Abba, Father (Mark 14:36)
[Reading Time: Approx. 7 min]
Lesson 12 Devotional: Jesus | He Longed for His Dad
Mark 10:14-15 (NIV)
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
In the previous lesson, I introduced the idea that before we can fully understand our purpose as followers of Christ, we must first focus on who we became when we were born again. We became children of God. At that moment, we gained full access to God, and He became our Abba Father, just as written in Mark 16:16.
In this lesson, I want to dive deeper into this concept of God being our Abba Father. I don’t often hear much—if anything at all—about being disciples of Jesus in terms of imitating His relationship with His Father. When we talk about discipleship, the focus is usually on the things we need to "do" (like sharing our faith, giving financially, or sacrificing our time). Rarely, if ever, do we discuss the intimate relationship Jesus had with His Father and how we, as His disciples, are called to model that same closeness. In fact, I haven't had anyone ask me how my relationship with God is going in years. Jesus’ relationship with the Father was filled with love, trust, and ongoing communication, and we are invited into that same level of intimacy with our Heavenly Father.
In this lesson, I’m going to be covering four key ideas with you as we embrace the warmth and closeness of our Father-child relationship with God:
- 1A Relationship of Longing: The longing and joy of waking up eager to spend time with God, like a child excited to see their father.
- 2Walking With God Daily: What it means to walk with God in every moment, not just during times of need.
- 3Desiring God, Not Just Needing Him: Understanding the difference between needing God and truly wanting a relationship with Him.
- 4Becoming Like Little Children: How to embrace a childlike trust, dependence, and excitement in our relationship with God.
A Relationship of Longing:
Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV)
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
This morning, waking up at 4:44 a.m., feeling exhausted yet excited to go spend time with my Father, I debated in my mind whether I should lay in bed for a few more minutes or get up before my neighbors started moving about, disrupting the solitude I would otherwise have. I rolled out of bed, shuffled my way out of the bedroom, and made my way to the front door of my home.
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16)
I went outside, finding myself under the stars. The excitement I felt as I looked up to heaven (Mark 6:41), being in the presence of my Father, reminded me of the joy of my son when he would run to the door to greet me, excited just to be with me. Even now, at twelve years old, he still does that from time to time. That’s the same kind of heart we should have in our relationship with God—eager to be with Him. After 29 years of walking with God, this is still my heart’s desire.
Back in 1997, I was in the United States Marine Corps, stationed in Iwakuni, Japan. At night, I would go out next to the flight line in a field under the stars and sing songs to God and pray to Him—pouring my heart out in adoration, praise, gratitude, confession, and supplication, whatever was on my heart. I cherish those memories with God. Every place I’ve ever lived since I’ve been a disciple, I’ve always looked for special places where I could spend time with God. Currently, where I live, I have several special solitary prayer locations. Some of them are secluded coves in my community. Some of them are walking paths where I walk and pray to God. Sometimes, I simply find an empty parking lot where I can park and cry out to Him. Having these places has helped me over the decades, deepening my relationship with God.
In Mark 1:35, it says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” This is the kind of relationship we should aspire to—a longing to meet with our Father, just like Jesus did. We should thirst for Him, as Psalm 42:1 says: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." Our souls should crave His presence daily.
Walking With God Daily
I also want to talk about how it’s written in Genesis 5:24 that Enoch walked with God: “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” I think this reflects what our relationship with our Abba Father should look like—a continuous walk, not just calling on Him when things go wrong or when we’re in need. It’s about walking with Him in every moment, engaging with Him throughout the day. God isn’t just there to be a problem-solver; He wants to be with us in the everyday moments, guiding us, comforting us, and being a constant presence in our lives.
This is the kind of relationship I want us to embrace as children of God—one where we don’t just seek Him out in times of trouble, but we walk with Him consistently, in both the good times and the bad.
Now, I know is more to walking with God than praying to Him. For example, there is listening to Him (both through the Word and through silence as He speaks to you through the Holy Spirit), and there is singing to Him. There are also experiences with Him—like going on walks with God or on dates with God. There are many ways to walk with Him. Be creative in your relationship with Him (just as you were when you were dating and trying to win the heart of that special person you were pursuing. Our pursuit of God should never end). Make your relationship with God special, because it is! But in this lesson, I’m focusing on spending time with Him in prayer.
