Our Father...نموونە

Grounded in Identity

How often do you let God define who you are?

Jesus begins the Lord’s Prayer with a powerful word: “our.” He doesn’t say, “My Father,” but “our Father.” This is deeply personal, but also deeply communal. When we pray, we don’t just pray as individuals—we come as part of the family of God. That one word pulls us out of isolation and into belonging.

Identity in the kingdom of God isn’t something we discover through self-exploration; it’s something we receive through revelation. In Galatians 2:20, Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” This is the foundation: we are not defined by our past, our success, our performance, or our pain. We are defined by our relationship to the one we call Father.

This matters because when we know whose we are, we begin to live differently. Paul writes in Romans 8:15 (NIV), “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” That word—Abba—was rarely used in Jewish prayers. It speaks of deep intimacy. And Jesus invites us into that same nearness.

God as Father means access. It means identity. And it means security. You don’t have to earn your place with him. You already belong. When Jesus says, “pray like this,” he is not handing us a script, but opening a door to a deep relationship. Through Jesus, we are welcomed into a new family with a new name.

Prayer:
Father, thank you that I belong to you. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done. Help me to live today grounded in that identity, not chasing validation, but resting in your love. Remind me that I’m part of a greater family, and teach me to pray and live from that truth.