permissive will. Not everything that happens is what God desires—otherwise, Jesus wouldn't have needed to pray for God's will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven."
Our calling is to bend our will to His. Micah 6:8 lays it out simply: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Living kingdom-minded lives means prioritizing obedience, mercy, justice, and holiness—even when the world around us operates by different rules.
Daily Dependence and Daily Bread
"Give us this day our daily bread." Not everything we want. Not everything we've asked for. Just our daily bread.
Most of us don't know real hunger. We're so blessed that we sometimes question whether we should even pray before certain meals. Yet this simple request reminds us to be thankful for God's daily portion and to recognize that everything we have comes from Him.
Romans 1 warns us that the curse of humanity began when people no longer honored God or were thankful to Him. Gratitude keeps us grounded. It reminds us that our provisions aren't merely the fruit of our labor—they're the fruit of God's goodness.
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. He is worthy of our thanks, not just for what He gives, but for who He is.
The Grace of Forgiveness
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 makes that clear—all have fallen short of God's glory. None of us perfectly reflects His character. We share a fallen nature, which means we also share a desperate need for grace.
But here's the transformative power of the gospel: forgiven people forgive. Not just when someone comes to us broken and repentant, but even when they're still spitting in our face, disrespecting us, tearing us down. We forgive without them even asking because that's how God forgave us—while we were still His enemies.
Forgiveness is a hallmark of unity within the church. It teaches us humility. It prevents bitterness and division from taking root. When we recognize our own sinfulness and receive God's forgiveness, we're empowered to extend that same grace to others.
Our Common Struggle
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
We battle the same enemies: the flesh, the world system, and Satan. James 1:14 reminds us that we're tempted by our own desires. First John 2:15-17 warns us not to love the world's systems—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. And 1 Peter 5:8 tells us our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion.
But here's the good news: 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that God is faithful. He won't let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, and with every temptation, He provides a way of escape.
The next time you feel the pull of temptation, look around. Ask God to show you the way out. And when He does—because He will—take it. He is faithful.
A Shared Hope
Though not in the earliest manuscripts, the traditional ending of the Lord's Prayer captures a profound truth: "For yours is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever. Amen."
This echoes David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-13, where he declares God's greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty over all creation.
God's kingdom unites us. God's glory gives us purpose. God's power enables us.
We are family—not just in our local congregations, but in the universal body of Christ. We share a common Father, a common calling, a common dependence, a common grace, a common struggle, and a common hope.
Today and every day, may we remember: it's not "I," it's not "me," it's not "mine"—it's "ours."
When we recite the Lord's Prayer, we often breeze past two of the most significant words in the entire passage: "Our Father." Not "my Father," but "our." This simple pronoun shifts everything, reminding us that faith is not a solitary journey but a shared inheritance among all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ.
A Common Father, A Shared Family
The universal church—what theologians call the "catholic" church with a small "c"—extends far beyond the walls of any single congregation. It encompasses every believer who has placed their trust in Jesus Christ: born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.
This shared faith makes us family. And like any family, we have our quirks. We have our crazy uncles. We don't always get along. Sometimes we even become estranged. But underneath it all runs a powerful current of love that unites us because we share one Father.
When God is our Father, we bear family traits. The acorn shouldn't fall too far from the tree. As we spend time with Him, His character—His morality, goodness, mercy, and attributes—should increasingly be reflected in us. We become more like Jesus because Jesus perfectly reflected the Father's will while on earth.
The Infinite and the Intimate
Here's something that will blow your mind if you let it sink in: God is both infinite and intimate. He is limitless—without bounds, never depleted, never having an off day. His power, wisdom, faithfulness, and goodness have no end. The same God who rested on the seventh day didn't do so because He was tired, but to establish a pattern for His people to remember Him and trust His provision.
Yet this same infinite God knows the number of hairs on your head. He formed you in the womb. He knows your thoughts, your struggles, your dreams. He doesn't just know you physically—He knows you emotionally, intellectually, completely. And here's the staggering truth: He loves you. Unchangingly. Regardless of what you do.
Your worth doesn't come from your bank account, your accomplishments, or your social status. Your worth comes from the fact that you are an image-bearer of God. That's what makes you valuable, and that's why His name is hallowed—set apart, holy, worthy of our worship and sacrifice.
A Kingdom Priority
After establishing our relationship with the Father, Jesus immediately directs our attention to God's kingdom: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
This raises an uncomfortable question: Whose kingdom do we really serve when we wake up in the morning? Do we see our customers, coworkers, bosses, and students through God's eyes? Do we seek His kingdom first, as Matthew 6:33 instructs us, trusting that He'll take care of everything else?
God's perfect will is done in heaven. But here on earth, we live in the tension between God's perfect will and His permissive will. Not everything that happens is what God desires—otherwise, Jesus wouldn't have needed to pray for God's will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven."
Our calling is to bend our will to His. Micah 6:8 lays it out simply: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Living kingdom-minded lives means prioritizing obedience, mercy, justice, and holiness—even when the world around us operates by different rules.
Daily Dependence and Daily Bread
"Give us this day our daily bread." Not everything we want. Not everything we've asked for. Just our daily bread.
Most of us don't know real hunger. We're so blessed that we sometimes question whether we should even pray before certain meals. Yet this simple request reminds us to be thankful for God's daily portion and to recognize that everything we have comes from Him.
Romans 1 warns us that the curse of humanity began when people no longer honored God or were thankful to Him. Gratitude keeps us grounded. It reminds us that our provisions aren't merely the fruit of our labor—they're the fruit of God's goodness.
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. He is worthy of our thanks, not just for what He gives, but for who He is.
The Grace of Forgiveness
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 makes that clear—all have fallen short of God's glory. None of us perfectly reflects His character. We share a fallen nature, which means we also share a desperate need for grace.
But here's the transformative power of the gospel: forgiven people forgive. Not just when someone comes to us broken and repentant, but even when they're still spitting in our face, disrespecting us, tearing us down. We forgive without them even asking because that's how God forgave us—while we were still His enemies.
Forgiveness is a hallmark of unity within the church. It teaches us humility. It prevents bitterness and division from taking root. When we recognize our own sinfulness and receive God's forgiveness, we're empowered to extend that same grace to others.
Our Common Struggle
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
We battle the same enemies: the flesh, the world system, and Satan. James 1:14 reminds us that we're tempted by our own desires. First John 2:15-17 warns us not to love the world's systems—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life. And 1 Peter 5:8 tells us our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion.
But here's the good news: 1 Corinthians 10:13 promises that God is faithful. He won't let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, and with every temptation, He provides a way of escape.
The next time you feel the pull of temptation, look around. Ask God to show you the way out. And when He does—because He will—take it. He is faithful.
A Shared Hope
Though not in the earliest manuscripts, the traditional ending of the Lord's Prayer captures a profound truth: "For yours is the kingdom and the glory and the power forever. Amen."
This echoes David's prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-13, where he declares God's greatness, power, glory, victory, and majesty over all creation.
God's kingdom unites us. God's glory gives us purpose. God's power enables us.
We are family—not just in our local congregations, but in the universal body of Christ. We share a common Father, a common calling, a common dependence, a common grace, a common struggle, and a common hope.
Today and every day, may we remember: it's not "I," it's not "me," it's not "mine"—it's "ours."
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