OUR WORLD IS PLAGUED by an epidemic of pain. With divorce rampant and child abuse screaming from the national headlines... it is not surprising that for many people the concept of a FATHER GOD envokes responses of anger, resentment, and rejection. Because they have not known a kind... caring earthly father... they have a distorted view of the Heavenly Father's love.

NEGATIVE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE is not the only factor that can hold us back in our understanding of God as a father. Many people experience an emotional or mental block when they try to call God "FATHER" because they do not know Him personally. There is a difference between knowing about God... and knowing Him personally. It says in John 1:12...

"TO ALL WHO RECEIVED HIM, WHO BELIEVE IS HIS NAME, HE GAVE POWER TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD"

TO BECOME A CHILD OF GOD... we must believe that JESUS CHRIST came as God's Son... died, and was resurrected so that our sins could be forgiven. We need to ask Him to forgive us and to become Lord of our lives. We need to dedicate our lives to learning... and obeying... God's Word, and worshiping Him alone.

OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DIFFICULTY relating to God as Father because they have been taught all their lives to respect Him... and to them that means addressing Him as "THOU." To use this informal term such as "Papa" or "Father" seems disrespectful to them. Yet the Bible teaches us to call God "Father" when we pray (Matthew 6:9)... and that He wants to have a close, intimate relationship with us... His children.

SOME OF THE MOST COMMON HINDRANCES to our comprehension of the Father Heart of God are emotional wounds. These injuries often result in "scar tissue" which makes us hesitant to fully trust Him as our Father.