Day 16 - Pray for Broken Families

And when you pray do not heap up empty phrases … Pray then like this, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:7-9

Jesus assumed the practice of prayer. He assumed that prayer would be an integral part of the lives of his disciples. He did not say, “If you pray,” but “When you pray.” Disciples will pray because they understand that their lives are intimately connected with God. The Spirit within them encourages them to pray, urges them to pray, and calls them to prayer.

How are we to address God in our prayers? Jesus gave us a remarkable invitation. We should address God as “Our Father in heaven.” This was a revolutionary comment by Jesus and one that made the religious leaders very uncomfortable. God to them and to most of first-century Jewish culture was great and powerful, but he was not close and personal. He was to be feared and respected. In fact, the name that God gave to Moses and that is used throughout the Old Testament, transliterated by us as “Yahweh,” was not even spoken. It was too holy and sacred. The Jews substituted the word “Lord” instead. That Jesus would encourage people to address God as “Father” seemed to many blasphemously presumptuous.

What does the image of God as Father portray? It depicts strength and compassion. While not all earthly fathers live up to their ideal roles, God is the perfect Father. He is full of kindness, mercy, and compassion. In addition, he is strong and able to protect the people under his care. That he lives in heaven means that he is able to watch over us for good. Nothing happens in our lives that God does not see. We cannot see him, but God always sees us.

Human sinfulness breaks even the close bonds of the family. There is nothing worse than a broken family. There are many families today where trust has dissolved, where anger predominates, and where love has been lost. Today pray for broken families. Pray that there might be healing and reconciliation. Pray that God might be a loving Father who brings his wandering and broken children back under his wing.