"GOD'S POSTAL ADDRESS"?

Jesus, in the opening words of the Lord's Prayer, taught us to focus first on God before presenting to Him our requests and petitions. Why did Jesus bid us pray, “Our Father in heaven”? What is so important about the fact that God lives in heaven? Someone has suggested that heaven is “God's postal address” and, therefore, the place to which all prayers and petitions ought to be directed. I believe, however, that Jesus, in using the words “in heaven,” sought to focus our minds not so much on God's location, but rather His elevation. We are so used to living, as we say, “in a man's world,” surrounded by limitations, that we are apt to forget that God exists in a realm where there are no shortages or restraints. Here on earth, we stagger from one crisis to another, face endless problems - such as economic recessions, strikes, political unrest - but in heaven, where God lives, such situations are non-existent. There are no shortages in the factories of His grace, no disputes on His assembly lines and no faults in His communication system. Ring “Heaven” at any hour of the day or night, and you will be put into direct contact with the King of kings! Can you now see what Jesus means when He bids us focus on God who is in heaven? He is telling us to elevate our spiritual vision until it breaks free of earth's gravitational pull and to remind ourselves constantly of the fact that, in our Father's Presence, our greatest problems turn into possibilities. Prayer: O Father, this phrase “in heaven” is like a rocket that launches me beyond earth's limitations into a realm where everything is blessedness and light. Help me never lose sight of this fact today and every day. Amen. [Every Day with Jesus Bible, with Devotions by Selwyn Hughes, Holman Bible Publishers, 2004].