The catechism question this week is What doth the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us and the answer is the preface of the Lord's Prayer Which is our Father Which art in heaven teacheth us to draw near to God With all holy reverence and confidence As children to a father able and ready to help us and that we should pray with and for others So this idea of drawing near to God is probably more precious to us after the opening chapters of Leviticus and discovering that the idea of being brought near is actually the core idea of the word that is often translated offering, that karav, the verb for drawing near, is what is behind the word korban, which is the word for offering. And so when we say our Father which art in heaven, we are embracing the reality that even though He is the Heavenly Father, even though He is high above us and what we would call transcendent, which actually means out of our reach, yet He gives us words by which to address Him in prayer that communicate to us that He is also imminent. by which means that he is ready to hand, as it were. And so he gives us to draw near to him. We had the scripture promise in the children's catechism class yesterday, draw near to God. and He will draw near to you, which is something that we have also seen continually as we've considered these sacrifices in Leviticus that looked forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. And now knowing that He drew near to us first and taking on our form, that we might actually be drawn near to God in him. So, this is an important part of praying, that you realize that when you begin to pray, you are actually drawing near to God. And so, we address him, we greet him, Identify him our father which art in heaven acknowledging That we are drawing near to him. He has promised to draw near to us even though we are on earth and he is in heaven yet, of course, he's Omnipresent and communicates his nearness to us in part by way of prayer So the preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is our father which art in heaven teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence as children to a father. Now, children ought to honor and respect their fathers, even apart from the preaching of the gospel. God, for the sake of his mercy on many societies, has granted them to maintain a great respect by children to fathers or to grandfathers, and that's a kindness of God. It's the right relationship of a child to a father that none of us deserve to have. You don't deserve to be able to honor your father, but God in his mercy gives you to do so. And now if we are supposed to honor our fathers who are on earth, how much more then should we honor our father who is in heaven? And so when we say our father, there is already reverence there because he is father. But then when we say our father which art in heaven, we magnify the reverence with which we should be approaching God. But not just reverence, but confidence. that we are sure of his interest in us, that he cares for us, like a father for his children, Psalm 103, that teaches us to pray and teaches us to sing. Or as paraphrased in the psalm, Father like he tends and spares us and so we're coming to a father who cares for us and knows what we need and who is Able to give us what we need willing to give us what we need and so we have a What a help and encouragement and comfort and joy and strength this is to us as we pray to God that the Lord Jesus has taught us to start our praying in such ways A child who knows that his daddy cares about him, a child who has great confidence in his daddy's wisdom and his daddy's ability, has a great advantage in life, that he can live with confidence and joy under his father's care, and a great advantage when he comes to his father. knowing that his daddy loves him and will listen to him and that however daddy answers will be wise and good and that daddy will be able to follow through. Now, this is true of earthly fathers to a lesser or greater extent, but never completely and entirely true the way it is with our heavenly father. So, the preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is, Our Father, which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God. with all holy reverence and confidence as children to a Father able and ready to help us, and that we should pray with and for others. Before we move on to the word our, I think it's helpful to use an old phrase. I don't know from whence it first came, but we must get over that fleshly, wrong idea of God, that He has the good things tightly in His hand, and that prayer has to pry them out. and the idea that you're trying to overcome God's resistance or overcome God's unwillingness by our praying. No, we come to a father who loves us, is willing, is able, is ready to help us. Prayer is a laying hold of his willingness. He more gladly gives the good to us, more willingly gives the good to us, than we ever come to Him in prayer to ask for it. And this is especially of the Father, but we see the Father's character in the Son. And it is good for you to remind yourself sometimes that Jesus went more willingly to the cross. than I have ever come in prayer to Him, as you both take great comfort and strength from the willingness of our God to do us good, and correction and rebuke from how comparatively unwilling we are to be done good by God, and how wonderful He is. Well, then we're ready to notice that it's our Father, which art in heaven. And so you wouldn't use the royal plural with God if you were praying by yourself. And so it's obvious that you're praying with others. in this prayer, and therefore not just with others, but all the good things, even this recognition of God together, and desire to grow into knowing God the way He teaches us to address Him, that this is something that we desire for our brothers and sisters as well. So we're not just praying with them, but for them. And so the teaching of the question as a whole, what does the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us? The preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God. with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us, and that we should pray with and for others. Praise God. It is the Father's pleasure to give us the kingdom. He knows how to give good gifts. He knows everything we need before we ask. He has planned for us each day. the right amount of food and drink and clothing and trouble. He is a good father.