Divine Intimacy

Jesus said to them “When you pray, say: Father”  Lk. 11:2

The invitation stands.  You are invited to intimacy; divine intimacy.  Intimacy with God means knowing that you are love first, freely and forever by the Father.  It means that you are deeply familiar with God’s life and way of relating.  What is most real in life is God’s love for you.  How can you plummet the depth of this reality?  Divine intimacy is only possible through prayer.

Jesus taught us to call God, “Father”.  Surely, Christ shocked the Jewish world with this teaching.  In Old Testament Theology, absolutely no one was allowed to say God’s name except the high priest, in the temple before the holy of holies, once a year.  Yahweh was to be feared, venerated and respected for his greatness.  This theology leads towards a chasm between God and his people.  Separation, distance and fear settle in.  But, when Jesus teaches us to call God, “Father”, we are invited to a warm closeness and personal experience of the Father’s love.  Father means “Abba, “daddy”.  When we, as children, come before God and call him “Abba”, “daddy”, we open ourselves up to the most marvelous love relationship in the world.  When we run and jump into our daddy’s arms, just like little children do when they see their mommy or daddy has come home, then the fear and separation are replaced by love and belonging.

You belong to a most loving Father.  Abba is perfect in his love for you.  Do you trust your daddy?  He can only love you.  His embrace is unconditional.  The invitation stands.  Do you believe that daddy is perfect in his love for you?  Isn’t the deepest desire of your heart to live in the reality of that love?  What is holding you back from calling God, “daddy”?  What is keeping you from being a child and abandoning your whole self to Abba by jumping into his loving arms?  The invitation stands.