The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 6 Part 5 Hallow The Father's Name

Thinking more about the pattern for our prayers that Jesus gave us.

Matthew 6:9-10  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a pattern to help us when we pray to the Father in heaven.

The phrase "After this manner" means this is a form for our prayers, and not the very words that we pray.

The longest prayer of Jesus that is recorded for us is found in John chapter 17 and it does not use any phrasing that we find in the "Lord's Prayer."

I grew up in a church where the congregation prayed the Lord's prayer every service and it became monotonous, like a vain repetition.

Simply repeating the Lord's prayer when we pray is not what Jesus intended.

Jesus gave to us a pattern or format to give us spiritual structure when we pray.

He expects us to use our mind and soul by praying with words that conform to His perfect pattern.

We should begin praying by remembering we are praying to God the Father in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. 

We should always remember that the Spirit of God comes alongside to help us when we pray.

Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

The word "helpeth" means coming alongside someone who needs assistance and taking hold of their burden to help lighten the load.

Each believer in Christ is promised mighty help when we pray, from the Person of the Holy Ghost. 

Here the infirmities of God’s children considered, which makes help from the Holy Spirit so truly blessed. 

We do not fully grasp the extent of our own fallen nature and too often, we are ignorant of the power of Satan. 

When we would pray, we often faint and are unable to sustain our prayer. 

Though a throne of grace is open to each believer in Christ, yet we run out of words while praying or we lack faith to come as we ought.

God told us to run to Jesus Christ's mercy-seat, to seek mercy and find grace to help in time of need and He encourages us to come boldly (See Hebrews 4:14-16).

Hallowing the Father's name begins with renewed, refocused minds looking to Jesus.

Colossians 3:1-2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

When a Christian prays, he or she draws near to God. 

Prayer is part of the privilege and duty of expressing our worship to God.

When we pray we must make a concerted effort to focus our mind on the glorious things of God above where Jesus sits with His Father in heaven.

All distractions in our minds must be shoved aside so that our affection, love and focus is entirely upon our Father.

Prayer time can become a struggle because our enemy does not want us to pray to the One, True Living God who created and sustains all things.

When we begin praying our flesh and old man battle against the indwelling Holy Spirit and our new man in Christ (See Galatians 5:16-18).

Distracting thoughts will crop up as the Devil urgently seeks to divert our attention away from hallowing the Father's name in prayer.

Pray with renewed minds, vigilant awareness, and recognition of our dependency upon God.

1 Peter 4:7  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 

The apostle Peter instructs us to "watch unto prayer" because our flesh and our enemy will fight against our efforts to commune with the Father in prayer (See 1 Peter 4:7-8).

No doubt, Peter remembered the very night Jesus was betrayed when He asked His disciples to watch and pray while He communed with His Father in prayer.

Jesus told the disciples that His soul was afflicted with such a sorrow as those grieving over the death of a loved one.

Therefore, Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him, but three times He found them sleeping instead of praying for their Master.

Christ's disciples fell asleep because though their spirits were willing their flesh was weak, and this is true of us as well (See Mark 14:32-41).

We are called to have our minds renewed so that we may exercise self control while praying. 

We must be sober minded with a calm and collected spirit when we pray.

"Seeking things which are above" means thinking about these truths, meditating on them and striving to have our thoughts brought into captivity of Christ while we pray (See 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

"Setting our affections" means to direct our mind and strive to have the mind of Christ in us, that we cherish what He cherishes, that our prayer requests will align with our Father's will (See Philippians 2:5).

Speaking through His apostles, Jesus commands us to pray continually and to pray without ceasing (See Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

He gave these imperatives because we need to hear and heed them.

What this means is that we must maintain a spirit of readiness in prayer, being willing to pray at a moments notice, as we learn of needs or as God's Spirit leads us.

Hallowing the Father's name means learning to pray according to His revealed will so that our hearts and minds are aligned with what God says is acceptable to Him.

Hallowing the Father's name is followed by expressing our growing longing for His kingdom to be established and His perfect will be done on earth as in heaven.

Praying with earnest sincerity and resolve to seek God will hallow the Father's name.

2 Chronicles 11:16,17  And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers. 17)  So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. 

After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam ruled in Jerusalem and he strengthened Judah's defenses and all the faithful priests came to Jerusalem to serve the kingdom.

Both priests and people set their hearts to seek Jehovah and to worship Him aright.

They sought God with all their being and for three years, Judah followed the godly paths of David and Solomon.

This kind of seeking God with all our heart in prayer is what believers in Christ need. 

We need our minds renewed by His Word and Spirit so that we are filled with fresh zeal, commitment and passion for praying to our Father.

When we pray, a sincere heart that is focused upon God can hallow the Father's name.

Psalm 86:11-13  Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 12)  I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. 13)  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 

This Psalm is titled "A Prayer of David." 

King David had many distractions to deal with, such as political enemies plotting against him and other nations trying to rebel against Israel's rule.

Pray that hallowing the Father's name begins with knowing the scriptures and obeying His truth.

David asked Jehovah to "unite my heart" because the king often struggled in prayer like we do.

David had many things on his mind every day, ranging from civil duties, to family troubles, to enemy plots.

All of these things divided his attention and diverted his focus away from God.

Thus, David prayed for God to help him have a united heart with a singular focus upon the LORD.

He sought to glorify God in all that he did because this hallows the Father's name.

Prayers that hallow the Father's name are heard in heaven as God ignites fresh zeal in us.

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 

James shows us that we must have a clean and clear conscience before God when we pray.

When we have confessed all sin that the Spirit of God convicts us of, then we may pray boldly and freely.

Our prayer will be effective and God will attend to our petitions, and our heart will be aflame with His glory while we pray.

Unconfessed sin in the life of a Christian hinders our spiritual life and thwarts our prayers.

Psalm 66:18,19 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 19)  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 

Unconfessed sins will hinder our spiritual life but when we confess our sins, heaven's throne of mercy and help is opened wide to our prayers.

My hope is that these additional thoughts about the Lord's prayer will help each of us spend more time in prayer, communing with our Father in heaven.

May all that we do seek to bring honor and glory to God.

Bob