WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.040 We're going to be primarily looking at this reading and at the Galatians chapter 4 reading today. 00:00:08.540 --> 00:00:14.500 You may have seen the movie Gravity. It stars Sandra Bullock who plays a character named Dr. Stone. 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:24.480 And there's one point in the movie where Dr. Stone is isolated and alone and she is facing the likelihood of her own death. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:27.160 And she's coming to grips with her own mortality. 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:32.859 And she says, she's all alone and she says, I'm going to die, aren't I God? 00:00:34.340 --> 00:00:38.200 I know we're all going to die, but I'm going to die today. 00:00:39.179 --> 00:00:44.140 And then she says, I'd pray for myself, but I've never prayed in my life. 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:46.159 Nobody ever taught me how. 00:00:48.379 --> 00:00:52.439 And I know this is a fictional story. It's a great movie, but it's a fictional story. 00:00:52.439 --> 00:00:55.320 But I think that this part of the movie is very real. 00:00:55.579 --> 00:00:57.039 I think it's very human. 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:08.620 In other words, prayer seems to be instinctive in times of crisis, regardless of whether or not we consider ourselves to be religious people. 00:01:09.379 --> 00:01:15.239 There have been many efforts to try to find cultures or societies, even primitive or isolated ones, 00:01:15.679 --> 00:01:20.280 that don't have some kind of prayer or religion in them. 00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:22.820 And those efforts have largely failed. 00:01:23.159 --> 00:01:26.519 It seems as though prayer is a kind of universal phenomenon. 00:01:27.480 --> 00:01:30.500 Now, I'm not suggesting that every single person prays. 00:01:30.540 --> 00:01:32.540 I know that many of you may not pray. 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:33.560 Maybe you've never prayed. 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:39.019 But I suspect that there are a lot of people around the world who maybe have never thought about God. 00:01:39.100 --> 00:01:39.760 They've never prayed. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:41.480 They've never cared about any of this stuff. 00:01:42.180 --> 00:01:47.299 Who nevertheless are now beginning to be open to the possibility. 00:01:47.299 --> 00:01:57.179 They may be feeling this desire to reach out because there's a kind of existential dread in the air right now. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:02.000 A pall has been cast over life as a result of this pandemic. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:15.719 And I think that there's something in many of us that instinctively wants to reach out to know if there is some ultimate being out there or if we're alone in the universe. 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:23.900 So what I want to do over the next few minutes and actually few weeks is to look at the topic of prayer together. 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:27.259 And to do that, we're going to be looking at the Lord's Prayer, 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:33.759 which is not just a formula to memorize and recite as many of us grew up thinking it was. 00:02:34.219 --> 00:02:39.439 But each phrase of the Lord's Prayer is actually a kind of theological concentrate. 00:02:40.359 --> 00:02:48.159 It is densely packed with rich biblical theology spanning the Old and New Testaments. 00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:55.159 So everything that you need to know about having a relationship with God is found in the Lord's Prayer. 00:02:55.159 --> 00:03:04.900 So if you don't understand prayer, if you don't understand this prayer, and you don't know what this prayer means, 00:03:05.079 --> 00:03:09.159 then you're not going to know how to have a relationship with God. 00:03:09.519 --> 00:03:11.659 And you're not going to know how to pray. 00:03:12.019 --> 00:03:13.599 And of course those things go together. 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:19.259 If you don't know how to pray, then you won't really be able to have a relationship with God. 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:22.879 Because the essence of any relationship is communication. 00:03:23.399 --> 00:03:25.359 And that's what prayer really is. 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:27.359 So this is what we're going to be looking at. 00:03:27.519 --> 00:03:31.259 And this week we're going to start with just the first phrase of the Lord's Prayer. 00:03:31.739 --> 00:03:32.899 As Jesus says it, 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:37.259 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:42.780 And we're going to be drawing from Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus teaches his disciples this prayer. 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:45.840 And we're also going to be looking at Galatians chapter 4. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.520 And these are going to show us three things about prayer. 00:03:48.640 --> 00:03:52.259 We're going to look at first the object of our prayer. 00:03:52.659 --> 00:03:53.780 The object of prayer. 00:03:53.860 --> 00:03:56.800 And then we're going to be looking at the problem with prayer. 00:03:57.400 --> 00:03:58.659 The problem with prayer. 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:02.060 And then lastly, we're going to be looking at the answer to that problem. 00:04:02.640 --> 00:04:06.460 So the object of prayer, the problem with prayer, and then the answer to the problem. 00:04:06.759 --> 00:04:07.199 Let's pray. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:16.199 Lord, as we open your word and seek to know what it means to pray to you and to have a relationship with you, 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:18.779 we know that this all depends on you. 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:25.599 That we need you to open your word to us, to enable us to see it clearly, to understand it. 00:04:25.779 --> 00:04:29.500 And then through it, to see your Son clearly, Lord, the living word. 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:32.680 And it's in his name that we pray. 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:33.339 Amen. 00:04:33.339 --> 00:04:33.459 Amen. 00:04:35.359 --> 00:04:40.419 So the very first thing that Jesus shows us when he begins to teach his disciples how to pray 00:04:40.419 --> 00:04:45.019 is that the object of our prayer matters a great deal. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:49.699 The one to whom we pray matters a great deal. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:51.699 Jesus says, pray like this. 00:04:52.659 --> 00:04:57.519 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 00:04:57.919 --> 00:05:02.139 And what this shows us is that prayer is inherently relational. 