Monday, September 3, 2012
The Lord's Prayer Part I - Talking to the Father about the Father, Part 21 of 50
TEXT: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9)
IDEA: We hallow God’s name when we set it apart in our prayers.
PURPOSE: To help listeners think about the requests they make when they pray.
Do you ever find yourself praying in a thoughtless way? When does that occur?
Have you ever written out your prayers before you pray? Do you think it might be a good practice?
If we didn’t have the Lord’s Prayer, how many of the requests in the prayer do you think you might write down to pray for?
I. What do you think we are asking for in the first petition when we are to ask, “hallowed be Your name”?
What does it mean to “hallow” God’s name?
It means to “set it apart as holy.” The best synonym is “to reverence.”
“May You be given the unique reverence that Your name and character demand.”
We hallow God’s name when we desire in our prayers to honor God in how we pray and what we pray for.
We admit that we need God’s enablement to do that. Why ask for it? Can’t we do it on our own?
II. When do you expect this prayer to be answered?
In eternity when all creatures in heaven will bow and acknowledge God’s holiness?
Do you think that Isaiah 6 was an isolated event or a constant event?
Do you think “hallowed be Your name” involves this present fallen age in which we live and pray?
How might that happen?
If we really pray the prayer, then what does it imply about our own commitments?
