Abba, Father!

“Abba, Father!” The one who can say this has sung a better song than the angels of heaven. There is heaven in the depth of that word: Father! In that term is all I can ask, all the necessities can demand, all the wishes can desire. I have all in all, and to all eternity, when I can say, “Father.” —Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

To say “Abba, Father” is to speak the language of the heart that knows it is loved, welcomed, and secure. Romans 8:15 tells us that we have not received a spirit of fear, but of adoption, by which we cry out, “Abba, Father.” This intimate term captures the wonder of our relationship with God—not a distant deity, but a loving, attentive Father. In that one word is the assurance that we belong, that we are not alone, and that our deepest needs are already known and cared for. There is a kind of heaven wrapped in that cry—because when we say “Father,” we are not begging a stranger for help, but leaning into the embrace of the One who holds eternity and still calls us His own. Every prayer, every hope, every desire is gathered up and answered in the tender nearness of that name. Let us keep this in mind … and crawl into our Father’s lap in prayer. —DH