Praying as a son of God

KGM Media
Apr 28
4 min read

As believers, we often treat prayer like an emergency hotline—dialing God only when we’re in crisis. But real prayer flows from a settled identity: you are not an orphan; you are a son of God. When you grasp that, everything about how you pray changes.

1. The Framework of Divine Sonship

Before we learn “how” to pray, we must understand “from where” we pray. This Sunday Pastor JP covered a four-part framework of divine sonship that shapes our prayer life:

Theological Foundation: Believers are adopted into God’s family through faith in Christ, becoming His children (Romans 8:15–16).
Identity & Inheritance: As sons, we share in Christ’s rights—receiving the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and a place in God’s kingdom (Rom. 8:17).
Relational Aspect: Our ongoing communion with the Father is marked by love, obedience, and the cry “Abba, Father.”
Transformation: We’re being conformed to Christ’s image, anticipating the full redemption of body and spirit (Rom. 8:23–25).

2. The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sonship

The Holy Spirit doesn’t operate on a solo mission; He functions within this sonship framework:

Spirit of His Son: “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father’” (Gal. 4:6). The same Spirit that empowered Jesus to live as the Son now anoints you to function in that office—calling you into intimate relationship with the Father.
Spirit of Adoption: “You did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Rom. 8:15). This isn’t a different Spirit, but a different facet of His work: placing you firmly in God’s family.
Spirit’s Testimony: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). He doesn’t simply assure you privately—He equips you to demonstrate your sonship to the world.
Groanings for Full Redemption: Creation and believers alike “groan for the adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:23). When you don’t know what to pray, “the Spirit Himself makes intercession ... with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). His deep cries align your heart with God’s eternal plan.

3. Praying “In His Name”

To pray in the Son’s name isn’t just slapping “Jesus” at the end of your requests. It means praying from your position as His son—in Him, seated in heavenly places:

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13–14).“Most assuredly … the works that I do you will do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).

When you pray, locate yourself: you’re in Christ. Your words then flow from His nature, authority, and will—just as Jesus’ miracles bore the Father’s character without external petitions.

4. Practical Living & Prayer as Sons

Mindset Marker (“The Mark”): Revelation describes 144,000 sealed “with the Father’s name and the Son’s name” on their foreheads (Rev. 14:1). That seal is a mindset—God is your Father; you are His son. Let that govern every petition and decision.
The Father Provides: A good earthly father naturally cares for his children. As sons, our default posture isn’t begging but trusting Him to supply. Focus less on the ask and more on aligning with His will.
Authority Symbolized: In ancient times, a ring bore a family’s crest and empowered the son to act on the father’s behalf. The Holy Spirit “seals” you with that same authority—use it in prayer!

Abide in this relationship. Pray not from your insecurity, but from your identity. Approach as a child entering his Father’s house—boldly, confidently, and expectantly.

5. A Model Prayer (Anchored in Sonship)

“Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts As we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” – Jesus, teaching us to pray from the place of sons approaching their Father

Praying “properly” is simply praying from who you are—a son of God, sealed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When you align your heart, mind, and words with that reality, your prayers will bear unmistakable fruit, glorifying the Father in the Son.