I arrived at the airport from an out-of-town trip, and as is our routine I called to let my family know they could pick me up. I dialed our number and expected to hear the customary “Hello.” Instead, 6-year-old Stevie picked up the phone and said, “Hi, Dad!” Having been told when my plane was expected, Stevie had complete confidence that I would be on the other end of the phone.

His faith in Dad to be where he said he would be is a little like our faith in God to be on the other end of our prayers. This certainty of knowing that we have a listening and responsive Father comes in part from passages such as Romans 8. Here Paul told us that we who have trusted Christ as Savior have become children of God, and that because of this relationship we can go to Him with the assurance that He will hear us. Paul said that we can cry out, “Abba, Father” (v.15). Abba is an Aramaic word expressing intimacy. Today’s equivalent is “Daddy.”

Do you need to talk with someone close? To share your cares and burdens? If you are a believer in Jesus, you have a Father who loves you and is waiting to hear from you. When the time comes to pray, you can be confident that your Father is on the line.

  — Dave Branon