00:05:02.139 --> 00:05:05.819 It's about a relationship with a being outside of ourselves. 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:11.500 I know some of us pray as a way to relax, a kind of form of meditation. 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:18.360 Some of us pray in the hopes that we might transcend our state of consciousness or have a kind of mystical experience. 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:24.740 And I wouldn't say that these are altogether wrong, but they're not what Jesus means when he talks about prayer. 00:05:24.919 --> 00:05:28.519 Jesus means having a relationship with a being outside of ourselves. 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:33.579 And it's a very specific kind of relationship with a very specific kind of being. 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:43.519 In other words, praying like Jesus means being able to come to the God of the universe and call him Father. 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:45.919 Call him Father. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:50.660 Now, that doesn't strike us because we're so familiar with this prayer. 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:53.759 It's probably one of the most familiar prayers in the world. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:58.180 But it should be earth-shattering if we understood it correctly. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:00.920 And here's how J.I. Packer puts it. 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:01.700 He says, 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:23.300 And listen to this. 00:06:23.300 --> 00:06:23.699 He says, 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:27.680 Father is the Christian name for God. 00:06:28.620 --> 00:06:31.460 Father is the Christian name for God. 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:36.180 Now, before Jesus came, the Jews referred to God as Father. 00:06:36.540 --> 00:06:40.259 And in a sense, what they meant was that God is the origin. 00:06:40.540 --> 00:06:41.460 He's the maker. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.960 He's the one who created all of this and all of us. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:46.500 He's the Father of the world. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:49.699 But Jesus takes it much further than that. 00:06:49.699 --> 00:06:55.319 When Jesus prays to the Father, he regularly calls him Abba, which is a very intimate term. 00:06:55.659 --> 00:06:59.800 Some people refer to this as a very childish term, and that's not entirely true. 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:01.759 But it is a term of intimacy. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:03.800 It would be like calling someone Dad. 00:07:04.219 --> 00:07:05.680 It's a familial term. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:10.560 Now, you know, we have a bunch of neighborhood kids on our street, 00:07:10.680 --> 00:07:12.939 and they love to come over and play with our kids. 00:07:13.159 --> 00:07:17.639 And in a sense, I love all of those kids, and I want the best for all of those kids. 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.319 But I'm not their dad. 00:07:21.300 --> 00:07:22.459 I'm not their dad. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:26.019 And only my kids get to call me Dad. 00:07:27.019 --> 00:07:31.620 Only my kids get to wake me up in the middle of the night when they're scared. 00:07:31.699 --> 00:07:34.259 Even if it's 3 o'clock in the morning, they know I'm going to get up. 00:07:35.219 --> 00:07:40.219 Only my kids know that when they get sick, I'm going to clean everything up. 00:07:40.579 --> 00:07:43.339 And I'll tell you right now, if one of these other kids gets sick around me, 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:46.779 I'm calling their parents because I'm not their dad. 00:07:47.359 --> 00:07:49.659 But my kids know that I'm their dad. 00:07:50.219 --> 00:07:56.120 And if you could see more of my office, you would know that my office is filled with pictures of my kids. 00:07:56.159 --> 00:08:01.819 And it's filled with all kinds of little drawings that my kids have done and cards that they've given me. 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.259 And just the other day, I got this, and I don't think that you can see it very clearly, 00:08:05.259 --> 00:08:07.099 but it's a little picture of a bird. 00:08:07.099 --> 00:08:14.920 And when you roll this flap of paper up and down, it makes it look as though the bird is flapping its wings and tweeting. 00:08:15.139 --> 00:08:16.899 And it's just a little thing. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:19.360 It probably took about five minutes to make. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:23.040 And if another kid had made this and given it to me, I would have said, 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:23.879 Oh, that's really nice. 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:25.840 And honestly, I probably would have tossed it. 00:08:26.500 --> 00:08:28.680 But my son made this for me. 00:08:29.580 --> 00:08:33.039 And because he made it and because he gave it to me, I'm keeping it forever. 00:08:33.560 --> 00:08:35.980 I think it's an invaluable treasure. 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:39.320 And so it's got a place of honor right here in my office. 00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:48.300 And the thing that we need to understand is that this is the kind of relationship that Jesus talks about having with God. 00:08:48.299 --> 00:08:50.339 God is our dad. 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:52.399 You know, for me, that has deep meaning. 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:57.639 If I could be totally honest, I probably wouldn't be willing to die for most of my friends. 00:08:58.199 --> 00:09:01.059 But when it comes to one of my kids, no hesitation. 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:05.959 I would lay down in traffic for them in a minute because I'm their dad. 00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:12.099 And Jesus says this is the kind of relationship that God wants to have with his children. 00:09:12.859 --> 00:09:15.919 So this is a pretty amazing thing that Jesus shows us. 00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:18.000 And it has some implications, you know. 00:09:18.299 --> 00:09:24.059 You should spend some time thinking about if and when you pray, what is the object of your prayer? 00:09:25.819 --> 00:09:28.639 To whom are you praying when you pray? 