Sunday we continued working through the Lord’s Prayer, moving from ‘father in heaven’ to ‘hallowed be your name.’
The first prayer request is our greatest – the hallowing of the name of our Father.
“The name in antiquity meant a good deal more than it does with us. We use it for a personal designation, and that is about all. But in antiquity the name was held to be bound up with the person in some way; the name and the qualities associated with the name went together.” -Leon Morris
When we pray ‘hallowed be your name’, we are not seeking to add anything to the name of God.
You might as well try to add to the brightness of the sun.
What we are doing is asking for a response in the human heart. We’re asking that God would be seen and worshipped for who He is. We are asking that the people around us would join in the cosmic celebration of awe and wonder that centers around the throne of heaven.
- We are asking for a direct action of God in the minds and hearts of those we pray for. (Eph 1:17)
- We are asking for a revelation of the power and love of God through supernatural acts. (Acts 4:30)
- We are asking for a revelation of the glory and worth of God through human activity. (Mt. 5:16)
- We are asking for a decision of the will to yield to God’s supremacy. (1 Peter 3:15)
All other requests serve this one great prayer.
Tom Brown is the planting pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Wichita. Tom and his wife, Mandy, have worked together in ministry for 18 years and have four children. More about Pastor Tom Brown