To pray 'hallowed be Thy Name' means to ask God to let His name be worshipped, exalted, honoured, and adored on earth as it is in heaven. The Angelic hosts cry out in Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory”. The worship in heaven never ends:” Day and night the Lord is praised. Revelation 4:8 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.” God’s name is honoured and adored in unceasing worship.
It is of paramount importance for God to hallow His name. When Jesus petitions God to hallow his name, he is saying that God manifests Himself in such a way that He visibly demonstrates His Holiness and His Glory. God demonstrates His holiness in the world by creating a holy people who will call on His name, proclaim the gospel, and accomplish good works. Jesus taught us to begin our prayers by recognizing the God to whom we pray. He is a loving and Holy Father who invites us into His presence. He genuinely cares for us. God is holy and worthy of all honour, and our first priority is to pray that the world will see how Holy and Glorious He is.
When David says in Psalms 23:3, “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake,” he is referring to God’s action of hallowing His name in the way He guides us. Isaiah 48:9–11 “For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off. 10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.” Ezekiel 20:14 “But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out”. God’s name, character and faithfulness must be set apart as Holy in this world, and that is what Jesus teaches us to pray for.
The Third Commandment makes this amply clear. Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” The Lord declares Himself as “I AM WHAT I AM”. This shows His Majesty and Holiness in everything. We cannot treat His name as trite and commonplace, for we shall then be guilty. By giving His name He has entered into a relationship with us. We cannot take it for granted. We have to worship His Holy name. Psalms 18:49 “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.”
Finally, we are told in Hebrews 12:28 “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”
Dr Ashwin Drummond
Laddertoheaven.co.in