“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
“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 and deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17)
When Jesus asks us to pray “hallowed be Thy name”, which name is He referring to? There are many names for God in the Scriptures. Many of those names come from how God was encountered or how He responded in a certain situation. Hagar called Him “The God Who Sees”. The people in Exodus called Him “Deliverer”. David called Him “The Good Shepherd”. “Prince of Peace”. “The God Who Provides”. “God Almighty”. And, of course, the most common in the Old Testament…”Yahweh” (YVHV).
Most Christians today use the name Jesus when praying. He is the ultimate revelation of God and as we have read in the Scriptures above, it is in His name that we find salvation and it is in that name that we do all things. So, which name are we praying to be lifted up or “hallowed”? The simple answer is…all of the above.
The fact of the matter is that our God cannot be contained in any one word or name. It is the meaning that comes with the name that is important. It is what the name is pointing to. In your walk with the Lord you probably called out to Him with many different names. Savior… Comforter…Protector…Teacher…Friend…Great Physician…Father.
All of these names can come to our mind as we pray “hallowed be Thy name”. This part of the Lord’s prayer can become a time of celebrating the many names of our God that reveal so many different facets of His amazing grace!
Today, as you pray through the Lord’s prayer, take a little extra time at “hallowed be Thy name” and see how many names you can speak or write in just a few minutes. Allow your thoughts to focus on Him and who He is and what He means to you.