Hello, Daddy

No, I will not abandon you as orphans - I will come to you. John 14:18 (NLT)

Jesus was saying goodbye - albeit temporarily - to His disciples. Hearts filled with sorrow, the disciples tried vainly to imagine an existence without Him. Being aware of this, Jesus addressed their unspoken question  with these words, "No, I will not abandon you as orphans - I will come to you."

Today, the church has to do without the physical presence of Jesus. And sometimes, we His followers, become susceptible to the "orphan" syndrome. The Lord showed me this. We struggle with feelings of abandonment or loneliness. Sometimes, we become independent to an extreme, doing everything on our own without asking for help - even when we need help. Still others are searching, consciously or unconsciously, for a parent.

Those of us who have either lost an earthly parent (or parents) or had unsatisfactory relationships with them seem particularly affected by this syndrome. Jesus wants us to be free. How?

1. Read Romans 8:15-16, and know that we have received the spirit of adoption. In other words, WE  HAVE A FATHER.

2. Allow the Holy Spirit to bear witness (or convince us) that WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD. David wrote in Psalms 27: 10, "WHEN MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER FORSAKE ME, THEN THE LORD WILL TAKE ME UP."

3. Pray as we are directed by Jesus in Matthew 6:9. This prayer begins, "Our Father" and can be done along with our regular prayers. This is helpful especially for those who have had difficulty addressing the Lord as "Father."

4. Sing to the Lord. This may seem unnecessary but do it anyhow. Music is healing.
(Suggestions: He Knows My Name - Israel Haughton or I'm Trading My Sorrows)

 My prayer for everyone who reads this is that we enter into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father who loves us so much and absolutely delights in His children!