Part 2 of “Experiencing the Fullness of God”
Do You Struggle to See God as Father?
For many, the idea of God as Father feels comforting and familiar. But for others, it stirs up feelings of distance, doubt, or even pain.
Maybe you had a loving, present father, and thinking of God as Father makes you feel safe and cherished.
Maybe your father was harsh, absent, or distant, and the idea of God as a father feels untrustworthy or even painful.
Or maybe you simply don’t know how to relate to Him that way. You understand God as Lord, as Savior, as Holy, but Father? That feels foreign.
Yet, God desires to be known as a Father first. He is not distant. He is not harsh. He is the perfect Father—one who never leaves, never fails, and never turns His face away.
If you could experience Him fully as your Father, how would it change your faith?
Why Do We Struggle to See God as Father?
Even if we believe in God’s love intellectually, many of us struggle to experience it deeply.
For some, this is because of our relationship with our earthly fathers. If your father was unreliable or distant, it may be hard to trust God’s nearness. If your father was critical, you may feel like God is always watching for your mistakes. And if love in your home felt conditional, you might believe you have to earn God’s approval.
For others, the struggle comes from a sense of unworthiness. Maybe you believe God is a Father to others, but not to you. Maybe you feel like you’ve failed too many times, that you need to get your life together before He will fully accept you.
And for some, it’s simply a lack of experience. You believe in God, but you’ve never felt close to Him. You know He loves you, but you’ve never had a moment where that love felt real, personal, and life-changing.
No matter where you are, here is the truth:
💡 God is not like any earthly father. He is perfect in love, perfect in patience, and perfect in His care for you.
And He wants you to know Him—not just as God, but as Abba, Father.
What Kind of Father is God?
Jesus introduced God as our Father, and throughout Scripture, we see what that truly means. He is not just a distant Creator, but a deeply personal and loving Father who is intimately involved in our lives.
📖 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” – 1 John 3:1
God the Father is not cold or indifferent. He delights in us, protects us, and longs for us to walk closely with Him.
💙 He is Always Present – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)
💙 He Provides for Us – “Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8)
💙 He Disciplines in Love, Not Anger – “The Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:12)
💙 He Delights in Us – “He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
These aren’t just words on a page. This is who He is. He doesn’t love you because He has to—He loves you because He wants to.
Moving from “Servant” to “Child”
Many of us live our Christian life as if we are servants rather than children. We obey because we fear punishment. We try to be “good enough” because we’re afraid of letting God down.
But Jesus came to remove that fear and restore us as sons and daughters.
📖 “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’” – Romans 8:15
The word “Abba” is deeply personal. It’s the word a small child would use for their dad—like saying “Papa” or “Daddy.” It expresses trust, love, and security.
God doesn’t want fearful servants—He wants confident children who know they are loved, no matter what.
Maybe you believe in God, but do you believe He delights in you?
Maybe you pray to God, but do you talk to Him as a Father?
God is inviting you to stop striving, stop fearing, and start resting in the truth that you are fully loved and fully His.
How Can We Grow Closer to God as Father?
If we want to experience God’s love as Father, we need to:
✔ Spend time with Him as we would with a loving parent. Instead of coming to God like a servant bringing requests, try coming as a child simply wanting to be close. Talk to Him, not in rehearsed prayers, but in honest, vulnerable conversation.
✔ Learn to trust His heart, even when we don’t understand His ways. When life is uncertain, we often assume God is distant. But a child doesn’t have to understand everything their father does to trust that He is good.
✔ Let Him heal the broken places in our hearts. If you’ve been wounded by earthly relationships, ask God to rewrite your understanding of fatherhood through His love.
✔ See discipline as love, not punishment. When God corrects you, it’s not because He is angry—it’s because He wants the best for you.
✔ Believe that He enjoys you. God’s love is not reluctant. He doesn’t love you out of obligation—He loves you because you are His child, and you bring Him joy.
A Prayer to Know God as Father
🛐 “Father, I want to know You as You truly are. Not as I have imagined, not as my experiences have shaped me to believe, but as a perfect, loving Father. Teach me to trust You. Heal the places in me that struggle to receive Your love. Help me move from fear to faith, from striving to resting. I don’t want to be a servant—I want to live as Your child. Amen.”
Final Thoughts
God is not asking you to earn His love—He is asking you to receive it.
He is not waiting for you to be perfect—He is waiting for you to come close.
You don’t have to prove yourself to Him. You don’t have to fear disappointing Him. You don’t have to wonder if He really loves you.
Because He does.
So, what would your ideal relationship with God the Father look like?
Maybe the real question is… Are you ready to embrace it?
Missed the beginning of this series? Go to Part 1.
