Thursday, June 6, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

"The Lord's Prayer" Series Day 3: "Hallowed be Thy Name"

PRETTY, Pretty, Please?

Matthew 6:33 But seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

There were times as a young child or teenager that I wanted something BIG from my parents so I strategized to get it.

Instead of immediately approaching them with my request, I first showered them with compliments to get favorable results (I'm sure I am not alone in this approach).

"Oh mom, you are so PRETTY. Have you lost weight? Have I told you lately that you're the sweetest, most wonderful mom...in the WORLD? And dad, my AMAZING dad..."

Like most parents, they would become suspicious and their "thank-yous" would turn into, "What do you WANT?" followed by my "Can I PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE   [insert request here] ..."

As sneaky as that approach sounds, God - our loving Father - actually DOES want us to approach Him that way. However, the purpose is not for manipulation as a young child does with his or her parents.

In the Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6, Jesus instructs us to pray saying, "Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

While the latter part of this prayer is filled with requests for daily provision and strength from temptation, the prayer begins with praises to God. This method of praying is a reminder that we should do as today's verse commands and "seek FIRST the kingdom of God."

In the original Greek, the words "Hallowed be" mean to "render or acknowledge" and to "separate from profane things and dedicate to God." The words come from a root word meaning "most holy thing."

Too often, we come to God IMMEDIATELY asking Him for something (sometimes even out of desperation or as a last resort).

However, when we go to Him in prayer - praising Him FIRST for His holiness, goodness, and majesty-  we can then approach Him with our requests with great faith that He is MORE than able to meet our needs.

Additionally, James 3:5 advises against a believer speaking blessings and curses out of the same mouth. We cannot "Hallow" His Name in one breath but speak with total disregard of His teachings and ways in the rest of our daily conversation. When doing so, we instead "profane" the Name of God - the exact opposite of "Hallowed be Thy Name" (Ezekiel 36:22-24).

I challenge you to always begin your prayers praising God for His holiness and goodness and to consider Him in everything You say and do.

Dear Father, I praise you. You are such an amazing, loving Father. Help me live in such a way that brings honor to Your Holy Name.

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.