Apostle Don Meares
“9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.”
“35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’”
“15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
When we look at the life of the Lord Jesus, He has only one mindset toward God when He refers to Him or when He talks to Him. Jesus intimately knows Him as Father. Scripture always puts God in the male gender, but Jesus, in this one occasion in the book of Mark, goes beyond this and calls Him, “Abba Father.” The first word we must learn to speak when we pray is “Father.” Jesus taught us this in our model prayer (Matthew 6:9-14). As disciples, this is the most important word we utter when talking to God. Unless you can say “Father” from your heart and mean it, the rest of the words don’t have any real substance. In other words, it’s not just saying the word. It’s what you mean when you say it.
The deeper meaning of “Abba”
Many of us were always taught that the word “Abba” meant “dad” or “daddy.” The word comes from the Aramaic language, and it means “father.” It is more formal. If we don’t learn to say “Father” to our God, we won’t know His authority. This might lead us to make ourselves the ultimate authority in our own lives, and we won’t see the need to pray or have a true connection with God. If we do not learn to say “Father,” then we can’t really pray according to the purpose of God.
The word “Father” carries with it an essential meaning for those of us who are in Christ. It reminds us first of who we’re praying to and tells us that God is giving us a title in prayer. This is something that we are not to take lightly or something to gloss over. When we pray to our Father, it’s not just the word that matters but what we mean when we call upon Him.
Most people think “Abba” simply means having a very intimate relationship with your Father, but there are always two elements used when you say “Abba.” The two elements of “Abba” are intimacy and obedience. “Dad” or “daddy” deals with the relationship of a father to a child but does not really deal with obedience. This is why “Abba” means much more than this. So the true meaning of this word in Aramaic is “father, I will obey you.” There must be intimacy and obedience.
The New Testament uses the word “Abba” only three times. It was used in Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, and Galatians 4:6. And all three of these Scriptures reveal only one meaning of the word: “Father, I obey You.” In Greek, the word “patér” as “father” does not convey obedience. It just has to do with an intimate relationship between a man and a son. In Mark 14:35-36, we have the account of Jesus’ passionate plea to God. Here’s what is written:
“35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’”
Jesus understands the intimacy of this moment. He’s in a very difficult time in His life, and He withdraws from others just to be alone with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. In His prayer, we will see His obedient heart. In the text, the substance of Jesus’ prayer, when He says “Abba,” expresses a willingness to obey. He is expressing His submission to God. Jesus calling the Father “Abba” doesn’t take away the intimacy of their relationship, but it adds to it a substance of obedience that we don’t often consider when we say the word “father.”
“15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’”
In the verse above, Paul uses “Abba” for a very specific purpose: to express both intimacy and an obedient heart. What motivates this prayer is the spirit of sonship, which stands in opposition to fear, and so we learn from this passage by Paul that we have a close relationship with God as close as a father to a child, and yet it’s not just about the intimacy, but it’s also about the heart of obedience and the one who cries “Abba.” Let’s take a look at Romans 8:12-13:
Sonship Through the Spirit
“12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
When we cry “Abba Father”, it is an act of submitting our will. Therefore, we have an obligation, but it is not of the sinful nature to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die. But if you live by the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body. When you do this, you will live because those who the Spirit of God leads are the sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that enslaves you again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship, and by Him, we can cry out “Abba Father.” Paul points out to us that it should be clear that it’s not merely the intimacy of being God’s child, but it is also embedded in an imperative that we are to obey.
A role model for manhood and fatherhood
As presented in the Scriptures, our role model for manhood and fatherhood should come from God our Father. We should not take our concept and think of fatherhood from society. What we see in the media and in the world is a picture of men that does not align with how God intended manhood and fatherhood to be. We need to ask: What are the basic things God does as a Father? When you’ve discovered them, fathers must develop these characteristics and works. We could talk for many days about all the things that God our Father does, His works, who He is, and His nature. But there are four basic things that we see in the characteristics and works of our Father God that earthly fathers need to have.
First: A father initiates things and takes all the initiative
When you look at the nature of God, He is the one who initiates things. He always takes all the initiative in His relationship with us. This is seen in Genesis, in the Garden of Eden. Adam takes no initiative to commune with God, but he simply responds to God. It is God who plans, organizes, and reveals His nature to us. God does this because He seeks a relationship with us. He created man in His own image and He seeks worship from us. John 6:44 says, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”
Ephesians 6:4 is a significant verse for fathers. It says:
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
When it comes to raising children, God makes it clear that fathers are responsible for initiating the training of their children, just as husbands are responsible for the love in a marriage. Many men neglect this, but the Bible says in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” The divine order is that God created man to be a giver and the woman to be a receiver. When it comes to children, it is the father’s responsibility to initiate the love in the family and to see to it that the children grow into maturity and are trained in the ways of God.
Fathers are responsible for the training program in their homes. They need to have a way with their children where they don’t frustrate, provoke, and exasperate them, causing them to be angry.
Second: A father protects his own children
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,”
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
The Scriptures above are examples of the many that show how God is a protector of His children. If you look at your life, how many times has God protected you in a crisis, circumstance, or situation? How many times has God been there and on your side?
It is the nature of God to protect His children, so earthly fathers must protect their children. They do this by teaching them the ways of God and by instructing them on who they can hang out with. Many fathers make a mistake by not checking who they are around. Who the children hang out with is going to influence how they think, act, do, and the peer pressure that will be applied in their lives. We also protect our children by teaching them what not to put in their bodies, such as drugs and alcohol. If you are a father and a husband, you will always be willing to lay your life down for your wife and your children.
Third: A father provides for all good gifts
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
If we seek His Kingdom first to come under His will for our lives, He has promised us shelter, clothing, and food. He knows what we need. We don’t have to seek what others are searching for. He wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers. God by nature is a provider. Human fathers have something built within them by wanting to provide for their wives and children by giving them shelter, clothing, and food. Fathers often grade themselves on how they are doing by providing for their wives and children. Provision is more than just physical things. Fathers should provide more than just money and material things. They should provide wisdom, insight, and counsel. They should also provide warning, companionship, warmth, and love. Love always seeks a way to provide something of substance into your life and the children’s lives. Fathers love to give. Fathers take pleasure in doing it.
Fourth: A father has to be a priest.
A father must be a priest, meaning he is a praying man. He doesn’t make deals without prayer. He doesn’t make decisions that will hurt his whole family. He is an intercessor. Unlike women, a man might not have the abundance of words, but they also have the depth of conviction behind the words. Fathers can lift their hands and get breakthroughs against the enemy just because they stood in the gap and held their trust and belief in God. God is looking for a man who will stand in the gap and serve as a priest. Every father is a priest whether they accept the responsibility or not. They have been called to be an intercessor over their house, their spouse, and their children. If the men would return to prayer, God will heal their land. If they would stop doing things they do in the flesh and instead call on the name of the Lord, they would be forgiven.
Fathers must continue praying and put God first so they and their families will be blessed. The blessing for those who follow God will be passed on to their children and even generations after. Fathers are always going to pass on what is inside of them. This is how God intended the role to be. Fathers must understand that their provision is more than writing checks and paying bills. Their provision is wisdom, insight, and warning. They must pray for and with their children. They must guide them toward the right path. When they provide and guide their children in the ways of God, their family will experience real wealth.
Men and fathers need to be set free from bondage. If fathers simply humble themselves before God, He will give them grace and teach them according to His ways. To be a good father, they must also know how to approach God as the Abba Father—having a relationship of intimacy and obedience. When fathers are under the authority of God, He will guide every step. They will be able to pass on all the blessings to their families.
