Do you think of God as your loving, heavenly Father? Many people find this hard to do. The notion of calling God - who is holy and righteous - your Father can be overwhelming. We can call Him Father because of the shed blood of Christ.

The Bible tells us that without the sacrificial death of Jesus, there can be no forgiveness. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we are redeemed and restored into right fellowship with God. When we place our faith in Christ, we can call God our Father.

Biblical repentance means accepting Christ's free gift of salvation. When we repent, we have the power to overcome. He gives us new life - freedom from our past, strength to change our ways, and the authority to come to God in prayer.

Charles Spurgeon explains the honor of prayer this way: "What a privilege intimate communion is with the Father of our spirits! It is a secret hidden from the world, a joy with which even the nearest friend intermeddleth not."

Have you been crying out to God, feeling that He is not responding? Don't give up. He hears you and He will answer.

Prayer: Father, thank You for having compassion on me and for the joy of intimate communion with You. Thank You for hearing my cries. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

"For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live" (1 Corinthians 8:6).