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:36.000 Maybe you're sending positive energy or positive thoughts out into the universe, 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:42.459 hoping that this kind of impersonal universal force responds with something good in your life. 00:09:42.460 --> 00:09:46.860 There are a lot of New Age philosophies and some Eastern religions operate that way. 00:09:47.220 --> 00:09:54.639 Or maybe you are trying to gain the favor of a being who is more like a king to you or more like a master to you. 00:09:54.800 --> 00:10:02.980 And maybe you're trying to get that being to whom you pray to bless you by showing how devoted you are. 00:10:02.980 --> 00:10:05.940 And that's very common among many of the religions of the world. 00:10:06.300 --> 00:10:08.600 But what Jesus is saying is radically different. 00:10:09.560 --> 00:10:15.840 Jesus makes it possible for prayer to be a way for us to climb into the arms of our dad. 00:10:17.300 --> 00:10:19.019 A dad who loves us. 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:21.080 A dad who is crazy about us. 00:10:21.420 --> 00:10:27.940 A dad who hangs our picture on the wall because he delights in nothing more than looking at our faces. 00:10:27.940 --> 00:10:30.060 So the first point is this. 00:10:30.360 --> 00:10:32.120 Not all prayer is the same. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:34.500 It's not interchangeable. 00:10:35.020 --> 00:10:37.520 The object of your prayer matters a great deal. 00:10:38.220 --> 00:10:41.600 But there's a problem with this that we need to resolve. 00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:43.420 The problem with prayer is this. 00:10:43.680 --> 00:10:47.540 It's not as simple as using the word father when you pray. 00:10:48.620 --> 00:10:50.180 God created everyone. 00:10:50.380 --> 00:10:54.200 And so in a sense, God is the father and the origin and the maker of everyone. 00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:57.240 But not everyone gets to call him dad. 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:02.680 Just like not every kid on the street gets to call you or I mom or dad. 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:06.340 There's a particular relationship that Jesus has in mind. 00:11:06.680 --> 00:11:08.840 And not everyone has it automatically. 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:13.620 The Bible says that our core problem, the core problem in the world, 00:11:13.759 --> 00:11:17.580 the problem under all of the problems and all of the social ills 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:20.480 and all of the challenges that we face in society, 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:26.560 the core problem is that all human beings start out life as spiritual orphans. 00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:30.360 We are orphans, spiritually speaking. 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:36.180 And what I mean by that is that we start out living life in the world that God made 00:11:36.180 --> 00:11:38.200 without really knowing that God, 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:42.759 without having any kind of relationship with that God. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.360 And this is not because God ever abandoned us. 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.740 It's because our first parents made the decision to abandon God. 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:55.680 And as a result of that, we come into the world as spiritual orphans. 00:11:55.680 --> 00:12:02.800 And I want to make it clear that being a spiritual orphan has nothing to do with whether or not you are a religious or irreligious person. 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:06.259 Because there are a lot of people that grow up going to church all their lives. 00:12:06.359 --> 00:12:08.979 They're very pious people, very devoted people, 00:12:09.179 --> 00:12:14.299 who nevertheless don't really know what it means to have God as a father, 00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:19.579 as a dad, as someone into whose arms they can crawl in the middle of the night. 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:22.419 They've never had that kind of relationship with God. 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:24.939 And so they're living like spiritual orphans. 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:29.980 The clearest evidence that you're a spiritual orphan, 00:12:30.160 --> 00:12:32.520 if you want to take a look and think about your own life, 00:12:32.580 --> 00:12:35.080 the clearest evidence that someone is a spiritual orphan 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:38.780 is that they are regularly looking for sources. 00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:45.520 They're looking to other sources to find things that only their heavenly father can give them. 00:12:46.420 --> 00:12:50.760 They're going elsewhere and trying to find, in a sense, substitute dads. 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:56.779 And what are the things that we look to our heavenly father to give us? 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:00.240 Well, things like a sense of worth or value, 00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:03.319 a sense that we are ultimately loved, 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:09.819 a sense that we are safe and that things will ultimately turn out okay one day, 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:12.580 are these deep existential longings. 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.299 And so there are many people who are spiritual orphans 00:13:15.299 --> 00:13:19.779 who go about trying to find a sense of worth by looking to their jobs. 00:13:19.779 --> 00:13:22.480 or by looking to their accomplishments. 00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:26.100 Or by looking to their looks. 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:29.679 Or by looking to their children and their ability as parents. 00:13:29.839 --> 00:13:33.139 And that's their source of worth in the world. 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:36.519 There are people who are desperately longing to feel loved. 00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:42.159 And so they look to the attention or approval of the people that they respect 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.240 so that they can feel loved. 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.480 There are people who desperately desire to feel safe. 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:54.100 And so they try to meet that need by trying to control every aspect of their lives that they can. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:56.920 And the problem with all of these things, 00:13:57.019 --> 00:14:00.620 the problem with going to these other sources to try to get these needs met, 00:14:00.800 --> 00:14:03.720 is what Paul says in Galatians 4, verse 8. 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:05.000 He says, 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:15.980 So he's talking about these other sources. 