“Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.”
Matthew 6:9
What does it mean to be hallowed? It means to be sacred, holy, revered, blessed. It also can mean to consecrate or set apart.
What do we mean when we use the phrase ‘hallowed by your name” in the Lord’s prayer?
I would first suggest that we speak the words, “hallowed be your name” an act of worship. It’s as if to say, “Before we go any further, let we worship God—our Father—for who He is.” It seems to me to be a natural progression from the previous phrase that recognizes that God is heavenly and we are not.
When you say, “Holy are you God” you recognize your place before Him. You bend a knee spiritually before the Holy One, the Creator, the Savior, the Comforter.
A study of the names of God reveals the respect, adoration, and reverence with which the Old Testament Jews held God’s name. YHWH—which evolved into the name Jehovah—was considered to be too sacred to even be uttered.
Secondly, when Jesus included ’hallowed be your name” in the Lord’s Prayer I would suggest that He knew that He is speaking to people who would recognize and understand the weightiness of a name.
“Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13
God’s name alone is to be exalted because His name alone has power.
The apostle Paul reminds us of this significance in connection to the name of Jesus.
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus 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 2:9
What does this mean for you today?
When you speak “Hallowed be your name” let it be a reminder that God’s name is powerful. If you are like me, there are times when words fail as I pray. The power of God’s name means that in those moments, I can whisper “Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.” I can pray, “Come Jehovah Rapha”—The Lord Heals. I can call upon Adonai as my sovereign Lord. I can cry out to Savior, Comforter, Creator, and so much more.
I suggest that when we call upon the name of God in a specific way, we pull on that particular characteristic of God to intervene in our circumstances. Whatever you have need of is found in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Therefore let us worship together as we speak these words,
OUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME