One of the beauties of the gospel is that we know God and His Son Jesus Christ. In fact, that is Christ’s definition of “eternal life” (John 17:3).
What’s more, we now know God in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. If we have trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, then we’re united with Christ, indwelt by His Spirit, and adopted into His family as children of God (Rom 8:16-17).
This isn’t just some theological notion. God truly is our Father. Think about these gospel-facts. He has born us again by the word of truth, the gospel of Christ (James 1:18). He has placed His Spirit in us, the Spirit of adoption that cries out “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15).
So now we have access to God. Even more, we have boldness and confident access to our Father through faith in Christ (Eph 3:12). And by faith, we can cry to our Father for mercy and grace in our time of need (Heb 4:16). For any need, at any time, in any place. Just as your child can barge into your bedroom at 2am asking for a cup of water or reassurance that there’s nothing to be afraid of in the dark, you can go to your Heavenly Abba for what you need.
And in our neediness, our Father meets us with His love. He loves giving good gifts to His children, gifts perfectly crafted for the person and the need (James 1:17). And best of all, even if we don’t get the request we prayed for, we get Him, our Father rich in mercy and love, who delights over His children.
Doesn’t that make prayer all the more necessary and wonderful?