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:16.700 And he's saying, 00:14:17.059 --> 00:14:19.919 you're enslaved to these sources. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:23.320 Whatever you look to to give you things only your Heavenly Father can give you 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:25.759 will end up being your God. 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:28.159 And it will end up enslaving you. 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:31.059 And so to paraphrase David Foster Wallace, 00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:33.480 if success is your God, 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:36.019 then you're always going to feel like a failure. 00:14:36.199 --> 00:14:37.000 It's never going to be enough. 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:39.819 If being beautiful and attractive, 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:41.259 if that's your God, 00:14:41.319 --> 00:14:45.339 if that's the substitute that you go to to get that need met, 00:14:45.459 --> 00:14:47.279 then you're always going to feel ugly. 00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:50.819 And you're always going to worry that other people are more attractive than you. 00:14:50.820 --> 00:14:54.480 If being a perfect parent is your God, 00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:55.000 if you say, 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:58.600 the one thing that makes me get up and go in the morning 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:00.400 is that I'm going to be a perfect parent, 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:01.379 if that's your God, 00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:03.100 then you're always going to feel like a failure. 00:15:03.460 --> 00:15:06.060 You're always going to notice the ways that you're falling short. 00:15:07.740 --> 00:15:11.060 These things cannot meet these needs in us 00:15:11.060 --> 00:15:12.500 because, as Paul says, 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:13.100 by nature, 00:15:13.420 --> 00:15:14.640 they are not gods. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:16.880 By design, 00:15:17.060 --> 00:15:19.320 they cannot meet these needs. 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:22.640 Only our Heavenly Father can meet these needs. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.000 There was an NPR interview with Paul McCartney 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.960 that I saved some years ago. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:29.760 Paul McCartney, of course, 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:31.920 is one of the great musicians of our era, 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:33.320 one of the greatest of our era. 00:15:33.560 --> 00:15:35.440 And he admits in this interview 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:37.320 that he feels threatened 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:40.680 when some other young musician comes out with a hit, 00:15:40.760 --> 00:15:43.400 that he gets threatened by other musicians' success. 00:15:43.620 --> 00:15:45.960 And the interviewer is utterly incredulous. 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:46.240 He said, 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:48.220 how could the great Paul McCartney 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:49.860 with just accolades and awards, 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:52.180 just stacks of awards in his house? 00:15:52.220 --> 00:15:54.019 How could you ever be threatened by anybody? 00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:56.120 And McCartney replies, 00:15:56.220 --> 00:15:56.440 he says, 00:15:56.500 --> 00:15:57.379 unfortunately, yeah. 00:15:57.940 --> 00:16:00.500 I should be able to look at my accolades and go, 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:02.220 come on, Paul, that's enough. 00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:05.019 But there's still this little voice 00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:06.660 in the back of my brain that goes, 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:07.899 no, no, no. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:09.320 You could do better. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:12.000 This person over here is excelling. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.820 You need to try harder. 00:16:15.139 --> 00:16:16.860 And that little voice, 00:16:17.460 --> 00:16:19.580 that little voice that I know some of us have heard 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:20.379 in our own lives, 00:16:20.539 --> 00:16:22.500 that is the voice of slavery. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:24.940 That's the voice of slavery. 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:26.580 It's never enough. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.860 So to tie all this back to the Lord's Prayer, 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:32.159 Jesus prays, 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:33.639 our Father in heaven, 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:36.079 hallowed be your name. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:38.059 And to hallow something, 00:16:38.219 --> 00:16:40.600 to hallow our Heavenly Father's name, 00:16:40.699 --> 00:16:44.480 means we make that the reason for our life. 00:16:44.579 --> 00:16:46.019 That's the thing that we live for. 00:16:46.319 --> 00:16:49.240 That's the source of our worth and our love 00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:49.899 and our safety 00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:51.019 and all of these things that we need. 00:16:51.059 --> 00:16:53.459 That's what it means to hallow God's name. 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:55.179 But here's the point I want you to see. 00:16:55.179 --> 00:16:59.359 If we don't hallow our Heavenly Father, 00:16:59.859 --> 00:17:02.299 if we don't make that the thing that we live for 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:04.399 and the source of all of our worth and love and identity, 00:17:04.919 --> 00:17:07.359 then we're going to end up hallowing something else. 00:17:08.339 --> 00:17:09.740 And so the question is not, 00:17:09.940 --> 00:17:10.659 what do you hallow? 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:12.159 What do you make holy in your life? 00:17:12.460 --> 00:17:14.399 Or whether or not you do that with God. 00:17:14.539 --> 00:17:15.179 The question is, 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:16.359 what are you doing it with? 00:17:16.839 --> 00:17:19.059 Because everybody hallows something. 00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:21.200 Everybody lives for something. 00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:23.919 So what's the answer to this problem? 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:24.980 Right? 00:17:25.080 --> 00:17:27.720 If Jesus teaches us that the object of our prayer 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:29.200 should be our Heavenly Father, 00:17:29.360 --> 00:17:30.200 our Dad, 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:33.259 and yet the problem with that 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:35.060 is that we find ourselves in the world 00:17:35.060 --> 00:17:36.100 as spiritual orphans. 00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:38.860 We don't have that kind of relationship with Dad. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:39.700 And as a result, 00:17:39.800 --> 00:17:41.980 we've gone to all of these other substitutes, 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:42.880 these other sources 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:45.100 that can't ever live up 00:17:45.100 --> 00:17:46.820 to the demands that we place on that, 00:17:46.860 --> 00:17:48.060 that end up enslaving us. 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:49.860 How do we resolve all of this? 00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:52.060 And of course, 00:17:52.059 --> 00:17:53.419 the answer is, 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:54.839 we need a Father in Heaven. 00:17:55.700 --> 00:17:57.500 And we need to hallow His name 00:17:57.500 --> 00:17:58.879 above all others. 00:17:59.539 --> 00:18:00.879 And this is, of course, 00:18:00.940 --> 00:18:03.500 the entire point of the Gospel. 00:18:03.679 --> 00:18:05.139 This is the entire reason 00:18:05.139 --> 00:18:06.639 that Jesus came. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.940 Here's what Paul says in Galatians 4, 00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:10.139 beginning in verse 4, 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:10.619 he says, 00:18:10.619 --> 00:18:12.539 But when the fullness of time had come, 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:14.339 God sent forth His Son, 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:15.480 born of a woman, 00:18:15.879 --> 00:18:16.779 born under the law, 00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:19.259 to redeem those who were under the law 00:18:19.259 --> 00:18:21.099 so that we might receive adoption 00:18:21.099 --> 00:18:22.720 as sons. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:24.299 And because you're sons, 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.079 God has sent the Spirit of His Son 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.960 into our hearts, 00:18:27.160 --> 00:18:27.480 crying, 00:18:27.700 --> 00:18:28.039 Abba, 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:28.819 Father, 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:29.279 crying, 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.000 Dad. 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:32.480 So you're no longer a slave, 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:33.519 but a son. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:34.819 And if a son, 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:36.079 then an heir 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:37.319 through God. 00:18:37.379 --> 00:18:37.599 Now, 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.899 I know that there's a lot of 00:18:38.899 --> 00:18:40.680 gender-specific language here 00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:42.099 around fathers and sons, 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:43.200 and it may sound like 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:45.180 Paul is being very gender-specific, 00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:46.539 but it's in fact the opposite. 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:48.200 I want you to understand 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:49.600 what Paul's actually saying here. 00:18:49.620 --> 00:18:50.279 It's pretty radical. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:52.019 In Rome, 00:18:52.420 --> 00:18:53.720 adoption was very common. 00:18:54.100 --> 00:18:55.080 It was very common 00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:56.299 among the upper classes, 00:18:56.460 --> 00:18:58.060 especially among senators. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.160 Because in Roman society, 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:03.279 succession was very important. 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:04.960 Passing on your land 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.519 or your estate 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.240 and all of that 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.240 to an heir, 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.640 that was very important. 00:19:09.140 --> 00:19:10.320 And so what did you do 00:19:10.320 --> 00:19:11.220 if you didn't have 00:19:11.220 --> 00:19:12.860 a firstborn male heir 00:19:12.860 --> 00:19:14.140 who could be your successor? 00:19:14.140 --> 00:19:15.620 Well, one of the easiest ways 00:19:15.620 --> 00:19:16.280 to resolve that 00:19:16.280 --> 00:19:17.259 was to adopt. 00:19:17.380 --> 00:19:18.320 You would go out 00:19:18.320 --> 00:19:19.020 and you would find 00:19:19.020 --> 00:19:20.120 some young, 00:19:20.420 --> 00:19:22.080 promising man of worth 00:19:22.080 --> 00:19:22.680 and you would 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:24.740 legally adopt him, 00:19:25.020 --> 00:19:26.820 make him your firstborn son, 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:27.500 and then make him 00:19:27.500 --> 00:19:28.460 the heir of your estate. 00:19:28.520 --> 00:19:29.040 And this happened 00:19:29.040 --> 00:19:30.200 all of the time 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:31.500 among the upper classes. 00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:31.960 But of course, 00:19:32.020 --> 00:19:33.040 it only ever applied 00:19:33.040 --> 00:19:34.300 largely to people 00:19:34.300 --> 00:19:35.120 who were in the upper class 00:19:35.120 --> 00:19:36.040 and it only ever applied 00:19:36.040 --> 00:19:36.960 to men. 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:38.420 Rarely, if ever, 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:39.000 do we have accounts 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:40.700 of women being adopted. 00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:43.559 And Paul is saying 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:44.819 precisely the opposite 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:46.200 when it comes to God. