Hallowed Be Your Name

Matt 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
NKJV

There is a similar account of this prayer in Luke 11

11:1-2 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

2 So He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
NKJV

Jesus was responding to a request from one of His disciples. It appears that the disciple saw his need to learn how to pray when he overheard Jesus’ prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus first told them how not to pray like the hypocrites, who made a big show of practicing their religion. Those who are interested in making a scene of their religious exercises have their reward already but getting alone in a secrete place to pray to the Father brings real lasting rewards.

The religious hypocrites do not think like children of God but like slaves. They expect to be heard based on how much time and effort they give to prayer and even, fasting. But we come to God as our Father, not as slaves or hired workers, but as His children. We have His name and are included in His will. When we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and we know we have the petition we ask of Him. (See 1 John 5)

When we pray “Our Father in heaven,” we are speaking as one of His own; we are acknowledging Him as Father of the greatest family that is both in heaven and on earth. His name is Hallowed, esteemed as Holy, and is to be celebrated and honored among all people. As His children we come boldly before the throne of grace knowing we are included in the inheritance given to His Son.

We have not received the spirit of bondage that promotes religious works but we are sons.

Rom 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out,"Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, NKJV

We are His children by faith. Through faith we inherit the promises of God. Faith asks with confidence not doubting or wavering.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; NKJV

I can imagine the disciples overhearing Jesus pray with great confidence and boldness. As the Son of God, His prayers always got results. Jesus knew, beyond a doubt, that His prayers were always heard.

John 11:41 And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." NKJV

Jesus evidently wanted to build confidence in those who heard Him pray; confidence that the Father always hears the prayers of His children. Lazarus was sick, near death and his family called upon Jesus to come and heal him. How many of us would have the confidence in knowing the Father’s will to the point that we would wait until he died before going there to pray. We know it is not God’s perfect will that sickness would take a life yet, in this case, there was a greater purpose and plan. Jesus had the confidence in His ability to hear and know the plan of the Father, so He waited until Lazarus had been dead for four days.

No wonder the disciples asked Jesus for a lesson in prayer. Prayer is not just one way communication, but it is also hearing the answer and getting direction. I believe Jesus emphasized addressing God as our Father in heaven so that we would come to Him as His children, to celebrate and make known His Father name. We come with boldness and confidence as part of the family that is in heaven and on earth, as opposed to those who approach God as orphans or slaves, expecting to be heard based on the performance of their religious duties.