Father, hallowed be Your name. (11:2b, c)

As it does all aspects of spiritual truth, false religion twists and distorts the true meaning of prayer. Some religions address prayer to false gods, or false misrepresentations of the true God. Others prescribe prayers to be recited ritually as one means of earning salvation. In other religions introspective meditation or the mechanical chanting of mantras—sometimes multiplied by writing them on a prayer wheel—takes the place of prayer. All prayer in false religions is addressed to gods who do not exist, and is therefore useless. It becomes nothing but a form of self-help, focusing on the needs, hopes, and aspirations of the one who prays in a vain hope for some supernatural aid.

Even some who profess to worship the God of the Bible think they can use prayer as a means of selfish gain. The Word Faith movement—known also as Positive Confession, Name It and Claim It, and the Prosperity Gospel—unabashedly proclaims the lying notion that the purpose of prayer is for the release of physical, financial, and material blessings. As the title of a book by one of the movement’s leaders proclaims, following the Word Faith principles will teach you “How to Write Your Own Ticket with God.”

The god of the Word Faith movement is a false god, not the true God, the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; Acts 17:24). This false god, say these deceivers, is bound by the law of faith that governs the spiritual realm, just as the law of gravity does the physical universe. Using the law or principle of faith, people can compel God to respond in whatever way they determine. Further, this false teaching claims that He is dependent on human faith and human words to accomplish His work. “Word-faithers” are, as their teachers with shocking hubris blasphemously assert, “little gods.” That satanically inspired (Gen. 3:5) lie removes any need for genuine, submissive prayer for God to act, since people’s own words supposedly have the power to bring them whatever they selfishly desire. (I critique the Word Faith movement in my book Charismatic Chaos [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992]; see also D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel [Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1988].)

But the true and living God is not an impersonal force or principle, nor can He be manipulated by egocentric people, especially greedy ones. He is the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3), who has “established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Ps. 103:19; cf. 115:3). Far from being dependent on weak, sinful people, “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Ps. 135:6; cf. Isa. 43:13; 46:10; Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11). God rebuked those who would recreate Him in their own image, declaring to them, “You thought that I was just like you” (Ps. 50:21).

The fundamental error in all wrong thinking about prayer is that it is primarily for people to get what they want. In reality, it is the unfathomable privilege of communing with the sovereign God of the universe; of living in constant awareness of the One who is equally and perfectly aware of us. True prayer brings believers into the presence of God to submit to His will and see His glory on display in His answers.

Jesus specifically taught that prayer is to display God’s glory when He promised, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified” (John 14:13). Consistent with that principle, the Lord’s model prayer focuses on God, revealing His paternity (“Father”), priority (“hallowed be Your name”), program (“Your kingdom come”), plan (“Your will be done”), provision (“give us each day our daily bread”), pardon (“forgive us our sins”), and protection (“lead us not into temptation”). The first two truths, which focus on the person of God, are the subject of this chapter. Viewing God both as Father and as sacred preserves the balance between His transcendence and His immanence, between His compassionate love and His majestic glory, and between intimacy with Him and reverence for Him.

GOD AS FATHER

Father, (11:2b)

The first word in Jesus’ prayer marks it as profoundly different from the Jewish prayers of that day. God is seldom referred to as Father in the Old Testament, and then only in a national sense to refer to Israel as a whole (Deut. 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Ps. 68:5; Isa. 63:16; 64:8; Jer. 3:4, 19; 31:9; Mal. 1:6; 2:10), or its king (1 Sam. 8:7). Nowhere in the Old Testament is God addressed as Father in a personal prayer, which would have been considered presumptuous. For Jesus to address God as Father (as He always did except on the cross [Luke 23:34]), and to instruct His followers to do so was revolutionary and shocking.

One of the things that agitated Israel’s apostate religious leaders the most was Christ’s referring to God as His Father (e.g., Matt. 7:21; 10:32–33; 12:50; 16:17; Luke 22:29; John 8:54; 10:29). They correctly understood Jesus’ statement, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” (John 5:17) to be nothing less than a claim to full deity and absolute equality with God the Father. Because of that claim “the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (v. 18).

But not only did Jesus call God His Father, He also declared Him to be the Father of all those who are in Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said to the disciples, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8; cf. vv. 15, 18). In Mark 11:25 He exhorted, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” “Stop clinging to Me,” Jesus said to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (John 20:17).

The Greek word translated Father is patēr, but the Aramaic (the language commonly spoken by the Jewish people) term was abba (cf. Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Abba was an intimate term used by children, and was often one of the first words a young child learned to say. It emphasizes that prayer involves intimacy with God. Believers have the privilege of entering the presence of the Creator and sovereign King of the universe and addressing Him on tender, intimate terms. Addressing God as Father affirms that believers live in God’s eternal family and are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Though sinners (1 John 1:8), they are nonetheless His beloved and redeemed children, to whom He has granted eternal life (John 3:15, 16, 36; 5:24; 6:40, 47; 10:28; 17:2; 1 John 5:11–12).

It should be noted that the possessive phrase “our Father” (Matt. 6:9), referring to true believers, is the deathblow to the false teaching of the universal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man. God is the father of everyone in the sense that He created them (Acts 17:29), but not in a relational sense. Jesus made that truth clear when He said to the unbelieving Jews, “If God were your Father, you would love Me … You are of your father the devil” (John 8:42, 44). Only those who have received Jesus through saving faith are given “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Paul contrasted the “children of the flesh” with the “children of God” (Rom. 9:8) and the “children of the bondwoman [unbelievers]” with the children of the “free woman [believers]” (Gal. 4:22–31), while the apostle John differentiated between “the children of God and the children of the devil” (1 John 3:10).

