By Mark Wilmoth

Do your prayers usually begin with a phrase like “Dear Father in Heaven”?

Bible scholar R.C. Sproul wrote in 1996: “A few years ago, a German scholar was doing research in New Testament literature and discovered that in the entire history of Judaism–in all existing books of the Old Testament and all existing books of extra-biblical Jewish writings dating from the beginning of Judaism until the tenth century A.D. in Italy–there is not a single reference of a Jewish person addressing God directly in the first person as “Father.” The Jews might refer to God as Almighty God or El Shaddai or the Lord of Hosts, but they never called God, “Father.” But Jesus did and Jesus taught his disciples to follow that example. The Model Prayer in Matthew 6:3 begins, “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

Think about the importance of that truth!

“Father” reminds us that God wants a relationship with his children. Robert Hamill points out that “God is not a power or a principle or law, but he is a living, creating, communicating person – a mind who thinks, a heart who feels, a will who acts, whose best name is Father.” God is not an undefined force, nor is he a distant deity unconcerned about human affairs. God loves his creatures as their “father.”

God’s children have a special status in the world. Teacher of preachers Fred Craddock often told the story of sitting down at a restaurant in Gatlinburg, TN, looking forward to a quiet meal with his wife. The Craddocks noticed a white-haired gentleman making his way from table to table greeting the diners. Soon the man stopped to visit with them. “I’m Ben Hooper. Where are you folks from? Oklahoma, I’ve never been there but I hear it’s a great state. What do you do for a living. Oh, you teach preachers, do you? Well, I’ve got a story for you.” With that, Ben Hooper sat down, uninvited, and shared his past: “I was born not far from here across the mountains. My mother wasn’t married when I was born so I had a hard time. When I started to school my classmates had a name for me, and it wasn’t a very nice name. I used to go off by myself at recess and during lunch-time because the taunts of my playmates cut so deeply. What was worse was going downtown on Saturday afternoon and feeling every eye burning a hole through you. They were all wondering just who my real father was.

“When I was about 12 years old a new preacher came to our church. I would always go in late and slip out early. But one day the preacher said the benediction so fast I got caught and had to walk out with the crowd. I could feel every eye in church on me. Just about the time I got to the door I felt a big hand on my shoulder. I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. “Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?” I felt the old weight come on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. “Wait a minute,” he said, “I know who you are. I see the family resemblance. You are a son of God.” With that he slapped me across the rump and said, “Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.”

Ben Hooper concluded his story saying: “That was the most important single sentence ever said to me.” Hooper then excused himself and left the Craddocks to their dinner. But after he left, Fred Craddock remembered that on 2 occasions, the people of Tennessee had elected an illegitimate son to be their Governor, and one of them was Ben Hooper. The right father leads to success! If God is your Father, you’re headed toward a wonderful future.

But here’s the thing: You don’t get to pick your siblings. You might love them or you might fight with them, but you can’t get rid of them; they’re family. You got them because you have the same father. So remember, you and those brothers and sisters of yours, biological or spiritual, will all be happier if you just learn to get along.

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta. For more information regarding Pinehurst Christian Church, visit www.PinehurstChristianChurch.org.