Hallowed be thy name

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.


Jesus tell us how to pray- but remember we are not to make vain repetitions, we are NOT to memorize this prayer and make this our entire prayer life. After this manner…. like this… He did not say pray exactly like this, but pray after this manner…


Jesus wants us to pray properly- not as those who are doing so for show, not like those who are praying to garner favors of God, not like those who worship false gods.


Our Father - this acknowledges God as our Creator and there is NOTHING more important than understanding who we are praying to. Seriously. Think about it for a moment- you wouldn't just pick up the phone and dial a random number and start chatting to someone- would you? Most people wouldn't dream of doing that. You don't just walk up to strangers as a rule and start talking to them as if you've known them and they know you. You wouldn't want to pick up the phone and dial a number- start talking- revealing your innermost thoughts only to find out that the person you were talking to the whole time was one who only wished you evil. Don't think it can happen? I beg to differ. People pray to God all the time but because they're not sure who God really is, nor do they care to find out, they are praying to a pretend God, a phony God, a counterfeit, a trickster, a charlatan- you know what I'm talking about. Phonies, counterfeits, pretenders, tricksters, charlatans all do one thing that makes them what they are- they mimic the REAL THING. There is NO doubt that the greatest deceiver of all- Satan- knows perfectly well how to mimic God so closely MOST everyone will be deceived.


Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.


God will NOT allow those who are His elect to be deceived and that is the only thing that keeps them from being deceived- GOD.


Praying 'Our Father' acknowledges God as our FATHER. Our HEAVENLY FATHER. To be our Father we must be His children, to be His children we must be His sons and daughters. We were CREATED by God and we must acknowledge this and not in some offhanded way that only is a half-hearted belief that God had a hand in our life. He is OUR CREATOR! We live because He wants us to live! Without Him we don't live. You might quickly scoff and say that's not true, there are many that live who don't even believe in God. It doesn't matter whether they believe in God or not, that doesn't negate the fact God created them. So why does God allow those who don't believe in Him to live? God's nature is all about love and that love is found in the Sacrifice of His Son. That love is revealed in SELFLESSNESS. That love is revealed in FORGIVENESS.


We have to believe that God in Heaven is our Father in Heaven and that He loves us with a love unlike any love we can fully imagine. Is there any wonder His name is Holy???? Is it any wonder that HE is Holy?


When we pray we HAVE to acknowledge who we are praying to, who we are directing our prayer to, and we have to do it knowing the full reality of God as that reality is revealed to us. We must not worship the counterfeit God and don't think for one moment there isn't a counterfeit God and that YOU can't be deceived. We will be deceived if we are not among God's elect and to be among God's elect we must know HIM and He must know us. This is a relationship and we need to understand that. Prayer is part of that relationship, a big part- an important part. Jesus wants us to pray with full comprehension of who we are praying to and this is why acknowledging God the Father, God OUR Father, first and foremost is very important and it's something we MUST do every time we pray- know and acknowledge God as the one we are praying to and NO other.


By His amazing Grace!


In His love, in His righteousness!

Amen!