"He said to them, 'When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name'." (Luke 11:2 NIV).

A person's concept of God can dramatically affect their behavior and our world history. The tragic assassination of the Israeli prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, was perpetrated by someone who felt God told him to do it. This is not the first time that evil works have been carried out 'in the name of God'.

Jesus of Nazareth, shocked his contemporaries with a demonstrable relationship with God that was both intimate and reverent. A life of Spirit and truth. Power and humility. He dared call God, "Father" and taught his disciples to do the same. This even today is an affront to other major world religions whose concepts of God range from an unapproachable implacable Sovereign to an impersonal transcendent force.

As we relate to God we must be sure that our concept of Him is true to what He has revealed of Himself through His Word. Many pray to a God who is made in their own image, rather than the altogether holy (distinct, separate, like none other) God of the Bible.

The Name of the Lord God is to be hallowed. This means we are to adjust all of our thoughts to His self-revelation in Scripture. "We demolish every reasoning, imagination, philosophy, plan, argument and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (see 2Corinthians 10:5). We test every concept of God by the knowledge of Him communicated in His written and Living Word.

Christ is the Word of the Father made flesh. He is the perfect articulation of the Name of the Father in human form. Our concepts of the Father must align to the nature of Christ.

Many struggle in their relationship with God the Father because they cast Him in the image of their own earthly fathers. This is a major problem in 'fatherless' America. Many people have experienced the trauma of having no father, fathers who are absent either physically and emotionally, fathers who are covertly abusive in being over protective or overbearing or overtly abusive in that they are cruel physically and verbally. Jesus demonstrates, declares and communicates with, the 'Affectionate' Father. Whereas parents who love their children and inspire them to be all that God wants them to be may be termed 'affectionate', their affection is infinitely inferior to the affection of our Father in heaven (Luke 11:13).

Speak to your Father today. Do not be afraid to share your hurts and your joys. He is not emotionally absent. He weeps when you weep and rejoices when you rejoice. He delights over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Remember that as His child, He is working to conform you to the image of His Son, that you may worship Him and image Him "in spirit and in truth." (John 4:23).

In the Name of the Father,