Access to God Almighty

When I first was getting to know Billy Graham, he invited me to his home in Montreat, North Carolina, outside of Asheville.

Going to the home of Billy Graham was better, in my estimation, than going to the Oval Office because, to me, he was the greatest evangelist who ever lived. As a young evangelist back then, I was so impressed by everything, and I took it all in.

When I’d talk with him, I would address him as Dr. Graham. But he’d say, “Don’t call me Dr. Graham. Call me Billy.” It was hard for me to call him Billy. I had too much respect for him, and it felt too personal. But I finally got around to calling him that.

His children, however, called him by an even more intimate name: Daddy. In the South, parents are Daddy and Mama, not Mother and Father or even Mom and Dad. Billy’s grandkids called him Daddy Bill, much like I called my grandfather Daddy Charles because he and Mama Stella were from Arkansas.

Now, I didn’t have the right to call him Daddy Bill, but I did have his permission to call him Billy. That was because of the relationship.

In the same way, we have a relationship with God and access to Him. Remember, Jesus said, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Luke 11:2 NKJV).

This is God Almighty, yet we have Him on speed dial. We have His private number. And we can access Him anytime we want to.

We’re His children. He loves us. And He wants to hear from us as well as talk to us. He wants to spend time with us. It’s never drudgery. It’s always a delight. And we should feel the same way about Him.