By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

Jesus Christ faced persecution and ultimately death because He referred to God as His Father. This signifies that God has a divine family, and anyone can become a part of God’s family through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Essentially, the heavenly family of God is identical to the earthly family, with God as our Father. It’s important to understand that God doesn’t have two separate families; there is only one unified family.

The idea of God’s fatherhood holds great significance, and without grasping it, your connection with God may be incomplete. Comprehending this concept shifts your relationship with God from being solely about religion to one centered on intimacy. It emphasizes love over mere obligation. Within this context, your entitlements and benefits are akin to those of a family. This is why we are considered heirs of God, sharing the same inheritance as our Lord Jesus. In essence, it’s about no longer being strangers in God’s family.

Eph 2:19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. NLT

Approaching God as a loving Father is pleasing to God, just as it delights us when our children approach us as their own parents rather than as strangers. When a person doesn’t grasp the concept of God as a Father, their relationship with God may lack confidence and faith. Instead, they might approach God with fear, feeling like an outsider, unsure of acceptance, and thus missing out on the blessings God has in store for them.

Our Lord Jesus introduced God to his followers as “Your father and your God” Do we really need any other concept of God in our relationship with Him, apart from what our Lord Himself shared? He instructed us to pray to “our Father who art in heaven.” Your relationship with God should resemble a family connection, akin to that of a father and his child.

HAVING A MISCONCEPTION OF GOD CAN UNDERMINE YOUR FAITH IN HIM. A prevalent issue among believers is that many of them approach God with a flawed understanding. They perceive God as lacking compassion and ready to punish them for any disobedience. They’ve been taught to see God not as their Father, but as an exacting deity. Numerous scriptures are often misused to support this inaccurate perception.

Here is one of them. It is often called a prayer of Importunity.

Luke 18:1-5 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

This example is often used to illustrate how challenging it can be to approach God. They say this widow serves as an example of how we should persistently petition God, not giving Him respite until He answers our prayers. Take a closer look at these verses, my friends.

Jesus was discussing a judge who had no fear of God and showed no regard for humanity. Does this judge truly reflect the character of God, who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to die for its sins? Doesn’t God care for humanity? He encourages us to cast our burdens upon Him because He cares for us deeply. Is this type of judge an accurate representation of a loving God? Yet, this judge is often used as an image of God, creating fear in many people and forming a significant barrier.

Luke 18:4-6 “And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.”

The Lord characterizes this judge as unjust. However, some people erroneously use him as a model for who God is and how God behaves. This is incorrect! God is not unjust. In fact, God explicitly states, “I am not unjust.” …1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.KJV

They frequently overlook this part, which, if considered, would swiftly dismantle the misconceptions about God. 1 Peter 5:7 emphasizes that God answers prayers promptly because He deeply cares for us.

Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?KJV

 People who hold onto these misconceptions about God often lack the confidence to approach Him directly. Instead, they might prefer to ask someone they believe has a stronger connection with God to intercede for them. They call upon the “God of so-and-so” because they’ve concluded that they, themselves, have little standing before Him, even though Jesus assured us otherwise.

Some individuals refrain from praying because they view it as a religious struggle with no assurance of receiving answers. To them, prayer feels like a gamble, and their own experiences seem to confirm these misconceptions. They’ve witnessed a few of their prayers being answered. However, it’s crucial to understand that God did not design prayer as a struggle but as a means to connect with Him as a father and child. God is always motivated by His fatherly love for us, and He remains our Father.

Consider your relationship with your own children. When they approach you to request school fees or similar needs, it awakens your sense of fatherly responsibility. Do they need to struggle to receive these provisions from you? However, if they weren’t your children, they might lack the same confidence. Could it be that we perceive God as not our Father but as a distant figure, and we see ourselves as strangers hoping for mere crumbs?

Every individual must establish a relationship with God based on His love. When you connect with God as a Father, the Holy Spirit has an opportunity to transform your life to resemble your Heavenly Father. This transformation occurs effortlessly, shaping your behavior to align with God’s character. Every believer is expected to imitate and reflect God, our Father, because we possess His Spirit and life within us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

No human father can match the boundless love of your Heavenly Father. It’s impossible to fathom how deeply God cares for you. Even when we make mistakes, His love remains unwavering. Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs, and God embodies the essence of love.

Consider whether you keep a record of your children’s mistakes and use them as the basis for your interactions with them. God does not do this. The key to this relationship is having unwavering confidence in God’s love, enabling Him to fulfill His role as your Father. When God grants you a gift, it encompasses everything related to that gift. He Himself expresses that gift through you. It’s all about Him and none of you. He becomes more prominent as we become less significant. You don’t need to fulfill the Father’s role; simply trust, and He will always fulfill His promises. You don’t need to perform His word for Him; He watches over it to fulfill it entirely Himself.

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of the Living Word Church, New Jersey.