A woman of God once told me that God wants me to call Him, Abba*. As a little girl hearing this and then speaking this ‘new’ name, I felt honored and sensed the presence of my Abba drawing closer to me each time I called that name. When Jesus walked on earth, He gave us the example of calling the Father, Abba. (Mark 14:36) And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You; take this cup away from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will…”

The Abba cry is a cry for comfort. (Galatians 4:6) “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!” Imagine a playground full of toddlers. One of those toddlers fall and cries out: ‘daddy’! All the fathers in that playground simultaneously turn to see if it is their child that has fallen. The father of that fallen child will immediately run to comfort his child. That is how our heavenly Father is. He said if your earthly father knows how to take care of you, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11).

The Abba cry is a cry for healing. Those times when you don’t have the strength to pray or you can’t reach for the phone to call a friend, Abba will be there.

The Abba cry is a cry of desperation. (Romans 8:15) “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” When His children feel hopeless and fearful there seems to be no ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, Abba hears that cry too.

The Abba cry is a cry of joy. There’s nothing sweeter than to sing out to your Abba in praise and adoration not only for who He is but for the mighty things He has done. He loves to hear us call His name. He just awaits the cry of his children. What is your personal name for your Father? Just call Him today.

*Abba is an Aramaic term for “father.”

Originally published on April 15th, 2007