Wednesday, August 20th

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“Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.” “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise... Nehemiah 9:5-6)”

Have you ever needed a vacation? I mean, not just a time to get away and have fun, but a vacation from everything around you? A time to get away, to be alone, in silence and solitude?

A couple of year’s ago I took one of these vacations. I just needed to get away and spend time with the Lord. I had my whole week planned out, how I would spend each hour of each day. I arrived at my destination early on a Sunday evening, ready for a time of prayer. I pulled a comfortable chair out onto the deck of the cottage, got myself into position, closed my eyes…and nothing. I opened my eyes, looked around, closed them again, focused myself…but to no avail. My mind was completely blank. It was as if I had never prayed before. I could not think of anything to say. On top of that, I could not focus. I felt completely lost, not knowing where to begin.

Then, out of nowhere, I began saying the names of God as they appeared in my mind. One right after the other. God. Jesus. Holy Spirit. Lord of All. Almighty God. Lord of Heaven. Lord of Heaven’s Armies. God our Provider. God our Healer. God our Banner. The One True God. Holy One of Israel. The Great I AM. The Good Shepherd…They kept coming, and I continued to speak them. As I declared who God was, His praises I began to sing. The declarations turned to praise, the praise turned to worship, and the worship turned to confession. At the end of my time of prayer, God was in his rightful position, and I found my rightful place. Once I was in this place, the prayer and the praise seemed completely natural.

Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

Have you ever considered what it means to “hallow” God’s name? And what do we make of the fact that God actually has many, many names? To “hallow” is to make holy, to set apart, to revere. I used to think this was just another way of saying that I should not use God’s name in vain. However, I think there is so much more to it than that. When we “hallow” his name, we recognize that his name is far above every other name, because He is far above everyone and everything. When we “hallow” his name, we not only declare the greatness of our God, but we recognize who he is, and what he does. Two years ago, I discovered this truth, and it changed my week. It changed my prayer times, and it continues to transform my prayers to this day. Before I pray, I want to recognize who God is. And to worship him, for who he is, before I begin making requests of him.

The Israelites find themselves in a similar situation. For centuries they have been living apart from God. After worshipping and celebrating, they confess their sins before God. And now, we find them proclaiming who God is. What they discover, is that God has always been true to his name. His name proclaims his character, and God’s character never changes. As the Israelites confess their sins, and the sins of their ancestors they recognize God’s faithfulness, even when they were unfaithful. They recognize that God is the one true God, even though at times they chased after idols. They recognized that God has always kept his promises, even though they continually went back on their word. They recognized God and his righteousness, and this led to their repentance from their sinful behavior.

Before you spend time in prayer today, take some time to praise God for who he is and what he has done. Call out specific names of God. Consider how he has revealed himself to you by name, at specific times in your life. Praise him for each of those sweet moments.

Pastor Jonathan Goble