“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)
What’s in a name? In the Bible names were very important. The name of God was considered so holy that the priests were forbidden to say it out loud. The Scribes used special notations in the scrolls to alert the reader to speak an alternative name. This kind of reverence for the name of God was practiced because the name carried with it the character and the authority of the Almighty.
God told Moses not to “take the name” of the Lord in “vain”. This is not a commandment about speaking the name alone. This is a commandment about honoring the Name of God. The Hebew word for “take” literally means to “bear” or to “put on”. So, a violation of the commandment is to wear the Name of God in a way that dishonors His name. Even in our culture we talk about making a “good name” for ourselves or “clearing our name”. Often, we will tell a friend to “use our name” when making a recommendation because we know that our name may give them an advantage. So…we know that a name is more than a label. It can be packed with meaning and influence…good or bad.
Therefore, our prayer is for God’s name to be lifted up in our lives. We are a people who bear His name and, therefore, our behavior, words and attitudes reflect directly on Him. To pray for God’s name to be hallowed in this world begins with His name being glorified in our life. So, our prayer may be,
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name in me that I may I bear your name in a way that brings you glory.”
David said, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
As you pray through the Lord’s prayer today ask for God to reveal to you how you can honor His name. As a follower of Christ allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of the things in your life that may give a bad impression of the God whose name you bear. Confess them to God and commit to being a testimony of His mercy and grace throughout your day!
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.