“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Galatians 4:6–7, NKJV)

It is one thing to call God “Father,” but do you have the kind of relationship with God that merits that title?

Sadly, not all know what a good father/child relationship should look like or feel like, for many human fathers never quite reach their potential in that role (to put it nicely). Even sadder is that many cannot imagine the kind of close relationship with God the title “Father” suggests. Therefore, we do not draw near to God (cf. Jas. 4:8). We do not genuinely cry out “Abba, Father!”

Inherent with your role as a disciple is the potential of this amazing relationship with God, your Father who is in heaven. Yet many disciples continue as if God is an estranged parent, living in a faraway place, whom we do not really feel like we know, let alone actually know. Does the Spirit of His Son truly dwell in your heart? If so, what are you doing to develop this relationship with your Father? What can you start doing today to realize the awesome relationship God, our Father, desires to have with you?

Abba, Father! I cry out to you to know you, to draw near to you, to be your child and to know the relationship that You desire for us. Forgive me my distance Father. You have been there all along, but it is I who has kept us apart. Help me to change that. Through Jesus, I pray.