9 “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name," (Matthew 6:9)
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17)
Q. 101. For what do we pray in the first request?
A. In the first request (hallowed by your name) we pray that God will enable us and others to glorify Him through His means of revelation and that He will work out everything to His own glory.
(Deathly hallows symbol)
Thoughts: In the blockbuster book and movies, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", death gives some special, powerful, hallowed objects to three brothers- a wand, a resurrection stone, and an invisible cloak. Supposedly whoever possessed such things could escape death and gain immortality. This is just a very good tale. But reality is better than fiction-- there is a way to gain immortality.
The word "Hallow" means to make holy, to make sacred, to make special, to distinguish and differentiate from the everyday. In some ways, the name of God is a "lifely hallow" if you will. It is by God's name- calling on it, believing in it, trusting in it, changing by its power, that we escape the ordinary, escape the mundane evil that sucks life away from us. It is by the name of Jesus and what He has done on the cross- enacted by calling on Him, that we are saved. Paul says, "Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." When we live in, through, and by the name of Christ, then the power of Christ and His resurrection become real to us.
Thoughts: May your name be honored by me and through me. May I never forget to call on your name and live by your name.
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