Praying for God to do what He really delights in doing - Hallowed be His Name!

Hey Church:  Have you used the word “hallowed” recently?  “Hallowed” is one of those ancient words that has for the most part dropped from our modern vocabulary and really has not been replaced with any other word like it.  “Hallowed” means to make holy or to set apart as holy.  Have you ever set apart something in your life as holy?  For example, when I set apart my mouth as holy, I am saying, “please God Hallow yourself in every word that comes out of my mouth and from my heart.”  What I am doing is telling my Father in heaven that I desire that everything that will come out of my mouth is to show Him off and to make Him look beautiful.  The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to let the hallowing of Himself be manifest in every area of our life for His Glory.

Jesus teaches us in the very first petition of His prayer to ask for our Father in heaven to make Himself holy, set apart, honored and treasured above everything else in every situation.  Some think that that this phrase “Hallowed be your name” is a proclamation of praise.  This is not a proclamation of praise, instead it is a petition for God to do what He really wants to do anyway.  Lord have your way in my life and in the church and in this world and start with my heart.  Our Holy God has every intention to make this happen and He will honor that prayer.  What a great prayer… guaranteed to be answered!

God will be absolutely faithful to answer this prayer but it does take personal responsibility on our part to manifest God’s hallowing in us, making us holy, set apart.  So, when we pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” we are called to engage our hearts asking God to re-order the loves, priorities, thoughts, words, actions, choices, opinions, and relationships in our lives so that He would be clearly seen and glorified in each and every situation.  God be glorified.  He will be hallowed and He intends for this hallowing to happen through His children being redeemed image bearers living in such a way that when people see us or listen to us or talk to us they will instantly be made aware that Jesus is Lord.

What makes us hallowed in our day-to-day life is not so much what we say we believe but what we love and the priorities of our loves.  Coming to the Father and asking Him to hallow Himself in our lives will bring about a holy re-ordering of those loves that bring Him much more glory and adoration on this earth.  Our Father is honored as God and Jesus as Lord when we order our lives in such a way that He is clearly seen and hallowed as the One who lovingly and graciously serves us.

What is your loving Heavenly Father wanting you to hallow in your personal life?  How will this result in God manifesting Himself as Holy and Jesus is Lord?

Luke 11:2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

WE WILL BE MEETING FOR CORPORATE PRAYER AT 9:00AM BEFORE WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 14.

This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building, respecting NC Executive Order #138, if you would like to join us in person at 10am.  And for those who will be staying at home, we will  be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link.  We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday. - Steve