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:47.840 What Paul says 00:19:47.840 --> 00:19:49.039 is that God's desire 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:50.120 to adopt us 00:19:50.120 --> 00:19:51.960 has nothing to do 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:52.400 with gender. 00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:54.059 It has nothing to do 00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:54.580 with race. 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:55.860 It has nothing to do 00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:57.120 with our socioeconomic class. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.319 It has nothing to do 00:19:58.319 --> 00:19:59.380 with our worth. 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:00.440 It has nothing to do 00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:01.900 with our moral excellence. 00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:03.100 It has nothing to do 00:20:03.100 --> 00:20:03.720 with any way 00:20:03.720 --> 00:20:05.160 that we've proved ourselves. 00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:06.279 It has nothing to do 00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:06.880 with any of that. 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:08.940 God's desire to adopt you 00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:10.360 as his child 00:20:10.360 --> 00:20:11.920 is based purely 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:12.759 on the fact 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:13.860 that he loves you. 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.140 At some point, 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:22.039 when you had no idea 00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:22.799 God was there, 00:20:23.860 --> 00:20:25.779 God was looking at you 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:27.320 and he was saying, 00:20:27.580 --> 00:20:29.320 I want to be your dad. 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:31.880 I want you to be my child. 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:34.440 That is the reason 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:36.340 that God sent Jesus Christ 00:20:36.340 --> 00:20:37.600 into the world. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:38.599 God sent us 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:40.339 and in order to make 00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:41.799 our adoption possible, 00:20:41.959 --> 00:20:44.319 God first has to redeem us 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:45.539 and to redeem someone 00:20:45.539 --> 00:20:47.480 means to pay the price 00:20:47.480 --> 00:20:48.480 in order to purchase 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:49.199 their freedom. 00:20:49.339 --> 00:20:50.759 You would redeem slaves 00:20:50.759 --> 00:20:52.219 by buying their freedom. 00:20:52.579 --> 00:20:53.859 So God has to purchase 00:20:53.859 --> 00:20:54.599 our freedom 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:56.379 and free us 00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:57.059 from the things 00:20:57.059 --> 00:20:57.819 that we've become 00:20:57.819 --> 00:20:58.839 enslaved to, 00:20:58.959 --> 00:21:01.819 these substitute gods, 00:21:01.959 --> 00:21:04.139 these substitute heavenly fathers. 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:04.719 And so, 00:21:04.919 --> 00:21:06.839 that's exactly why Jesus came. 00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:09.559 Jesus is the only true son of God, 00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:11.720 the only begotten son. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:12.720 And of course, 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:13.759 the gospel tells us 00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:14.659 that Jesus came 00:21:14.659 --> 00:21:17.039 as God's one and only son, 00:21:17.459 --> 00:21:18.639 the true heir 00:21:18.639 --> 00:21:19.720 to everything, 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:22.279 and that Jesus took our place, 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:25.659 that he lived the life 00:21:25.659 --> 00:21:26.599 that we should have lived 00:21:26.599 --> 00:21:27.699 but have not. 00:21:28.099 --> 00:21:29.519 And then he died the death 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:30.939 that we deserve to die. 00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:33.920 And because Jesus did that, 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:36.799 he takes our place 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.640 so that we can take 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:41.019 his place as children. 00:21:41.480 --> 00:21:42.200 And as Paul says, 00:21:42.360 --> 00:21:42.799 sons, 00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:44.000 firstborn sons, 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:46.340 and heirs in the kingdom. 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:48.220 This is the truth of the gospel. 00:21:48.620 --> 00:21:48.980 And so, 00:21:49.059 --> 00:21:50.039 the only way 00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:52.019 to go from being an orphan 00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:55.200 to being a slave 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.080 to these spiritual substitutes 00:21:58.080 --> 00:21:59.120 that we have gone to, 00:21:59.180 --> 00:21:59.819 the only way 00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:02.480 to gain this new identity 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:03.779 is through faith 00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:04.580 in Jesus Christ. 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:06.799 Asking God, 00:22:06.900 --> 00:22:07.460 on the basis 00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:08.819 of what Jesus has done for us, 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:09.860 to forgive us 00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:13.459 and then to redeem us 00:22:13.459 --> 00:22:16.519 and then to adopt us 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:17.979 and to make us 00:22:17.979 --> 00:22:19.519 co-heirs with Christ. 00:22:19.679 --> 00:22:20.619 We are the brothers 00:22:20.619 --> 00:22:21.819 and sisters of Jesus 00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:23.139 and we have all of the rights 00:22:23.139 --> 00:22:24.279 and privileges in the kingdom 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:25.439 that he has. 00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:26.879 And that is what gives us 00:22:26.879 --> 00:22:29.179 the right to call God Father. 00:22:30.379 --> 00:22:31.379 That's what gives us 00:22:31.379 --> 00:22:32.199 the privilege 00:22:32.199 --> 00:22:33.819 of climbing into the arms 00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:34.799 of our dad 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:35.979 in the middle of the night 00:22:35.979 --> 00:22:36.919 when we pray. 