Lord's Prayer: Hallowed Be Thy NameSample

The longer you get to know someone, the easier it is to take them for granted and treat them as less special than they really are. The same is true with God.

It’s easy to get casual with God, or to take God for granted. To think of him as someone common, every day, and regular rather than as holy, which means “special,” or “set apart.” A great and glorious promise of Jesus is that he’s always with us through his Spirit, but sometimes I wonder if we’d even take time to notice if he walked into the room. (That is unless he gave us a glory-blast and showed us a glimpse of his raw glory and power.) It betrays something. We who love God often forget he is holy.

In the older translations, the second commandment says: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” We often think of that as not using God’s name sarcastically or as part of a swear word. But there’s something deeper here. Think of it instead in this way. God has adopted you. He’s put his name upon you. Don’t take that name he’s giving you flippantly. Don’t go by his name and treat him in some casual, unimportant, ho-hum way. Bear it as the highest honor!

God wants to be the driving force for our life. To live with the purpose of wanting to see him honored and to bring him glory. Or as the Westminster Confession puts it: The purpose of life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

What is Jesus telling us to pray? Father, change my attitude. Help me to see you as special and set apart. Be the center of my world. Be my highest priority. Hallowed be your name in me!

Consider this today…

How are you treating God too casually or dismissively? How can you recover a sense of wonder and awe for God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ? Pray for that today.