Tuesday, January 26

Begin by reading the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
This then is how you should pray:
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
(this last phrase is actually not in the oldest manuscripts of the Bible, but was added from later tradition)

Hallowed be your name…
We have to be honest here that this word hallowed is not one we use much outside of this prayer. However, if we are going to pray it, then we should understand what we are praying, so what does it mean?
Some translators have used phrases like, revered, kept sacred, honored, and keep holy to convey the meaning of this word.
Let’s go with the idea of “keep holy”, because this is probably closest to the meaning. But keep what holy? The name of God!
(Faithful Jews would not speak the sacred name of God aloud for fear of unintentionally mispronouncing it and thus blaspheming God.)

We must keep in mind that a name was much more than a name in the Biblical view. A name signified the character, nature and personality of an individual. The name of God (YHWH) given to Moses at Mt. Sinai is the character, nature and personality of God as He has revealed Himself to us in Scripture. So…when you pray Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, you are essentially saying; God, may You be given the unique honor and reverence that only Your nature and Character deserve.

But what does it mean for us to keep the name of God holy?

Did your parents ever say anything to you like this, “We don’t talk or act like that in this family.” You carry your family name with you for good and for bad. You represent your family even in how you live.
You carry/bear the name of your Heavenly Father on your life!!

How does your life represent the name of your Father in Heaven?

In what way(s) do you find it difficult to honor, revere or keep holy the name of God?

Spend some time “hallowing” His name in your heart…

Pastor Jeff

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