When praying, we need to know who we are addressing; that is, God the Father. And if we want to pray as Jesus did, he emphasizes six petitions to be included in our prayers. Before making the petitions, Jesus begins his prayer to the Father and considers him as the most sacred. In other words, Jesus is praying that the Father’s name is to be hallowed and lifted up in honor through prayer.
In the Jewish culture, names had much more meaning as it was all the person was. God’s name is equated with his person and nature. It is his name we put our trust in him because of who he is (Ps. 9:10). An example is Jehovah Jireh, which means the Lord will provide. When Abraham had faith in God to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering to the Lord, he provided a ram who had his horns caught in the thicket of the bush that would take the place of his son (Gen. 22:13).
The first petition begins with being occupied with the knowledge of God’s holiness. Beginning with this understanding will increase our confidence in the Lord as we pray. Holiness means to be set apart. When the prophet Isaiah saw a vision of God, his holiness caused him to say, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” Even the seraphim demonstrates God’s holiness as they covered their face, and feet and flew with their wings in his presence (Isa. 6:1-2, 5). “God’s holiness embodies the mystery of his awesomeness and causes us to gaze in wonder at him as we begin to comprehend just a little of his majesty” (R.C. Sproul).
If we do not understand God’s holiness in prayer, we profane his name and take him lightly and too casually. When Moses did not believe him and treated God as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, God’s judgment came down on him and Israel (Num. 20:12-13). In addition, prayerlessness is also dishonored because the redeemed are liberated to pray unceasingly to the Father.
The second petition is to hold the Father’s holy name in awe. Unfortunately, many take the name of the Lord’s name in vain. Whether it is by using God’s name as a curse word or making careless swearing by his name, we must carefully consider using God’s holy name in vain. In contrast, we esteem the Father’s holy name in awe in worship and prayer.
In whatever we do, we can worship God as we have been delivered from our sin to worship him and pray (Acts. 2:42). Worship includes adoration to God as we bless his holy name and lift him up on high as he alone is worthy. In prayer we not only address the holy Father, but prayer always leads us to confess our sins and repent for he is faithful to forgive (1 Jn. 1:9). God also shows his power to make us righteous as we repent.
Moreover, as we hold God’s holy name in the highest esteem, our prayers will become preaching to ourselves for our edification. And as we pray in this way, we are emboldened.
The third petition is to approach prayer in personal holiness. Only holy people can pray in the way Jesus taught. “Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God” (Jerry Bridges). Every Christian is holy because they have been justified by the Holy Spirit. But ongoing personal holiness is only possible when Christ is sanctified in their hearts.
“The righteous man in James 5:16 is right with God practically in His daily life, whose ways please the Lord. If we walk not in separation from the world, if we deny not self, strive not against sin, mortify not our lusts, but gratify our carnal nature, is there any wonder that our prayer life is cold and formal and our petition unanswered” (A.W. Pink).
How can Christians continue to grow in holiness? Christ is able! And believing in him who saved us from our sins can help us as there is nothing too difficult to overcome.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
Leave a comment