Access to God

Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Father! My Father!’ God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children. (verses 14-16)

Read Romans 8:12-17

Prince Charles is a member of the British royal family and heir to the throne. When people write to him, they’re supposed to address him with his formal titles. When people meet him, they’re supposed to bow or curtsey. But when his sons William and Harry see him and talk to him, he’s simply dad. They have intimate access to their father and are free to talk with him in a direct and open way.

God is the ruler of everything that exists. The power and dignity of royalty in this world is a mere shadow of the power and dignity of God. Yet Jesus leads you, through the Holy Spirit, to call God ‘Father’. This is full of meaning for you. You are part of God’s family, you have intimate access to God and you can speak with God in a direct and open way. Even more intimately than William and Harry with their dad.

So speak with God, and be sure that he listens to you with fatherly care and concern.

Father, by your Holy Spirit make me confident to speak to you from my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

by Fraser Pearce, in ‘Refreshment for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2003)

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