Putting God First
"Hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9).
The Disciples' Prayer illustrates the priority that God
should hold in our prayers. Jesus began by exalting the
Father: "Hallowed be Thy name" (v. 9), then requested that
the Father's kingdom come and His will be done (v. 10). He
concluded with an anthem of praise: "For Thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" (v.
13). His prayer literally begins and ends with God.
"Hallowed be Thy name" exalts the name of the Lord and
sets a tone of worship and submission that is sustained
throughout the prayer. Where God's name is hallowed, He
will be loved and revered, His kingdom eagerly anticipated,
and His will obeyed.
"Thy name" speaks of more than a title such as "God,"
"Lord," or "Jehovah." It speaks of God Himself and is the
composite of all His attributes. The Hebrews considered
God's name so sacred they wouldn't even speak it, but they
missed the point. While meticulously guarding the letters
of His name, they slandered His character and disobeyed His
Word. Because of them the name of God was blasphemed among
the Gentiles (Rom. 2:24).
Psalm 102:15 says, "The nations will fear the name of
the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory." It's
not the letters of God's name that the nations fear; it's
the embodiment of all He is. As Jesus prayed, "I manifested
Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me" (John 17:6). He
did that by revealing who God is. John 1:14 says, "The Word
became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace
and truth." Jesus told Philip, "He who has seen Me has seen
the Father" (John 14:9). Jesus is the manifestation of all
who God is.
Manifesting the priority of God in your prayers
involves acknowledging who He is and approaching Him with a
reverent, humble spirit that is yielded to His will. As you
do that, He will hallow His name through you.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for His holiness.
Ask Him to use you today to demonstrate His holiness to
others.
For Further Study:
Read Numbers 20. How did Moses show irreverence for God's
name?
╘Copyright from: http://www.gty.org/DailyDevotion/