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:39.659 Now, to bring all this together, 00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:40.420 why are we talking 00:22:40.420 --> 00:22:41.100 about all of this 00:22:41.100 --> 00:22:41.540 in the middle 00:22:41.540 --> 00:22:43.720 of a global pandemic? 00:22:43.980 --> 00:22:44.759 And I'll just give you 00:22:44.759 --> 00:22:45.560 a couple of reasons 00:22:45.560 --> 00:22:46.300 to close. 00:22:46.820 --> 00:22:48.100 Number one is this. 00:22:49.300 --> 00:22:50.380 Times of crisis 00:22:50.380 --> 00:22:51.920 often reveal 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:52.700 the things 00:22:52.700 --> 00:22:54.300 that we most hallow 00:22:54.300 --> 00:22:55.880 in our lives, 00:22:56.100 --> 00:22:57.500 our substitute gods. 00:22:58.200 --> 00:22:59.019 Now, I'm not trying 00:22:59.019 --> 00:22:59.600 to minimize 00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:00.540 or make light 00:23:00.540 --> 00:23:01.140 of suffering. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.080 I know that there's 00:23:02.080 --> 00:23:03.340 much real suffering 00:23:03.340 --> 00:23:04.340 in the world. 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:05.180 I know that there are 00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:07.200 people in our parish 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.940 who have tested positive 00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:09.460 for coronavirus. 00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:10.220 I know that people 00:23:10.220 --> 00:23:11.240 are facing all kinds 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:12.300 of financial stress 00:23:12.300 --> 00:23:13.100 and ruin 00:23:13.100 --> 00:23:13.680 and businesses 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:14.320 are closing 00:23:14.320 --> 00:23:16.140 and people are struggling 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:17.480 in their jobs. 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:19.080 And I know all of that 00:23:19.080 --> 00:23:19.580 is going on 00:23:19.580 --> 00:23:20.019 and some of you 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:21.019 are feeling isolated 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:22.340 and alone. 00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:23.200 Some of you are 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:24.279 in households 00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:25.240 where you're struggling 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:26.580 relationally with the people 00:23:26.580 --> 00:23:27.140 that you're with. 00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:28.680 You're struggling to love 00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:29.259 and be patient 00:23:29.259 --> 00:23:29.880 with your kids. 00:23:30.340 --> 00:23:31.340 I know all of these 00:23:31.340 --> 00:23:32.100 things are true. 00:23:32.099 --> 00:23:33.319 And I know that there is 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:34.659 a kind of existential dread 00:23:34.659 --> 00:23:36.379 all around us right now 00:23:36.379 --> 00:23:38.639 and this is a test 00:23:38.639 --> 00:23:39.119 of endurance 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:39.839 for many of us. 00:23:40.379 --> 00:23:40.819 But listen, 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:41.859 it is often 00:23:41.859 --> 00:23:42.740 in these times 00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:43.319 of crisis 00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:45.439 when we begin 00:23:45.439 --> 00:23:46.279 to see clearly 00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:47.759 the things 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:49.859 that we most hallow, 00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:51.559 our idols, 00:23:52.139 --> 00:23:53.439 our substitute gods, 00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:54.839 because it's only 00:23:54.839 --> 00:23:55.599 when these things 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.959 are taken away from us 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:57.500 that we realize 00:23:57.500 --> 00:23:58.759 how much value 00:23:58.759 --> 00:23:59.519 we put in them. 00:24:00.600 --> 00:24:01.579 And so even in the midst 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:02.400 of this tragedy 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:03.160 and this crisis, 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:04.539 this is also an opportunity 00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:06.440 to see our hearts 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:07.160 more clearly. 00:24:08.059 --> 00:24:09.299 And if you see 00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:10.660 substitute gods, 00:24:10.740 --> 00:24:11.539 if you see things 00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:12.440 that you're going to 00:24:12.440 --> 00:24:13.539 for worth or identity 00:24:13.539 --> 00:24:14.039 or meaning 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:15.100 or love or security 00:24:15.100 --> 00:24:16.299 that are not God, 00:24:16.380 --> 00:24:17.220 then understand this, 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:18.400 they can never deliver 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:19.160 on their promises. 00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:21.180 They will only ever 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:21.819 enslave you 00:24:21.819 --> 00:24:22.559 and let you down. 00:24:22.900 --> 00:24:23.860 And this is an opportunity 00:24:23.860 --> 00:24:25.380 for you to rid yourself 00:24:25.380 --> 00:24:26.539 of these things 00:24:26.539 --> 00:24:27.420 once and for all. 00:24:28.259 --> 00:24:29.339 So times of crisis 00:24:29.339 --> 00:24:30.200 reveal the things 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.039 we most hallow. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:32.180 The second reason 00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:33.200 I think this is relevant 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:33.819 right now 00:24:33.819 --> 00:24:34.960 is because in times 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:35.500 of crisis, 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:36.879 we need to be able 00:24:36.879 --> 00:24:38.399 to pray with assurance. 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:39.899 In other words, 00:24:39.940 --> 00:24:40.480 we need to be able 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.639 to pray knowing 00:24:41.639 --> 00:24:42.279 that there's someone 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:42.759 out there 00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:44.720 who is listening to us, 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:46.099 who cares about us 00:24:46.099 --> 00:24:46.980 and loves us. 