Luke 11:2 “And He said to them, When you pray, say: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done (held holy and revered) on earth as it is in heaven.”
In Jesus’ day a person’s name carried much greater significance than in our day. The name was thought to be bound up with the person as a reflection of their personality. The name and the activity of the person were tied together. Therefore, “Hallowed be Your name” was a prayer to keep God’s name holy and to hold it in proper reverence in our hearts and minds, and through daily living that reflects His holy name and character. It is important to understand that this request was the very first request in this pattern of prayer that Jesus taught. How we approach God and treat His name will set the tone for our praying.
Often, we come to God and express our heart without considering His name and His nature. Think carefully about what you are asking of the Father in prayer. Is it consistent with what the Scripture has revealed about His ways and His nature? Keeping this in mind will change the entire focus of your praying. Knowing at the beginning of your praying, that your heart’s desire is for your life to present His name and character as holy to a watching world will cause you to speak and listen more carefully in prayer.
Jesus hallowed the Father’s name by always praying in a way consistent with God’s nature, His ways, His purposes, and especially His will. Jesus never prayed anything contrary to the nature of God. This is where we must think before we pray and while we pray. This will help keep us from praying outside the Father’s revealed will and nature, or outside the commands and truths of Jesus’ teaching, as well as the Holy Spirit’s nature and activity.