FATHER GOD

I prepared this message to share during offering time on Father's Day in church but due to a death in my husband's family I did not have a chance to share it. 

Anyway I will blog it...

FATHER GOD

"Father" is Jesus favorite term to address God.

In fact when Jesus taught His disciples to pray in the Lord's Prayer, He taught them to address God as "Our Father" signifying the relationship we should have with God when we come to Him in prayer.

Thus if we are new in faith and do not know whether to address God as Jesus, Holy Spirit or Father, it is good to start with Father since Jesus has set an example for us.

Jesus mentions the word "Father" over 165 times in the Bible. In Aramaic, the word "Father" means "Abba", a loving and intimate term for "Daddy".

In fact after Jesus death and resurrection, the NT believers also addressed God as Father in their preaching and praying.

There are multiple blessings of knowing God as our Father, such blessings that our earthly father cannot give us:

1. Our Father in heaven hears our prayers especially when it is prayed in unity with other believers.

Matthew 18:19

"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven"

2. He provides for our material and physical needs.

Matthew 6:33

"For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things"

3. He forgives our sins.

Mark 11:25

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses"

4. He gives eternal life.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"

5. He gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us.

Luke 11: 13

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to you children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him"

6. He adopted us as sons and daughters.

Romans 8:15

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba, Father"

Also see 2 Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 4:6 and 1 John 3:1.

7. He shows us mercy and comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort"

8. He gives us every spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ"

9. He gives us the spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Ephesians 1:17

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him"

10. He gives us every good and perfect gift.

James 1:17

"Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning"

11. He has made us kings and priests.

Revelations 1:6

"And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever"

12. He has written His name on our foreheads.

Revelations 14:1

"Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand having His Father's name written on their foreheads"

GREAT IS THE BLESSINGS OF KNOWING GOD AS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!

5 As of Anna - "Anna" means gracious

5 As of Anna - Principles from the life of Anna the intercessor

1. Anna means "gracious"
2. Anointed 
3. Amazing prophetic insight
4. Ageless
5. An overcomer

Anna - gracious

The name Anna means "favor", "grace" or "gracious".

Although our names may not be "Anna", a prayer warrior has to have "graciousness" as his/her hallmark. This is because being gracious or having graciousness is part of the character of God.

1 Peter 2:3 "For indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious".

Exodus 34:6 "And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth".

Perhaps the best illustration of the graciousness of God is when Jonah declared in Jonah 4:2 "...for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm"

Why did Jonah declare this? It was because in Jonah 3 (after Jonah's proclamation of destruction) the Ninevites immediately fasted and prayed to repent of their sins and God's plan to destroy the city did not materialize because God changed His mind. Jonah attributed this to God's graciousness.

To be gracious is to give others chance. To be gracious is to give others the benefit of the doubt especially if they are repentant. To be gracious is to keep on praying and believing the best of others in situations where they are willing to repent.

Psalm 86:5 "For You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to those who call upon You".

Psalm 86:15 "But, You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth".

Intercessors have to seek God to build in them this very essence and character of God - graciousness and mercy so that their intercession will be effective just like Anna of the Bible.

To be continued.....