John Bunyan on Prayer

Matt 6 The Lord’s Prayer

John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while imprisoned for his faith. It was an instant publishing success and sold possibly 100,000 copies in its first fifteen years. Another book by this author is “How to Pray in the Spirit.” Within this small volume is a chapter on the Lord’s Prayer, which you probably have memorized and/or recited in time’s past. Bunyan asks several questions about this passage found in Matthew 6 the first which is: “Do you know the meaning of the very first words of this prayer, “Our Father which art in heaven?” Bunyan also asks: “do they, those who call themselves Christians, truly understand and believe that God is their Father?”

Jesus taught this prayer to his disciples that they might know that their first order of prayer business begins with honoring and hallowing the name of God as Father. Is He your Father? Do you honor Him by calling Him your Father?” [Gal 4:6] What does it mean to you that God is your Father? It means He is Lord over all. It means as John wrote: “God is light and in Him there is no darkness (meaning sin) [1John 1:5] It means we can have an intimate relationship with Him because we have come to Him seeking cleansing of our sin and restoration, and we have received the Spirit of adoption so that we can cry “Abba, Father.” [Rom 8:15]

Do you know Him as your Father?