Daily Devotionals

Hallowed Be Your Name

Scripture Reading: Psalm 145:1-7, 17-21

145 1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. 5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty- and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They tell of the power of your awesome works- and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let ­every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 145:21

With the words “hallowed be your name,” Jesus introduces the first petition, or request, of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9). [9 “This, then, is how you should pray: ]. The first half of this prayer makes requests that focus on glory and honor to God, and the second half focuses on our needs as God’s people. Being the first request, “hallowed be your name” is the most weighty of all the petitions in this prayer.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

We don’t use the word hallowed very often today. So what is this petition asking for? A more current wording could be “May your name be holy” or “May your name be honored and praised.”

In this appeal, we ask God to show the world who he is—to reveal his almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. We pray that God’s name may be recognized and honored now, even as we look forward to the day when “­every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). [10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.]

In other words, “hallowed be your name” provides the foundation for our prayers, for our individual lives, and for our lives together as the church, Christ’s body on earth.

So when we pray these words, we are asking God to help us live today as his servants who reflect his glory and lordship everywhere, now and forever.

In what ways can you honor God’s name today?

Father, may you be glorified in and through our lives and the church every­where on earth. In Jesus name, Amen.