[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during April 2025]
In this manner, therefore, pray: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name”.
Matthew 6 v9 [NKJV]
This is the opening phrase of the template prayer that Jesus used to demonstrate to his disciples how they should pray. It is a regular component of worship services in more traditional denominations and many of us have learnt the prayer verbatim. But does the familiarity of the words mean that their significance is diminished?
‘Our Father in Heaven’ establishes a relationship between those who are praying and the one who is being addressed. On the one hand it is a recognition of respect and confidence; on the other, it is an acceptance of responsibility for security and provision.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided,
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. [1]
Nevertheless, the structure of this prayer reminds us that our own prayers should be more than a list of requests that we would like God to fulfil. Praise and worship are essential precursors to a balanced prayer.
‘Hallowed be your name’ should remind us of the status of the one whom we are addressing. Hallowed is a word that we do not often hear in day-to-day speech, except perhaps at the end of October each year. What does it mean?
Dictionary definitions for hallowed include ‘set apart as sacred’, ‘sanctified’, ‘consecrated’ and ‘greatly venerated’. Other translations of this verse use words such as ‘honoured’ and ‘holy’. But can mere words express the full magnificence of God?
John the visionary was granted an insight into how God’s holiness is recognised in the heavenly realms:
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all round, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” who was, and is, and is to come.
Revelation 4 v8 [NIVUK]
How can we even start to imagine the full implications of those words? David the psalmist was described as being a man after God’s own heart[2] but even he had to admit that he could not reconcile God’s glory with the concern that God had for him.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
Psalm 139 v6 [NKJV]
For our part, we need to heed words of God as recorded in another Psalm:
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46 v10 [ESVUK]
Indeed a reason to ‘pause and reflect’.
References:
[1] ‘Great is Thy faithfulness’ Thomas Chisholm, 1923
[2] Acts 13:22
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Horley Baptist Church onlineHBC main site
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Last week’s reflection: What A Weekend!
See also the earlier reflection Thy Will Be Done, 18/Feb/2025
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys