How Jesus Started His Prayer

This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven...

Matthew 6:9

These four little words, "Our Father in heaven," start the Lord's prayer off with an important balance. They are like training wheels, teaching us to balance two important principles in prayer. 

First, Jesus teaches us to address God as ‘Father.’ That word, ‘Father,’ grabs hold of the All-powerful, Eternal, Creator of the universe and brings Him close. ‘Father’ is a relational word. It reminds us as we pray that God isn’t a god who is far away, He is a god who is close by... a god who loves us.

‌‌But then come the words “in Heaven,” which balance God’s closeness as a Father with the truth that He is high above us. Yes, God is our Father who loves us, but He is also the one who sits on the throne of Heaven. He is both near to us and highly exalted and beyond us in every way.

‌‌These two truths must be balanced and held in tension in your prayers. Your prayers should be personal and intimate like a conversation with your Father, but they should also be respectful and worshipful because you are talking to the King of Heaven. Your prayers shouldn’t err too much on either side but should strike a balance between humble adoration and childlike closeness.‌ When you pray, pray with an awareness of both these truths.