Hallowed

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6.9-10

‘Hallowed be Your name.’

The very first thing that Jesus talks about when He is teaching on prayer is that God our Father and He is in Heaven. The second thing is that His name is Hallowed, or Holy.

This reminds me of Isaiah 57.15 – ‘For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’

In an effort to make God more seeker friendly and to draw up interest the church today can be tempted to forget just how who we serve. A lot of unholiness takes place to try and draw men to God.

But God tells us in Isaiah who on earth He will dwell with. Though He is the One whose name is Holy, though he dwells in the high and lofty place, and though He is the One who inhabits eternity He will still dwell with those who have a contrite and humble spirit.

When we pray we need to remember who we are talking to. He is not someone who is conformable to our will. Though we are indeed talking to our heavenly Father and can do so with all the confidence of a His child, we are still talking to the one whose name is Holy. We can't let the love and comfort of His fatherhood over ride the truth of His holiness.

‘Hallowed be Your name.’ How can we claim that to be true, and know that God says ‘You be holy as I am holy,' and still carry on with personal unholiness?