Sometimes its the simple prayer of a desperate heart that changes everything.
I know my Heavenly Daddy has me where he wants me, in his capable hands. But sometimes I forget. It’s not always easy to place my life and my prayers into his hands, but when the struggling is over, and I rest in who he is. I find peace and the assurance that he hears my prayers.
I can, and do at times, recount the prayers that he’s answered. Since, in most times my prayers are about major issues, they indeed are worth remembering and thanking him all over again. But those desperate, little prayers are just as meaningful too and worth remembering. This is why the first word His Spirit teaches us to say is “Abba Father,” which actually means “poppa” or “da-da.” He wants that kind of trust and that kind of familiarity from us; he invites us to call out to him as an infant, frail, dependent, and trusting.
My favorite title in all the world is “Daddy.” It was my precious daughter, Tessa who’d call daddy, while my boys would call me dad or pops. Daddy is the title that would melt my heart and soften my face.
I truly believe that our Heavenly Father loves us to call him “daddy,” “poppa,” or even “da-da.” I think he wants to hear that name and title from you too. I believe that Abba may be God’s favorite name.
One lonely and rainy morning I was traveling to work. It was still dark, as I headed to Vasco Road in Brentwood, California. I had been prayerless for weeks, as I had drifted from God. I desperately wanted to pray, but I had lost my words and was filled with shame.
I remembered a simple prayer that I had read in a book by Brennan Manning, titled: “Abba’s Child.”
I began reciting the words:
“Abba-Father, I belong to you…” …Abba-Father, I belong to you.
Over and over again this prayer bubbled up from my desperate and lonely heart.
With the rain pounding my windshield, tears began streaming down my face, making it harder to see.
With more than a few dozen cars ahead of me, I came to a stop at the dreaded lighted intersection of Camino Diablo and Vasco Road. While traffic was inching along, I kept desperately praying that simply prayer, “Abba-Father, I belong to you.”
In my desperatness, I added “I am my beloved’s and he is mine, his banner over me is love,” written in the Old Testament book, Songs of Songs.
I finaly made it to the intersection, as one by one, each car negotiated their turns, either left, right, or straight. In the pouring down rain, I made a righthand turn onto Vasco Road, heading towards Livermore, still crying and praying with all my heart.
As soon as my headlights lit up the car in front of me, I could read their license plate frame. It read in big bold reflective letters:
“ABBA’S CHILD.”
I had to wipe my eyes, just to confirm what I was seeing was real. My heart became instantly alive again. My soul began to soar! I heard God, loud and clear, in the depths of my heart.
God had heard my simple, but desperate prayer. He reminded me in that moment at Camino Diablo and Vasco Road that I am still his child.
I am Abba’s Child! God’s miraculous reminder changed me in an instant and restored my soul.
God hears our prayers! Even when we’ve brushed him off, or drifted far away from him. Abba-God, rushes back at the sound of our cries — at the sound of our awkward prayers, he comes back into our lives just as a real daddy does.
I ask you to look at the photo above of those two sets hands and imagine your little hands in cradled in God’s capable hands. Now, release your fears, worries, concerns; your sicknesses and diseases; your loss of love or marriage; your suffering and finances, and let it all go into God’s strong and sure hands. Take a deep breath, relax, …let it go, he can handle it all.
“The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path]. When he falls, he will not be hurled down, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand and sustains him.” Psalm 37:23-24 Amplified Bible
Now thank him and sleep well tonight, and when you wake up, remind yourself of this little prayer:
“Abba Father, I belong to you.” “…Abba Father, I belong to you.” “I am my beloveds and he is mine, his banner over me is love.” Amen
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