God is our Father. Jesus said so. He taught us to address Him in prayer as “Our Father.” He modeled that relationship, almost always calling God His Father. Except once. One time, as it is recorded in the Gospels, Jesus called God by a different Name. He called Him “Daddy” (literally, the Aramaic, “Abba”). The one time He switched from “Father” to “Daddy” was in His time of deepest struggle and need, in Gethsemane, on the night before His arrest and crucifixion.
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” – (Mark 14:36)
There is a lesson here. In our own times of deep distress, even in those times when you feel God would not be inclined to draw near and listen, remember Who He is. Not only your Father but also your Daddy. Let your lowest moments of struggle become your deepest moments of childlike intimacy. Imitate Jesus in how He honestly cried out to “Daddy,” saying, in effect, “I really don’t want to do this; isn’t there some other way?” And also, “I know you are my Daddy and would not assign anything to me that was not the best.”
Who’s your Daddy?