I contend that the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is a mystery to a large portion of people who say the prayer. What do we actually mean when we pray, “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9)?
The emphasis on the name of God in the Old Testament and Isaiah in particular helps us understand why the first request in the greatest prayer of all begins with an emphasis on setting aside God’s name as sacred.
When we talk about a person’s “good name,” we are speaking about their reputation. As we pray, “Hallowed be your name,” we are asking for God to reveal His character in such a way that His reputation is set apart as beyond the mundane.
Isaiah highlighted this aspect of God’s name.
For my name’s sake I defer my anger;
for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you,
so that I may not cut you off. (Isaiah 48:9)
God restrained His anger and displayed His gracious and forgiving nature. Every enemy of God who has become His friend because of His love and forgiveness has become a living billboard displaying God’s name—His character and nature.
We may pray, “Hallowed be your name,” but if we divide our loyalty between God and the gods of culture, then we have a problem. The speech of our mouth may be in the right place, but the desires of our heart will reveal something else.
This is God’s opinion on the matter.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for why should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another. (Isaiah 48:9-11)
When we attempt to share God with the gods of culture, we profane His name. Instead of being placed in a sacred space in our lives, God’s name becomes trivial or worse.
God refuses to share His throne with an empty idol or an empty-headed human. We do well to pray, “Hallowed be your name, and please begin with me.”
Listen to Me
We may worship the gods of American life—Money, Sex, and Power—as Richard Foster identified them in his book. None of these American idols can compare to God in reality and creative power.
Listen to me, O Jacob,
and Israel, whom I called:
I am he; I am the first,
and I am the last.
My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they stand at attention. (Isaiah 48:12-13)
God commands our attention when He says, “Listen to me.” Why does God have this kind of authority?
Foremost, God is God, and we are not.
Pope Leo made an insightful point this week. He said, “The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often, a lifetime is not enough to rebuild.”
Power can destroy in a moment, but no human has God’s power to create. God summons the heavens and earth, and they stand at attention. Shouldn’t humans listen to Him?
As we pray, “Hallowed be your name,” let’s ask the Lord to make His nature and character so large in our hearts that we will be determined to listen to Him.
God’s Schoolroom
Could it be that God wants us to listen because He has information that will help us succeed in being the best version of ourselves we can be?
The testimony of God’s love is this: He loves people who often go to false and empty gods instead of to Him. He invites us to listen so He can impart the secrets of success.
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you how to succeed,
who leads you in the way you should go.
O that you had paid attention to my commandments!
Then your prosperity would have been like a river,
and your success like the waves of the sea. (Isaiah 48:17-18)
Amazon has over 100,000 books that provide principles for success. God has one book He would like us to read.
As we prayerfully read the Bible and follow the directions the Holy Spirit gives us, God promises success and prosperity. As you know, God will be the One who determines what success and prosperity actually are.
Let’s focus again on the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Hallowed be your name.” Let’s ask God to show us His presence, nature, character, and glorious reputation so we will fully trust His success and prosperity principles.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 