Awaken The Dawn

AWAKEN THE DAWN!

men such as Mueller have been able to incorporate prayer into their personal lives. Jesus’ doctrine of prayer still works in our day, and we too can shape our lives and ministries through the power of prayer. In the last chapter, we discussed four of the nine concepts of prayer; now let’s examine the last five. A Sense of Sonship Concept 5. During times of prayer, Jesus’ sense of sonship became powerfully real as He experienced an intimate relationship with the Father. This acute awareness of God’s fatherly care was reflected in His public ministry. Speakers and writers try to minimize repeating the same words. But Jesus showed no such compunction in His constant use of the word “Father” to substantiate His teaching and claims. The Gospel of John illustrates the personal relationship Jesus enjoyed with His Father. Jesus’ way of expressing His familiarity with God thor- oughly disconcerted the religious pundits of the day. This individualization of God, I contend, is the outcome of Jesus’ daily communion in prayer with His Father. Jesus repeats the word “Father” fifteen times in chapter 5 in the Gospel of John. How can He talk this way? Did He learn this at the synagogue? Did His teachers speak in this manner? Jesus’ language reflects the tone He uses in actual com- munion with the Father. In chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, Jesus explains the idea of the “bread of life” by corre- sponding it with His “Father,” and He repeats Himself nine times. He talks about “having the seal of the Father,” 96