“For we who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”- Romans 8:14-16
As Timothy Keller continues Chapter 5 of Prayer, he notes that St. Paul tells us the Holy Spirit fills believers with confidence in God’s loving attention- just as a little child shows trust toward a parent. The Holy Spirit leads us to cry,”Abba, Father.” The author adds that the Greek word for cry is krazdo– meaning a loud, fervent cry.
Biblical scholar C. E. B. Canfield observes that Jesus’ adoption of that phrase into his own private prayer life in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:36) authorized His disciples to address God in this way, giving them a share in His relationship to God. Thus God responds to our cries with the intense love and care of a parent responding to their child’s pain. Put another way, Pastor Keller states, “the Holy Spirit gives us a confident faith that turns naturally into prayer.” We must pray with confidence, not fear.
Today’s question: At this stage of your desert, transformational journey, how confident are you in God’s loving attention? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Total access”
