Gate City Family Worship Center Study Room:

Coming Study - Experiencing Father's Embrace, by Robert Frost

 

What is the Father’s Embrace?

 

Many Christians in the body of Christ have not experienced the embrace of our Father God. The embrace of the Father is true intimacy and knowing you have that unconditional love from our Father God. There are some people who have been saved for five maybe ten years that have yet to experience this. We tend to struggle in our spiritual walk because we do not understand God on an intimate level. I believe when Christians begin to know God on an intimate level it will change our walk, praise, and worship. When we realize God’s true love we will understand you don’t have to go searching for it in different relationships.

 

People don’t realize your relationship with God stems from your relationship from your parents. If you were a child growing up in a home where there was nothing but love shown, then it is easier for you to want to know God and have that personal experience with Him. But, if you grew up not knowing your biological father and you don’t have the desire to know him, why would you want to have a relationship with God. So many issues will surface, such as fear of rejection, no trust, and anger. Many Christians do not believe God loves them unconditionally and wants to know them on an intimate level. There is a difference between knowing someone exists, and having a personal relationship. If you have not experienced the Father’s embrace, don’t feel discouraged, there is a time and season for all of us. Ask yourself this question, do you desire to know more about God’s love and embrace? If your answer is yes, this book is the perfect place to start.

La'Shaunda Simes

 

Do you know that God loves you? Do you really believe that he loves you? Many of us would immediately respond, “But of course I do.” However, if we really analyzed our relationship with the Father; and being truthful with ourselves, many of us would discover that we don’t know with confidence that God loves us and accepts us no matter what. We want to put our limitations and restrictions on God as if they are His thoughts. This year is a time for no more excuses. No more excuses for our relationship not being what it should be with God. The time has passed for fleecing God as Gideon did. We must make a decision that we will abandon our own negative thoughts and move and flow in peace with God our Father. Many of us need to experience the Father’s embrace in such a way that the walls which we have erected because of hurt, disappointment, rejection and abuse can be destroyed. We must receive a revelation that our Father cares so much about us and that he has pleasant thoughts and plans for us. In order for us to fulfill the destiny and purpose of God we must be willing to deal with the strongholds of the mind which keep us bound in different areas.

 

I challenge you to investigate your relationship with God and then consider your relationship with your parent/ parents. Quite often we relate to God the Father as we related to our parents. If our parents were a source of disappointment and mistrust we will treat God the same way. Of course, we deny this however; our parents are a natural representation of being our first protector and nurturer. But if that doesn’t happen then we are left with the memory that is very hard to forget. We begin to judge every adult through the eyes of our protectors and nurturers without giving them a chance.

 

We must be willing to accept that Father God is not like natural man. The bible tells us that God said that if our parents desire to give us good gifts how much more does our Heavenly Father desire to bless us. It’s time to make the decision , “God, I am going to receive you as the Great I AM, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah, El Shaddai and the Lover of My Soul. I will lay aside all weights and vain imaginations that take my focus off of the character of God My Father.” Will you take a stand to begin to really study the character of God? Will you hold fast to the Word of God to such a point that when it comes up against the strongholds in your mind the Word of God and what He says about you will prevail?

 

For the next thirty days meditate on the affirmations that the Father has made about us in His Word. Ask God for further revelation. My prayer is that everyone who reads this article will believe for a genuine encounter with God where they will experience the embrace of the Father to point that they will never be the same again.

1. My Father loves me with an everlasting love. I have never not been loved by Him. Jeremiah 31:3

2. My Father loves me so much that He wants to express His love and affection to me. John 16:27

3. Even when I am wounded, my Father sees me as beautiful and takes pleasure in me. Psalms 149:4

4. Even when I have sinned, Father loves me and asks me to sit beside Him with Christ. Ephesians 2:4-6

Apostle Sondra Turner