Louise Gevers
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:9, ESV
Many years ago, as a young woman on an overseas tour, I found myself in a crowd, in Innsbruck, gazing wide-eyed at the Golden Roof built by Maximilian to display his imperial status and wealth. Away from home for the first time and taken by the sight, I couldn’t wait to go to the local post office to make a trunk call (remember those?) to share this with my mother. To say that it was by no means a perfect form of communication is an understatement, but we connected, and I chatted happily with her for a few minutes and touched base. Had it been today, I would’ve immediately sent a photo via cell phone, with a few lines to explain.
Connection to the people we care about doesn’t disappear when we’re far away; keeping in touch becomes even more important in helping us to stay close and bonded.
Today, there are many ways to communicate in a world where there are countless devices to keep people connected to almost everything in life, church services included, and yet, curiously, although they’re available, they cannot guarantee the desired success when people are unresponsive or when the quality is poor.
We’ve all experienced the anxiety attached to sending a message, or calling, and not receiving a response, then or later – we’ve been guilty of doing this ourselves – or the frustration of our message not being read or understood properly, creating a disconnect. This destroys the core of communication.
True connection is a deep, reliable bond built on mutual understanding, respect, and responsiveness, allowing for vulnerability and shared experiences, which allows each person to know that they matter.
The most significant connection we can experience each day is to communicate with God – and we need no device; a believing heart reaching out to Him humbly and sincerely is all we need. Jesus shows that “the Father himself loves [us]” (John 16:27) and hears us, because He gives us the blueprint for praying to Him, along with insights into what God values most in us as we pray to Him: "When you pray, “do not be like the hypocrites … go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen ... do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words … for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:5-8, NIV)
This in place, Jesus gives a simple prayer to reach “Our Father in heaven” in which we can speak to Him as easily as we would our earthly father, knowing that His heart is for us. We can acknowledge our needs, recognising that only He can forgive our sins, give us strength against temptation and “deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)
Being connected to God is life changing. Have we experienced this vital connection?
Prayer:Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do, and I will obey you faithfully; teach me to serve you with complete devotion.” (Psalm 86:11, GNT) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, ESV) Amen
Louise Gevers
“Ons Vader wat in die hemel is, laat u Naam geheilig word ... Matteus 6:9, 1983-vertaling
Baie jare gelede het ek as 'n jong vrou tydens 'n oorsese toer myself in 'n skare in Innsbruck bevind wat almal in verwondering gestaar het na die Goue Dak (Goldenes Dachl) wat Maximiliaan gebou het om sy keiserlike status en rykdom te vertoon. Vir die eerste keer weg van die huis, en oorweldig deur dit wat ek gesien het, kon ek nie gou genoeg by die plaaslike poskantoor uitkom om 'n hooflynoproep (onthou julle dit nog?) te maak om alles met my ma te deel nie. Dit was geensins 'n perfekte kommunikasievorm nie, maar ons is gekonnekteer en ek kon vir 'n paar minute met haar gesels. Was dit vandag, sou ek onmiddellik via my selfoon 'n foto met 'n kort beskrywing gestuur het.
Die band met die mense vir wie ons omgee verdwyn nie wanneer ons ver weg is nie, inteendeel, om kontak te behou is selfs meer belangrik om ons te help om aan mekaar verbind te bly.
Vandag is daar in 'n wêreld waar daar 'n menigte toestelle is baie maniere om te kommunikeer en om mense met feitlik alles in die lewe te verbind, eredienste ingesluit. Interessant genoeg, kan hulle, alhoewel beskikbaar, nie noodwendig die verlangde sukses waarborg nie – soms reageer mense nie of soms is die verbinding swak.
Ons het al almal die angs beleef wanneer ons 'n boodskap stuur of iemand skakel en nie reaksie kry nie, net om later – ek is self skuldig – uit frustrasie omdat ons boodskap nie gelees of reg verstaan word nie, die verbinding te verbreek. Dit verbreek die kern van kommunikasie.
'n Ware verbintenis is 'n diep, betroubare band wat op wedersydse begrip, respek en reaksie berus, wat kwesbaarheid en gedeelde ondervindings moontlik maak, en wat elke persoon toelaat om te weet dat hulle saak maak.
Die belangrikste verbintenis wat ons elke dag kan ervaar, is om met God te kommunikeer, en ons benodig geen toestel daarvoor nie. 'n Gelowige hart wat nederig en opreg na Hom uitreik, is al wat ons benodig. Jesus leer dat "die Vader self het [ons] lief" (Johannes 16:27) en Hy hoor ons want Hy gee aan ons die riglyne hoe om tot Hom te bid, tesame met insigte oor wat God die meeste na waarde skat wanneer ons tot Hom bid: “Verder, as julle bid, moet julle nie soos die skynheiliges wees nie. ... gaan na jou kamer toe, maak die deur toe en bid tot jou Vader wat jy nie kan sien nie. ... “Wanneer julle bid, moet julle nie soos die heidene 'n stortvloed van woorde gebruik nie. Hulle verbeel hulle hulle gebede sal verhoor word omdat hulle baie woorde gebruik ... julle Vader weet wat julle nodig het, nog voordat julle dit van Hom vra." (Matteus 6:5-8)
Jesus gee aan ons 'n eenvoudige gebed om na "Ons Vader wat in die hemel is" uit te reik en waardeur ons so maklik met Hom kan praat as met ons aardse vader, met die wete dat Hy vir ons omgee. Ons kan ons behoeftes aan Hom bekend maak en die wete dat slegs Hy ons sonde kan vergewe, gee aan ons krag teen versoeking en "verlos ons van die Bose." (Matteus 6:13)
Om verbonde te wees aan God is lewensveranderend. Het jy al hierdie noodsaaklike verbintenis ervaar?
Gebed: "Leer my u pad, Here, ek wil wandel in u waarheid; leer my U met toewyding dien." (Psalm 86:11) "Skep vir my 'n rein hart, o God, vernuwe my gees en maak my standvastig." (Psalm 51:12) Amen