Know your heavenly Father

 Today is Father’s Day, the day we celebrate our earthly fathers, but do you know your heavenly Father?

Our heavenly Father wants you to know Him intimately. He longs to have a relationship with you. Not a one-sided relationship but one that involves open and honest communication, where you don’t just indulge in continuous chatter, asking for this and that but where you speak to your Father and then stop to listen to hear what He has to say. You engage Him in conversation.

In James 14:8, Phillip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father; that is all we need.” (GNT)

How many times have you asked God, your heavenly Father, to reveal Himself.

Jesus’ response to Phillip, adapted from James 14:9 and 10 (GNT), is a question for you to ponder,

For a long time I have been with you, yet you do not know Me? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, ‘Show me the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? 

Even some seasoned believers, who identify as Christians, still do not know their heavenly Father. They have walked the spiritual journey for many years but do not relate to God – having a complete lack of understanding and are spiritually disconnected. They claim to know Jesus, yet do not see Him in the Father or the Father in Him.

Beloved, God reveals Himself to us through His Word – it helps us to understand the many different aspects of our heavenly Father’s character. Even His names reveal His character. He does not hide Himself from His children but is eager for us to know Who He is. Let’s take a look at just twelve attributes of God as revealed in His Word.

Restorer: “He restores my strength.”

Psalm 23:3

Helper: “You are my helper”

Psalm 70:5

Deliverer: “I will deliver him”

Psalm 91:15

Redeemer: “You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer”

Isaiah 63:16

Strength: “The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength”

Isaiah 12:2

Guide: “The Lord will guide you always”

Psalm 58:11

Counsellor: “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel”

Psalm 16:7

Strong Tower: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower”

Proverbs 18:10

Love: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” 

1 John 4:8

Provider: “And my God will meet all your needs”

Philippians 4:19

Healer: “And the Lord will take away from you all sickness” 

Deuteronomy 7:15

Everlasting Father: “…and He is named…Everlasting Father”

Isaiah 9:6

These twelve verses are merely a fraction of Who God is – He is so much more.

God is everything, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36). Be encouraged to read the Bible and pray for genuine understanding so that you may know your heavenly Father.

Amen †

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley Johnson “Know your heavenly Father” © 2013 revisited June 15, 2025