Hallowed Be Thy Name

Why Pray in Lent?

Prayer is more than simply offering your thoughts to God.

it builds a foundation for life-living.

The First Petition speaks to the underpinnings of our whole life! everything is built upon this petition. How we think, how we act, what we say, all of it is tied up in this little petition!

Perhaps you’ve never prayed before except in anguish or terror. It may be that the only time the Divine Name has been on your lips has been in angry expletives. Never mind. I am here to tell you that the Father’s heart is wide open— you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you do not believe in prayer. You may have tried to pray and were profoundly disappointed. . . and disillusioned. You seem to have little faith or none. It doesn’t matter. the Father’s heart is wide open— you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you are bruised and broken by the pressures of life. Others have wronged you, and you feel scarred for life. You have old painful memories that have never been healed. You avoid prayer because you feel too distant, to unworthy, too defiled. Do not despair. The Father’s heart is wide open— you are welcome to come in. Perhaps you have faithfully prayed for many years, but the words have grown brittle and cold. Little ever happens anymore. God seems remote and inaccessible. Listen to me. The Father’s heart is wide open— you are welcome to come in. Perhaps prayer is the delight of your life. You have lived in divine contentment for a long time and can attest to its peacefulness. But you long for more: More power, more love, more of God in your life. Believe me. The Father’s heart is wide open—You are welcome to come higher up and deeper in. How truly good of Jesus to provide us a way into God’s heart with this prayer.

Jesus invites us to call God “our” Father. To honor God’s name is to honor God Himself. The name of God stands for the whole being and will of God. To call upon His name is to enlist his attention and care for us in regard to our needs. This petition is a command not a plea. “Cause your name to be hallowed among us and the world!”

Along the highway of life, the lanes we travel should be marked by praise of the name of God.

So often our praise is not only shallow but empty of heart action. We act as if we don’t know our own Father rather than having the intimate relationship Jesus offers to us in this prayer. We travel a long time before we exhibit any road sign in our lives leading others to Him.

Imagine your asking a person if they had ever met God before. They might answer"No, I’ve never met Him.” “What kind of a God is he?” How would you answer? Would the highway of your life show the kind of God that you call Father to be a loving, merciful, forgiving God? Is your life’s road marked all along the way with praise and honor and glory to him or would someone be surprised that you are walking the Christian life?

When we walk along a highway that leads to praise of God, then God’s name is hallowed by his children.

We all bear the name of Christ in our baptism’s.

By this name we are able to call ourselves children of the Heavenly Father. That is pure grace! But there’s a repentant side to this too. We are asking God to cause his name to holy among us even though we are often unwilling, stubborn and wayward children.

And we are asking God to cause his name to be hallowed even when we are sick, depressed, lonely, or struggling to see his path for our lives. “May I praise you in all things-- I ask in this petition.” This is the highway we seek to travel upon that brings peace and blessing to us and glory to God our Father. This is what it means to “Hallow” his name in our lives.

So how earnest have you been in praying this petition?

Feeling like a hypocrite? Embarrassed to be calling upon God in such a familiar and intimate way when you have acted like a wayward child who has rarely Hallowed his name?

Remember that we are able to call God our Father because we have been adopted through Jesus suffering and death for us. Nothing can remove the redeeming love Jesus has given to us to enable us to have such a relationship with our Father in heaven. Our access to the Heavenly Father is based upon Jesus perfect relationship-- not ours. And because he died for us we are able to satisfy God’s demands through faith in Him.

Conclusion: In conclusion let me humbly ask you to pray with me?

Father, I know that I have often failed to Hallow your name in my life. I have lived many times as if you don’t exist; reluctant to call upon you or in doing so, simply going through the motions not truly hallowing your name. Forgive me, a sinner, and draw me to a life of praise and holiness that all might know through my words and actions how much I love you. I pray this in your holy name. Amen.