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Devotional: The Lord’s Prayer

Davis Carman|April 5, 2017

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9, KJV)

The Lord’s Prayer – God Honoring

The Lord’s Prayer has been the topic of many a sermon. The six specific petitions in this passage have been explored in numerous ways to help us, as believers, fully grasp the depth of Christ’s model prayer. The Lord’s Prayer opens with three magnificent requests: that God’s name be honored as holy, that His kingdom will come soon, and that His will would be done on earth just as it is in heaven. These petitions are followed by three relatively simple requests for food, forgiveness, and the ability to resist temptation.

Many commentators suggest that when Jesus opens His prayer by saying “hallowed be your name” (the HCSB reads, “Your name be honored as holy”), He is saying our priority in prayer should be to recognize the holiness of God and the glory due His name. So if we were to make it the highest goal of our prayers to recognize the holiness of God and glorify His name, how might that impact our daily lives? Let me offer four possibilities.

Hallowed Be His Name

First, hallowing the name of our Father in heaven causes us to believe His words. If we will recognize and declare that God is holy, then we can truly accept the truth of Scripture, believe His promises, and be free indeed.

Second, hallowing the name of our Father in heaven causes us to properly fear Him and His displeasure with sin. If we will recognize and declare that God is holy, then sin will become more and more ugly to us. We will see sin for what it truly is and desperately want to stay as far away from it as possible.
Third, hallowing the name of our Father in heaven causes us to obey His commandments. If we will recognize and declare that God is holy, then we will come to understand why obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and choose to joyfully obey His commands the first time every time.

Fourth, hallowing the name of our Father in heaven causes Him to be glorified. If we will recognize and declare that God is holy, then we will live in a state of constant worship with the triune God as the object of our affection. We will live and abide in Him. We will meditate on His Word day and night. Our prayers will be constant and flow through the entirety of our days. And we will want to declare all the more the holiness of God!

Dear Father in heaven, hallowed be your name! Holy, holy, holy is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Guide me, Holy Spirit, into all truth and righteousness for your name’s sake. Bring praise, honor, and glory to yourself, and use me as your obedient and faithful servant to this end. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Walking by faith and enjoying the homeschooling adventure of a lifetime!
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Davis Carman
© 2017 Davis Carman
Apologia.com

Davis is the president of Apologia Educational Ministries, the #1 publisher of Creation-based science and Bible curriculum. He is the author of four illustrated children’s books designed to help kids learn a biblical worldview. He believes that if there was ever a time to homeschool, it is now! Davis’s four books include: Good Morning, Godbased on Deuteronomy 6, A Light for My Pathan ABC book based on Psalm 119, In the Beginning, based on the Creation account in Genesis, and Psalms to Know Early.

If you enjoyed this devotional by Davis Carman, you might enjoy reading Like a Tree Planted by Streams of Water.