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HALLOWED BE THY NAME

How many times have we uttered this phrase?  Now, how many times have we thought about the meaning of the phrase?  Let’s start with the obvious – what is the meaning of the word “hallowed?”

“Hallowed” means “to make holy.” In other words, we are to pray, “God, holy is your name.” Ok, that’s simple enough …but … what constitutes HOLY?

To pray, “holy is your name,” is to acknowledge ALL the attributes of God – His very character, if you will, as we pray.

He is Creator, Righteous Judge, Peace, Unfailing Love, Provider, Salvation…

He is All-Knowing, All-Present and All-Powerful…

Now for step two: if we are indeed acknowledging His attributes, then we will give Him…

Reverence    Honor    Glory    Obedience    Respect

It comes down to this simple yet staggering thought:  if we acknowledge Our Father as Hallowed (Holy) as we pray, then we have to be fully aware of Who we are talking to!

We have entered into the presence of the One and Only True and Awesome God.  And when we realize that, and pray with that knowledge, we will begin to measure other areas of our lives by that yardstick of truth.  We become more aware of our dealings with others, our own obedience and testimony in front of others, and maybe, even our speech and slang ( OMG doesn’t seem the least bit fitting anymore, does it?)

Jesus gave us The Lord’s Prayer as a model of how to pray.  As we enter into a prayer, let us remember the words of Psalm 34:3.

 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.