Lesson #100: Prayer: Drawing near to God

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Shorter Catechism Q & A #100

Q. What doth the preface of the Lord’s prayer teach us?

A. The preface of the Lord’s prayer (which is, Our Father which art in heaven) teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverences and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

Memorize Q&A—Exposition

Prayer is a divine fellowship with our heavenly Father, enabling us by the Spirit to draw near to our Creator and Savior with confidence as his very own children. We pray “Our” Father, revealing that when we pray, we do so in the fellowship of the whole church, acknowledging that our praise and requests, etc. have a profound and grace effect on the whole body.

What does it mean?

What does “Our Father which art in heaven” teach us?

We are able to draw near to God as children to our Father. (Isa. 64:9, Rom. 8:15)

We are to draw near to God with reverence. (Zech. 8:21, Ps. 11:4, 1 Tim. 2:8)

We are to draw near to God with confidence. (Luke 11:9–13)

Our Father is always able and ready to help us. (Eph. 6:18)

We are to pray with and for others. (Acts 12:5, 1 Tim. 2:1–2)

What is our practice?

We pray with the knowledge that God is our Father. We also pray with others in mind; for to pray “OUR” is to say that what we pray for affects the whole body of Christ, the whole family. Through the Word of God, we develop a great desire to pray as Christ taught us to pray.

Quotes for thought and discussion:

“We know God is our Father by having the conduct of the Holy Spirit. We are led by the Spirit. ‘As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.’ Rom. 8:14. God’s Spirit does not only quicken us in our regeneration, but leads us on till we come to the end of our faith.” (Thomas Watson, The Lord’s Prayer)

“The Lord’s Prayer recalls to our minds the picture of Adam and Eve walking in the Garden and talking with their Creator, reminding us that we were created in His image. In the Lord’s prayer we see the triumph of the Cross reconciling us to our Father through the Son. Wherefore, the Holy Spirit witnessing to our spirit, we cry out, ‘Abba Father!’” (Robert LaMay, He Hears My Voice)

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