Editor Note: What follows is an excerpt from my family devotions on the Lord's Prayer through GraceForSinners

Like (or perhaps unlike) the other rabbis before Him, Jesus’ example prayer sets forth a unique intimacy with God. In the case of Jesus this is a special, un-shared Trinitarian intimacy. No other person has this relationship with the Father. And yet, Jesus shares a slice of this eternal, intimate relationship with us through his prayer.

It reflects our Savior’s dependency upon God the Father. Jesus valued His private prayer life (Mk. 1:35). The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to value intimate time with our Father. No other Rabbi ever instructed his disciples with this level of intimacy. A wide gulf exists between a prayer opened with “my God” and “my Father.” Christ brings us into relationship with God in such a way that we can cry out “our Father.”

My daughter and son prefer my direct attention over almost everything. The same could be said for my wife. And isn’t this good? Direct and intimate attention affirms visibly our commitment and love. Doubly so with the Lord’s Prayer because as a whole, it draws us closer to the Father and places us in His care.

The Father gives this prayer to us through His Son who is also given to us. God provides this intimacy as the full expression of our experiences and emotions. Like the Psalms, the Lord’s Prayer echoes cries for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, deliverance, and provision. Christians should never be and hopefully never will be stoics (those who face suffering without the slightest emotion). God has reached out to us and commands us to regularly cry out with loud voices to Him as we suffer.