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:48.879 And that's precisely 00:24:48.879 --> 00:24:49.839 what this prayer 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:51.019 is meant to offer us. 00:24:51.740 --> 00:24:52.839 If you know 00:24:52.839 --> 00:24:53.599 that the God 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:54.220 of the universe, 00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:55.220 the God of the heavens 00:24:55.220 --> 00:24:55.740 and the earth 00:24:55.740 --> 00:24:56.920 is your dad, 00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:58.960 then you know 00:24:58.960 --> 00:24:59.759 when you pray, 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:01.059 every time you pray, 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:02.120 then you're climbing 00:25:02.120 --> 00:25:03.720 into his arms. 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:05.539 You know that your prayers 00:25:05.539 --> 00:25:07.099 are like these drawings, 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:08.559 that he delights 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.680 when we come to him 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:10.539 in prayer. 00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:12.180 So to speak, 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:13.680 he puts our prayers 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:14.599 in his office 00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:16.180 because they're treasures 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:16.740 to him. 00:25:16.839 --> 00:25:18.539 Then that's how he feels 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:19.299 about his children. 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:21.000 So you can have 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:21.799 the assurance of knowing 00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:22.500 that when you pray, 00:25:22.579 --> 00:25:23.599 that's how God responds. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.199 And the times 00:25:25.199 --> 00:25:26.000 where God doesn't 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:26.980 give you what you want, 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:27.819 the times that God 00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:28.939 doesn't answer your prayer, 00:25:29.159 --> 00:25:29.759 it doesn't mean 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:30.500 that he doesn't hear you. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:30.980 It doesn't mean 00:25:30.980 --> 00:25:32.159 that he doesn't love you. 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:33.339 It simply means 00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:34.179 that he's your parent. 00:25:34.899 --> 00:25:35.899 And there are times 00:25:35.899 --> 00:25:37.379 when he has to say no. 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:38.119 There are times 00:25:38.119 --> 00:25:38.980 when he has to 00:25:38.980 --> 00:25:40.139 give us something 00:25:40.139 --> 00:25:40.699 other than what 00:25:40.699 --> 00:25:41.399 we've asked for, 00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:43.279 but that that pains him. 00:25:43.819 --> 00:25:45.419 And that God, 00:25:45.539 --> 00:25:46.500 because he's your dad, 00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:47.799 wants more than anything 00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:49.359 for you to be flourishing. 00:25:50.359 --> 00:25:51.319 But you have that 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:52.059 kind of assurance 00:25:52.059 --> 00:25:53.139 of knowing no matter what, 00:25:53.419 --> 00:25:54.099 God is there. 00:25:54.899 --> 00:25:55.719 And so the invitation 00:25:55.719 --> 00:25:56.519 is this, 00:25:56.599 --> 00:25:57.379 this first week. 00:25:57.959 --> 00:25:59.139 Come to Jesus Christ 00:25:59.139 --> 00:26:00.959 and you will find 00:26:00.959 --> 00:26:01.599 the assurance 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.740 that you need. 00:26:02.819 --> 00:26:04.179 You'll find all the assurance 00:26:04.179 --> 00:26:05.199 that you need 00:26:05.199 --> 00:26:06.519 as you pray. 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:08.379 And then pray these words 00:26:08.379 --> 00:26:09.619 and know the truth of them. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.059 Our Father in heaven, 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:13.039 hallowed be your name. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.079 Let's pray. 00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:18.500 God, we thank you 00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:19.740 for your word 00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:20.439 and we thank you 00:26:20.439 --> 00:26:21.579 for the words of this prayer. 00:26:21.899 --> 00:26:22.699 And I pray that 00:26:22.699 --> 00:26:23.899 as we pray them 00:26:23.899 --> 00:26:25.939 over the course of this day 00:26:25.939 --> 00:26:26.819 and this week, 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:28.599 that the truth of these words 00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:30.079 would become more and more 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:31.179 embedded in our hearts. 00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:33.539 Lord, that we would 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:35.179 begin to discover 00:26:35.179 --> 00:26:36.359 the depth and the meaning 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:38.099 of what it is 00:26:38.099 --> 00:26:39.019 to be your children. 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:41.500 And that each word 00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:42.199 and each phrase 00:26:42.199 --> 00:26:43.279 we would appreciate 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:45.660 the extent to which 00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:48.160 the lengths that you went to 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:49.399 to make it possible 00:26:49.399 --> 00:26:50.559 for us to call you Father. 00:26:51.099 --> 00:26:52.660 That is no mere word 00:26:52.660 --> 00:26:55.680 that you purchased that for us 00:26:55.680 --> 00:26:57.160 at great cost to yourself. 00:26:57.599 --> 00:26:58.799 And I pray that we would feel 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:00.259 the love in that, Lord. 00:27:00.339 --> 00:27:02.019 And I pray this for our good 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:02.700 and for your glory 00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:03.660 in your Son's name. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:04.240 Amen.