Abba, Daddy

May 22, 2026

Scripture Of The Day

For you have not received a spirit of slavery [a]leading to fear again, but you have received [b]a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15

By Cheryl Henderson (Excerpts from Jentezen Franklin)

Paul writes, “We have received the spirit of adoption…by which we cry out ‘Abba! Father. (Romans 8:15). Adoptive parents understand these words. They know what it means to have emptiness in their hearts, to hunt, set out on a mission, take responsibility for a child with a spotted past and a dubious future. And that is what God did for you! Knowing full well the trouble you would be and the price He’d pay. He sought you, found you, paid an awesome price, signed the papers, gave you His name, took you home, and gave you the right to call Him “Abba”, which literally means, “My daddy.” Don’t you love it?

Adoption is not something you earn. It’s a gift you receive. Can you imagine prospective parents saying, “We want to adopt little Johnny, but first we want to know if he has a house, money for tuition, a ride to school in the morning, and clothes to wear every day?” That’s crazy! No agency would stand for such talk. “You don’t adopt Johnny because of what he has, you adopt Johnny because of what he needs. He needs a home.”

I love that Paul didn’t say we’ve earned the spirit of adoption. He said we’ve received it. That is very important because if we can’t earn it by our stellar efforts, we can’t lose it through our poor performance. How reassuring! Why does any parent want a child? To love and to share their life with… and that’s how God feels about you today!

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