Alex’s life was dark and seemingly helpless after his father died. At the age of 24, Alex felt empty and purposeless, and suicide seemed a real option. Having consumed a lot of alcohol, he and his friends were in town heckling the ‘Come to Jesus’ group who were preaching in the street that Sunday night in September 1951.

The preacher that evening had one simple truth to share – a truth straight from the words of Jesus: ‘If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’ (John 8:36).

When he was finished, he climbed down from the back of the truck on which he had been standing, and the little choir began to sing a classic old hymn. The chorus went as follows: ‘Come home, come home; you who are weary come home.’ Those words hit Alex hard, cutting through his drunken state, straight through his heart. ‘Come home,’ he thought to himself. ‘Why don’t I?’

And so, still very drunk and without shoes or a shirt, Alex began to stagger forward. As he approached that group of Christians, his friends thought he was going to cause trouble – pick a fight, maybe. They were totally unprepared for what happened next.

“Help me get up sober, and I will believe in you for the rest of my life.” – Alex Alcorn

Alex stopped walking and dropped to his knees, down in the gutter. One gentleman from the Christian group approached and touched him on the shoulder. ‘Would you like to pray the sinner’s prayer?’

Alex didn’t know what that was, but he did know that he wanted to say something to God. ‘I don’t even know if you are real, up there,’ he said, looking up to the night sky. ‘But if you are, just do one thing … help me get up sober, and I will believe in you for the rest of my life.’

And he did!

The local police sergeant was so excited that Alex Alcorn had found religion that he went up to him, hugged him and thanked him for making such a wonderful decision. I suspect that he was also hoping he’d have a little less work to do.

As a result of that simple prayer, Alex Alcorn became a new man – living proof of what the apostle Paul wrote in  2 Corinthians 5:17: ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new’ (NKJV).

There will always be a struggle to connect with a living and loving God if you see him as harsh, distant or absent. So many men tell me this is one of the greatest challenges in their life.

The pain and dysfunction didn’t go away immediately. It never does. Though we are forgiven for our past in an instant, the challenge remains to live out our faith daily. We learn that this is possible, because the Holy Spirit helps us navigate an exciting new life. When Alex stood up on that Sunday night, he began a journey, walking with the Lord, which continued for the next 70 years. He had discovered the Father’s heart.

It’s going to be hard to call God ‘Father’ if your view of father-hood has been distorted by negative experiences with your earthly father. There will always be a struggle to connect with a living and loving God if you see him as harsh, distant or absent. So many men tell me this is one of the greatest challenges in their life.

This isn’t just a modern phenomenon, though. It’s been a challenge for people throughout human history. There is a well-known prayer recorded in the Gospels by both Matthew and Luke. It is usually referred to as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, but at the risk of being controversial, I’d like to suggest that it could easily be termed ‘The Disciples’ Prayer’.

There are many prayers of Jesus recorded in the Bible. The longest is found in John 17. But in the prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer, he shows his followers how to pray. We are shown how to make requests for the things we need, both practical and spiritual.

Perhaps the key aspect of the entire prayer, however, is found in the first line: ‘Our Father’. What an amazing concept Jesus was teaching his disciples – ‘You can talk to Dad, and when you do, you can be confident that he hears you.’

This article is an excerpt from the new book My Father’s Son: A Generational Journey.