“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15, ‭MSG‬‬).

A few years ago I learned a simple little prayer from Brennan Manning. 

As you breathe in, you say, “Abba Father,” and as you exhale, you reply, “I belong to You.”

That’s it. It’s a short mantra that you can insert into the margins of your busy life or something you can repeat over and over when you have nothing else to pray.

Tonight at Kairos, Pastor Chris Brooks reminded us that we not only can but will cry out, “Abba Father,” a term that merges the intimate nearness of Abba with the infinite otherness of the Heavenly Father. We need both to truly know and reverence God.

This little prayer can become as natural as breathing in and breathing out. Lately, I’ve come back to praying this Abba Father prayer when other words fail.

It works for any believer from a newbie all the way to a seasoned and tested saint. 

Abba Father, I belong to You.

Amen.