Smoodock's Blog

In my previous study, I attempted to show that God is our Father, but he dwells in the heavens (Matthew 6:9). Thus, he is our heavenly Father, or our spiritual Father, and when we come to him, we begin by asking him to hallow his name. “Hallowed be thy name” is a request for God to consecrate or sanctify his name in and through us. It is like Jesus’ telling his disciples that they are the lights of the world and need to let that light shine upon the world (Matthew 5:14-16). However, as I concluded in the study of that scripture, this cannot be done without being in the Presence of God. Moreover, one cannot be in the Presence of God and desire one’s own will to be done (Genesis 3:1-6). We are Jesus’ disciples and desire the will of God to be done (Genesis 2:17).

God has never changed his mind about his relationship with us. From the beginning he has created us for a single purpose, some might say it is our prime directive, and that is that we should image him, our God and Creator. Therefore, “Hollowed be thy name…” is our first request in Jesus’ model prayer. When we enter God’s Presence, we are coming out of rebellion. What do I mean by that?

In the beginning mankind rebelled against or desired independence from God (Genesis 3:1-6; cp. 2:17). When the Lord created us, it was to image him or be like him, as son would imitate his father. In other words, we follow his lead; we let him tell us how to behave. That’s what imitating is all about. The imitator, vis-à-vis mankind was to submit himself to the prime directive. The problem is that man didn’t want to imitate his Creator. He had no desire to allow someone else to tell him what was good for him or what was evil (or not good) for him (Genesis 2:17). In other words, “God, don’t tell me how to behave; you don’t have that right, as far as I’m concerned!”

Therefore, since we desired our independence, God gave it to us (Genesis 3:22-24). What Jesus’ model prayer does is return us to the Presence of God, reversing our desire for independence, and reversing God’s decision to give us what we had desired from the beginning (Genesis 3:1-6, 22-24). By seeking God’s Presence, by calling him Father, we are admitting we have behaved wickedly by seeking our independence. By seeking an audience with God, it is not to debate with him what’s good or not good; we wholeheartedly admit that we need to be in submission to him, as a son is to his own father and wants to be like his parent (cp. Genesis 1:27). Thus, we are praying that God would let himself be seen in us, in what we say and do. We are asking God to help us be what he created us to be, namely, his images (Genesis 1:27).

“Hallowed be thy name…” vis-à-vis sanctify your name through us – through what we do and say; let our lives be consecrated to you, Father, set apart for your use; let your will be as our will. “Create in us a new heart, a heart that is like and reflects your own (Genesis 1:27). Oh, Lord God – Father, hear our prayer!”