Father

“No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.”
-1 John 2:23

The latter half of this verse is somewhat of an affirmation for me, because until very recently my prayers were adressed “Christ Jesus”. I actually felt a bit self-conscious about that because some brothers around me prayed “Father” and really seemed to have a personal revelation about that. So I prayed “Christ Jesus” because that was the truest way for me to adress God. I got “Jesus”, but “Father” wasn’t as emotionally real to me. Therefore, it was “Christ”, because He is the annointed and appointed One, “Jesus”. Now, more recently, I have started praying “Father”, and I don’t recall making an intentional decision to do that, I have just slipped into the habit and it doesn’t feel like I’m trying to contrive something. The only thing I can figure is that my heart has softened some since I started dating the woman who is now my wife. Seriously, the timeline fits. At the moment I can’t totally articulate why I made the shift, but it just feels natural.