Honor

Honor

Matthew 6:9, NLT

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

Setting the Scene

In saying, “May your name be kept holy,” Jesus opens his model prayer with an attitude of praise and honor to God. The first-person plural pronoun may indicate that believers could pray it corporately.

The very first phrase of this prayer contains a profound tension: We should approach God as “Father” while recognizing that he is “holy.” To be “holy” means to be sacred, perfect, and totally set apart. But “Father” refers to a close relationship. God is majestic and holy, transcending everything on earth, but he is also personal and loving. Many religious people understand that God is totally other, and they approach him with caution, with fear, and sometimes with complex rituals. This would have been the attitude of Jews in Jesus’ day. The book of Leviticus highlights God’s holiness and provides detailed instructions for entering into his presence. Because of Jesus and his work on the Cross as the final sacrifice, we can now come to God directly and boldly. He is our Father, and we are his children. But the last half of this statement—“may your name be kept holy”—indicates that we shouldn’t come to him flippantly or casually. God wants to hear and listen as a loving Father, but our being able to approach him is an awesome privilege. We must enter the King’s throne room respectfully. When we pray for God’s name to be “kept holy,” we are praying that this world will honor his name. And we look forward to Christ’s return when that will be a reality and all the world will recognize the power of his name.

Getting Personal

When have you felt almost overwhelmed with the sense of God’s holiness? How did that affect your prayers?

When have you felt extremely close to God, almost as if you were being cradled in his arms? How did that affect your prayers?

The first line of this model prayer is a statement of commitment to honor God’s holy name in how we live. As Christians, we bear the name of Christ; thus, our words and actions reflect on him.

Talking to God

God’s ultimate holiness and supremacy makes our finitude and neediness seem even more desperate. Remember both his glory and your need as you enjoy the incredible blessing today of being welcomed into the presence of the Almighty with all the love and affection of a Father.