While meditating on the names of God lately, I have been thinking about the lovely word “Abba.”

This term, which comes from a Syrian word, is often left untranslated in our Bibles. We are often told that it means something like “Daddy,” a more intimate word than other words which might be translated as “Father.” This leads some people to pray to God addressing Him as “Dad”, “Daddy” or “Papa.”

The word Abba occurs three times in the New Testament, and not at all in the Old Testament.

Mark 14:36  “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Romans 8:15  So 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.”

Galatians 4:6  And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

It is interesting to see that every time the word “Abba” is used, it is paired with “Father” (in Greek pater.) In other words the informality of “Abba” is paired with the more formal, respectful Pater.

In Roman culture, fathers were absolute dictators in their household and children were considered their possession to do with as they wished. There was no legal restriction against beating, abusing, or even killing children.

For this reason, children were required to always be respectful to their fathers. They would never be encouraged to regard a father as being a friend or mentor. He was the king and he was to be feared.

In Israel, the Jewish people would have considered God to be a Father to the nation. They would never have addressed Him in prayer in such a personal way. He was the Lord, whose name was too holy to be spoken out loud.

Jesus shocked the religious leaders in many ways, but not the least in the way He addressed God as “Abba, Father.” This was an outrageously intimate way to come to God. As Jesus is God the Son, it is most appropriate, but it was offensive to the religious people used to keeping God at a distance.

Paul tells us that the Spirit of God has been given to us. We have been adopted into the family of God, and therefore we can address God as “Abba Father: in the same way that Jesus did.

Note it is always “Abba Father” and never “Abba.”

Our culture, under the influence of the feminist movement, is largely dismissive of the unique place of fathers in a family. We are now in the opposite place from Roman culture to a point where men in general and fathers in particular are often portrayed as useless and out of touch. If anything we need more respect in our language toward the Lord than simply “Dad.” While God is abounding in love and tolerance towards His children, He is not blessed by a flippant approach to the throne of grace.

Often people will use “different” names for God to show they have a more intimate, superior relationship with God than the rest of us. They imagine that by addressing God in this way they will impress others. Jesus had something to say about people who pray to impress (Matthew 6:5-7).

Whether we are alone with God or praying in a group, God looks at our hearts. He sees the attitude with which we pray and our motives.

I think it is marvellous to meditate on the names of God revealed in Scripture, and to even try them out in loving reverence in our personal prayer times. Even so, I still think it best to stick to the names He has given us: Lord, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, even Abba Father.