TUESDAY
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME
PAUSE
Take a few minutes to pause in silence, to breathe deep, and to recenter your thoughts, your focus, and your affections on God. “As I enter now into prayer, I ask, God, that you would free me from the distractions of the day so that I may be deeply present with You.”
REFLECT
...HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME… -MATTHEW 6:9B
“Hallowed” is a word that means known, acknowledged, and honored as holy. Holy describes the fact that God is different, separate from, or above us. This petition, then, is one that desires God to be praised, glorified, and honored above all else.
NOT TO US, LORD, NOT TO US BUT TO YOUR NAME BE THE GLORY, BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVE & FAITHFULNESS. -PSALM 115:1
Oftentimes when we pray, it is easy to jump right into our list of needs or requests. We know that God is our father, that He loves us, and so when we come to him we may come as a child, eager to ask God for what we want. But let us be reminded that John 4:23 tells us that God is seeking those who will WORSHIP. May our prayers never be void of awe and admiration for who God is and what he has done and is doing.
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD ALMIGHTY; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY. -ISAIAH 6:3
ASK
Notice that the petition is that God’s NAME would be known, acknowledged, and honored. It doesn’t say, “the name of God” but “God’s name”. That’s because, in Scripture, His NAME regularly means who He has revealed Himself to be.
In Genesis 22:14 He is
“Jehovah Jireh” which means “The Lord will provide”.
In Judges 6:24 He is
“Jehovah Shalom” which means “The Lord is peace”.
In Psalm 23:1 He is
“Jehovah Ro’i” which means “The Lord my shepherd”.
In Isaiah 7:14 He is
“Immanuel” which means “God with us”.
In Isaiah 9:6 He is
“ Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace”
These are just a few of the names that reveal who God is. And the more that we understand who God is, the bolder our prayers can be, because we will also understand what God is capable of. May our prayers be full of worship and boldness, all because of God’s great NAME.
“I pray, Father, that you would be praised above all else! That You, and You alone, would be the chief end and the ultimate goal of my life. I ask, today, for BIG things because I know that You are a BIG God, able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that I ask, think, or imagine.”
YIELD
“MAN’S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD, AND TO ENJOY HIM FOREVER.” -WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
May we not forget that committing to living a life that brings honor, glory, and praise to God’s name is not burdensome, but freeing. It is a yielding to exactly what we were created for, which brings a great sense of joy and fulfillment that we are unable to experience apart from Him.
“ God, my Father, my Provider, my Shepherd, my peace - I praise your name today. Not to remind You of who You are, but to remind myself of who You are and what You are capable of. Thank you that in everything I face, you are my answer. I trust in You today.”