God's Children

Our Heavenly Father

Our identity as God’s children only makes sense in relation to God’s identity as our Father. We are invited to call him our "Father” each time we speak to him so that we remember how he loves and cares for us. We are invited to call him “our" Father each time we speak to him so that we remember we are part of a family.

God does love each of us personally and individually, but he also loves us collectively as brothers and sisters who are together his sons and daughters so that we can pray this way:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

May your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us daily bread, and help us forgive others as you forgive us.

Protect us from temptation and rescue us from the evil one.

Read & Reflect

John 1:12-13
Matthew 6:9-13
Luke 11:2-4

Copy out the prayer (either Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:2-4).

What are the main ideas in this prayer? Why do you think Jesus includes these things?

What does it mean to you that God is your Father?

How does it feel knowing you can talk to your Father any time?

Why do you think it's important to remember that God is Father to all of his children?

Extra Info

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The Lord’s Prayer isn’t actually called that in the Bible. It was how Jesus taught people to pray: simply, clearly, reverently. If anyone had a right to speak casually to God, it was his own Son. But he didn’t. Not here, or anywhere else. He addressed God as “Father” which is both personal and respectful. He didn’t say “Hey, Dad” or “Yo, Pops” or “Hey, God” or “Wutup?” or “’Sup??”
Some traditions call this prayer the “Our Father.” Others call it the “Pater Noster” which in Latin is literally “father of us.”
“Hallowed” is an archaic form of the word “holy.” It has technically only two syllables.
“For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever,” isn’t in the earliest Bible manuscripts.

Extra Verses

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Read John 6:32-35 for some more thoughts about daily bread.

Read Romans 8:13-17 for some more thoughts about God being our Father.

Extra Things

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Check out these two Young Life Bible App plans about the Lord's Prayer:

Teach Us To Pray

Our Father

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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