Christian Writers Circle

God’s Holy Name
by Judy Hitson

Matthew 6: 9 GNT …..Our Father in heaven: May Your holy name be honored.

This past year I had nights with difficulty sleeping. I asked the Lord about it. I said, “Lord, You say in Your word that You give sweet sleep,” Pr. 3:24.

He said, “Pray the Lord’s Prayer.”

This became a process and a pattern in my life to pray the Lord’s Prayer on those nights I couldn’t sleep.  Now it is a habit for me to pray the Lord’s Prayer when I lie down at night to sleep.

As a child I was taught to memorize this prayer and prayed it by rote, like meaningless repetition. After being born again as an adult, I was assisting a 6^th grade Sunday School class where I helped the students one by one practice reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Suddenly, it was like a light bulb was turned on to consider each word of the prayer. It was at this time, it was no longer meaningless repetition for me but Jesus’s instructions for me to pray. This was a powerful transition in my life of prayer. The words of the Lord’s Prayer came alive as an intimate communion with my Father in heaven.

The night the Lord called me to pray the Lord’s Prayer when I had difficulty sleeping, the first thing that struck my heart were the words, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In the midst of chaos and evil in this world at this time in history, it is wonderful to imagine God’s kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven and to pray these words to come into being. “On earth as it is in heaven” are words that captured my heart. Then the Lord revealed in this prayer that He first spoke of addressing our Father in heaven asking His holy name to be honored.

Taking time to research what it means for His name to be honored, I see it is to hold His name in high respect, to revere, worship and glorify Him.

In other translations we find the words “hallowed be Thy name.” This is to make holy, venerated, revered, respected, distinguished, consecrate, sanctify. This is a call for believers to honor that holiness in their lives.

Greg Grandclamp’s quote from Christianity.com article, “Why do we say Hallowed be Thy Name?”:

“We are to glorify God’s holy name. That name is holy – set apart above all others. His name is to be worshipped by His creation above all other gods and authorities as the one, true God. Yahweh.”