Awaken The Dawn

On the Potter’s Wheel

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 9

The prayer life of Jesus produced an unusual intimacy with the Father. Furthermore, the early Christians passed on both the tradition and the experience of Jesus’ prayer life. Dare we claim this wonderful intimacy for the Church of our day? Certainly we can! Christians have become so harried by time constraints that they have overlooked the simplicity and the power of prayer. It is as though the sands of time had buried a wondrous treasure. The power of Jesus’ prayer life is not so much its overwhelming spirituality as His personal dedication to do what the Father wills. Since communion with the Father seems to be of highest priority to God, those who respond to His invitation are amply rewarded, both with intimate experiences as well as gloriously answered prayers. Most critics feel that the English word “Father” which Jesus regularly uses in the Gospels has the same significant meaning as “Abba.” If this is true, we can easily see that Jesus’ special way of teaching and ministering to people resulted from praying to Abba. He experienced the Father’s love and authority from which sprang the Spiritual rivers of living water. The foundation of Jesus’ teaching was so different from what was presented in the ministerial training centers. Whereas the rabbis preferred the traditional academic method of handling facts and history, Jesus brought a new and living way of teaching which He gained from His per- sonal relationship with God through a life of prayer.

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