Maintaining Alignment

Yesterday we connected alignment with Heaven to receiving our promises from Heaven. Again your comments were rich. But as I pray and think about staying in Christ and empowered supernaturally I'm hit with Jesus' first words of prayer in His model prayer:


Our Father....


Getting along with one another in the family of God is missing so often wherever I go. I spend much time listening to hurts and needs of folks requesting prayer. I expect selfish lying manipulating folks in the world. But the selfishness I see in Christians and blatant harsh words about and against one another is opposite to anything in our Bibles.

These two words hold volumes of information for us to know how God plans for us to operate. Solo superstars are not the ideal; and I know this because Jesus did not begin this prayer with: My Father...no, He specifically used the word: Our.


Then He calls on God as Father, but actually the greek word is Abba which is an endearing term such as Papa or as we would probably call our father Daddy. We're brothers and sisters in this family of God. I'm an only child and so was my husband. I prayed before our son was even conceived for our two children to be close and supportive to one another. I was aware with John and me having no siblings that there would be no uncles, aunts or first cousins for our children. They are nine years apart but I've never seen such healthy close adult siblings. It is beautiful and amazing.


As I watch them interact and observe other sibling relationships I see that it's a close tie, but rivalry seems to be a tension that has to be addressed...always. When I look at the Christian church family I see that who's best is a tension we have to pray about continually.


To maintain our alignment we must get along. "Who's best?" is a sibling relationship killer. Jesus tells us to begin our praying with, "Our Father who art in heaven." These first words remind me that I am not alone...the plural tells me this is a spiritual journey linked with others; as close as family. Maintaining alignment with Heaven must mean getting along.


Apostle Paul summed up our best policy with our "siblings" to maintain alignment with Heaven:



"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."



May the windows of Heaven open up and flow to you and yours.