Hallow or Holy - How Do We View God's Name

This post is a supplement to a ladies Sunday School lesson based on "Alone With God". This week's session allowed us to explore a portion of the Model Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

We toss the word 'prayer' around rather loosely. It is something we know as Christians we should do. Believing in God, we know He hears and answers prayer. If we are not careful, it can become a check list - one of the 'good things' we have done. It can also become a wish list - what we want for God to do for us. But..."Prayer is first and foremost a recognition of God's majestic glory and our submission to it." Our first petition is not for our benefit, but His. "Hallowed be Thy Name" completely encompasses God's nature and our response to it.

Hallowing God's name begins in the heart. When we sanctify (set apart as holy) Christ in our hearts, we will also sanctify Him in our lives. Some practical ways to do this are:

Acknowledge God Exists:

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is..." Hebrews 11:6.

Know the Truth About God:

Many people claim they believe in God, but they don't hallow His name, mainly because they don't have true knowledge of who He is.

Be Aware of His Presence:

If we are to be faithful believers, we must live every day in a continual state of God consciousness. Christians tend to be very spiritually minded on Sunday - but do we reflect on who God is through the week? This doesn't mean walking around in a spiritual bubble, but simply keeping an attitude and awareness of God's nearness, His blessings and His help.

Live in Obedience:

Our Father's name is most hallowed when we behave in conformity to His will. When we disobey God we diminish our capacity to revere His name and be a vehicle for manifesting His holiness.

Be Committed:

We honor His name when we attract others to Him by our commitment. When we have right thoughts about God and live righteously, we will hallow His name.

As we spend time in prayer, let's picture ourselves entering the very throne room of God, a holy place, where He is to be honored. Don't be afraid when you enter that time of solitude with God - just be sure to approach that time with the respect due His most holy name.

Comments

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We...

Paths of Prayer

Today, I'm joining up with Five Minute Friday, a fun writing opportunity to connect and share a quick thought on this week's theme "Path". For many years, when coming across a Scripture about 'paths', it turned into a prayer and desire to be led down God's open paths. Through the years of life which included, marriage, keeping a home, job, raising children and as they began to explore their own paths, seeking God and His paths became a vital part of life and prayer. As God's Word reveals God's goodness and His ways, I want to be walking - living a lifestyle on the paths that He leads. Some of my favorite 'path' verses include: Proverbs 4:18 "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day." Psalm 25:4, "Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths," Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your way...

Word-Filled Wednesday

I love participating in Word Filled Wednesday . This is hosted over at 160 acrewoods and is designed to share God's Word with verse and picture. Go over and take a peek - you will be blessed! The verse I chose for today is one of my favorite verses. A while back during an intense trial of watching a loved one struggle with addiction - ready to lose everything over the addiction, I read this verse and it spoke to my heart clearly. Without God - there is no hope, the things of this world will leave you empty and void. Chasing after the things of the world is like chasing the wind, you just can't grasp it. But in God there is hope. Even though the trial may be tough and challenging, God is hope and He will fill you with peace and joy as you believe in Him and you will abound in hope. May your day be blessed and filled with HOPE!

Joyfull Living

Search This Blog