February 17, 2007
Newsletter Archives

The disciples of the Lord Jesus asked Him to teach them to pray and in response to this request they were given “the Lord’s Prayer.” It is noteworthy that the first request after addressing God is the desire that God’s name should be honored. Thus the words: “Hallowed be Thy Name.” Luke 11:2.
God’s name is His nature: His attributes, the various qualities that go to make Him what He is. When we ask for His name to be hallowed, we ask that all which obscures it should be swept away as the morning mists before the heat of the sun.
We thank God for all that is known of His wonderful being, for the message of revelation given to the prophets and the apostles. We have it in written form in the Bible, the Word of God. But there are myriads of people that, through their sinful ignorance and superstition, have misunderstood and misrepresented the character of God. Consequently, we need to pray that in this world His glorious personality should be understood, appreciated, and loved.
When we pray “Hallowed be Thy Name” it is to remind ourselves of the greatness and glory of God the Father. Before we make petitions for ourselves, we need to meet with God in prayer, desiring that the needs of the world and of our own little life, be subordinated to the greatest desire that God should be loved, honored and obeyed. God’s interests should be placed above our own.
In a world that neither knew nor hallowed God’s name, the Lord Jesus set Himself to reveal and unfold all its wonderful depths. He is the great example that every Christian should imitate.
It is through ignorance of God that men turn from Him. They have distorted views, obtained from the lives and words of professedly religious people which are often a sad travesty and misrepresentation of God. If only men really knew God, surely the love with which He has loved them would enter and fill their hearts.
It is said that the passion of the French soldiers for Napoleon was so great, that even when mortally wounded they would raise themselves as he came riding past on his charger, and cry: “Long live the Emperor!” It is when we have become wholly absorbed in bringing glory to God, that we shall know peace in our hearts, and become the channels of goodwill to men, as men of good-will, i.e., the doers of God’s will.

Russ Nesbit