Desiring God, Not Just Needing Him
One thing I’ve noticed is that many people often talk about how much they need God, but not as much about how much they want Him. When we approach God from a place of need without truly desiring Him, it can feel as if we’re using Him for what He can do, rather than wanting to be in relationship with Him. It’s like a child who only comes to a parent for money or help, but never out of a desire to simply spend time together.
We can’t treat our Father in heaven like that. Our relationship with Him shouldn’t be transactional. Instead, we should be thinking about how He feels. Just like we should care about the thoughts and feelings of our earthly fathers, we should care deeply about the heart of God. This reminds me of Genesis 6:6, where it says, "The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled." Imagine that—the heart of God was "deeply troubled" when He saw the state of the world.
When we come to God, it’s important to not only ask Him for what we need, but also to reflect on how we might bring joy or sorrow to His heart. As we read through the Psalms and the words of the prophets, we see the depth of God’s emotions—His grief when His people sinned, His pain when they turned away from Him. Our relationship with God should be about knowing Him on an intimate level, not just being known by Him.
Becoming Like Little Children:
Jesus says in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” When we come to God, we need to imitate the relationship that a little child has with their father. A child doesn’t just come to their father when they need something; they run to him with excitement, seeking love, attention, and connection. In the same way, our relationship with God should reflect this childlike trust, excitement, and desire to be with Him. We must approach our Father in Heaven with the open-hearted simplicity and dependence that children naturally have for their fathers.
Walking As Jesus Did: Practical Application
How can we apply what we’ve learned today to walk as Jesus did?
- 1A Relationship of Longing:
Meditate on and imitate the heart of the psalmist in Psalm 42:1-2. If necessary, pray David’s prayer in Psalm 51:12 to rekindle your flame for God again. Tomorrow morning, step outside while it’s still dark (Mark 1:35) and spend at least 15 minutes sharing your heart with your Abba, Father. - 2Walking With God Daily:
Throughout your day, maintain the awareness that God is with you. Speak to Him during moments when you think of Him, just as you would a friend. Not just in serious moments, but in the lighthearted ones as well. He adores you and wants to hear from you (1The 5:17).
- 3Desiring God, Not Just Needing Him:
The next time you feel the urge to pray for something you need, first take a moment to simply thank God for who He is and express your desire to be close to Him. Focus on building your relationship with Him, not just asking for His help. - 4Becoming Like Little Children:
Set aside time to read Matthew 18:3 and reflect on what it means to approach God like a child—full of trust and openness. This week, try to emulate that childlike faith by approaching God with simplicity and honesty in your prayers.
Lesson 12 Training Tips: Loving Your Abba, Father
Getting More from Your Study of the Gospels
These insights aim to build your faith, deepen your understanding, and encourage practical application of God’s Word.
- 1Read: Read Mark 10:14-15 aloud.
- 2Meditate: Meditate on Mark 10:14-15. Reflect on Jesus’ invitation to receive the kingdom of God like a little child. Consider the qualities of children—trust, innocence, eagerness—and how God desires these qualities in our relationship with Him. How does this change your perspective on approaching God in prayer and daily life?
- 3Pray: Pray for God to help you cultivate a childlike faith—trusting Him completely and approaching Him with openness. And in your prayers, call Him “Dad” more often. Notice what changes…
Conclusion
As we embrace our relationship with God as our Abba Father, we are invited to walk with Him daily, desiring His presence, not just His help. Let us become like little children, trusting in His love and seeking Him with open hearts. May we always crave His presence and walk with Him in every moment.
God’s desire for our relationship with Him isn’t to simply become children of God only to later abandon Him and not spend eternity with Him. His desire is what we read in Revelation 21:1-4. If we want to spend eternity with Him, let’s show Him that desire as we walk in this life. If we don’t want to spend time with Him now, do we really want to spend eternity with Him, or do we just not want to go to Hell (which we will be discussing later in this course)?
Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
This was an amazing lesson! It connected me into a deeper prayer life with our father . The understanding on how we pray and how we perceive our prayer life was the most important for me.