Have you ever driven up a mountain? On one side of your car is a cliff with a drop that would plummet your car to certain disaster. On the other side of your car, however, are all the other cars that are trying not to crash into the mountain and are sneaking over into your lane as they come around that blind turn. When my wife and I drove up the Smoky Mountains recently, we rarely relaxed. Instead, we stressed, gasped, yelled, and, at one point, switched drivers!

Prayer can feel like that. On one hand, we can worry about what other people are thinking about us while we pray. At a restaurant, we might hesitate to bow our heads as we wonder what the waiter or the folks in the next booth might think. On the other hand, we can crash into the feeling of unworthiness, wondering what right we have to pray to a holy God just hours (or minutes . . . or seconds) after our last sin.

So how do you avoid those pitfalls? You remember your Father. In Matthew 6:4-8, Jesus used the title “Father” four times in four verses. Prayer is leveraging the chance to talk to our Father, not impressing the folks at Applebee’s. And if he is our forgiving Father, we never have to wonder or worry if we are worthy to pray. Through Jesus, the door has been opened and the invitation has been extended, so pray with confidence and joy today—our Father can’t wait to hear from you!