The fatherhood of God is the foundation of all prayer. His children are invited to enter His presence and “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [their] requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6). The best people without Christ cannot call God their Father, nor can they expect Him to hear their prayers. But the worst sinners, redeemed through Jesus Christ, become His children. To them Jesus made the staggering promise, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7–8). In the illustration of how fathers treat their children that follows, Jesus made it clear that the promise applies only to God’s children:

The fatherhood of God settles several key issues. First, it settles the matter of fear. The true and living God is a God of love (Deut. 23:5; Mic. 7:18; Zeph. 3:17; John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; Gal. 2:20; 2 Thess. 2:16; Titus 3:4), mercy (Ps. 86:15; 145:8; Luke 1:72; 6:36; Eph. 2:4; James 5:11; 1 Peter 1:3), grace (Ex. 34:6; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 116:5; 145:8; Jer. 3:12; 1 Peter 5:10), compassion (Deut. 4:31; Neh. 9:19, 27, 28, 31; Pss. 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; Lam. 3:22; Dan. 9:18; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2), and kindness (Rom. 2:4; 11:22; Titus 3:4). No such god exists in false religions; those gods are in reality demons impersonating gods (Deut. 32:17), and no demon would manifest such a fatherly, loving, compassionate, tender-hearted attitude. To come to know the true God is to be freed from the slavish fear associated with the worship of false gods; it is to approach the one who will have compassion on them just as a father has on his children (Ps. 103:13).

Second, the fatherhood of God settles the matter of hope. The world lives in hopeless despair, alleviated only by self-deception that will ultimately fail (Job 8:13; 11:20; 27:8; Prov. 11:7; Eph. 2:12; 1 Thess. 4:13). But the hope that is anchored in God will never fail (Prov. 23:18; 24:14; Jer. 29:11; Rom. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:16), because it is grounded in the believers’ union with Jesus Christ (Col. 1:27), guarded in heaven (Col. 1:5), and granted by the God of hope (Rom. 15:13).

Third, the fatherhood of God settles the matter of loneliness—not the momentary absence of other people’s company, but the cosmic loneliness that results from denying that God exists. Describing that loneliness James W. Sire notes that if God does not exist, “We have been thrown up by an impersonal universe. The moment a self-conscious, self-determining being appears on the scene, that person asks the big question: What is the meaning of all this? What is the purpose of the cosmos? But the person’s own creator—the impersonal forces of bedrock matter—cannot respond” (The Universe Next Door [Downers Grove, Ill. InterVarsity, 1988], 102). But God does exist, is a refuge for His children (Ps. 46:1), and is with them always (Ps. 139:7–12; Matt. 28:20).

Finally, the fatherhood of God settles the matter of resources. “My God,” wrote the apostle Paul, “will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Since our Father is in heaven, He is above all circumstances and beyond all limitations of time and space. His power is unlimited, His grace measureless, and His treasure house of benedictions boundless. The many blessings God graciously grants His children include instruction (Pss. 25:12; 32:8; 94:12), comfort (Ps. 23:4; 2 Cor. 1:3–4), correction (Heb. 12:6), protection from Satan’s assaults (John 17:15; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 5:18), access to Him through prayer (Heb. 4:16), provision for all their needs (Pss. 34:10; 84:11; Phil. 4:19), and an inheritance that includes all the blessings of salvation (Matt. 19:29; 25:34; Eph. 1:11; Col. 1:12; 3:24; Heb. 1:14; 1 Peter 1:4).

GOD AS SACRED

hallowed be Your name. (11:2c)

The reality that Christians have an intimate relationship with their heavenly Father does not mean that they can treat Him with flippant, irreverent lack of respect. “A son honors his father,” God reminded wayward Israel, “… then if I am a father, where is My honor?” (Mal. 1:6). Understanding that God is sacred provides a necessary balance to viewing Him as Father. It guards against abusing the intimacy believers have with Him.

This first petition in the Lord’s model prayer stresses the point made earlier in this chapter that prayer is primarily for God’s glory. Every request must be subordinated to and in harmony with that goal. Selfishness has no place in prayer; God does not exist to fulfill people’s whims, but to glorify Himself. Prayer acknowledges God’s declaration, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another” (Isa. 42:8; cf. 48:11). Therefore when believers approach Him they must seek to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name” (Ps. 29:2; cf. 66:1–4), desiring to see “the whole earth … filled with His glory” (Ps. 72:19). Like the psalmist they pray, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory” (Ps. 115:1). Even their requests for His help are ultimately for the glory of His name (Pss. 79:9; 106:47).

Hallowed translates a form of the verb hagiazō, which means to set something apart as holy. It is related to the terms doxazō (“glorify”), eulogeō (“bless” or “praise”), and hupsoō (“lift up” or “exalt”). In this context, it means to acknowledge that God’s name deserves to be differentiated from and set above all that is created. God is supremely separate from what He made, exists in a different sphere, and has knowledge and wisdom far beyond our own. To hallow His name is to believe that God is who He has revealed Himself to be on the pages of Scripture (cf. Heb. 11:6) and to live a God-conscious life. It is to set His name apart from everything common, profane, earthly, human, and temporal, just as the Sabbath was to be kept holy by being treated differently than the other six days (Ex. 20:8–11); to hold His matchless name in reverence and awe; to honor God as unique and above everyone else; and to esteem, prize, honor, revere, and adore Him as infinitely holy.

At Meribah in the wilderness, Moses disobeyed God by striking a rock to bring water instead of speaking to it as the Lord had commanded him. For that act of disobedience he was forbidden to enter the promised land “because,” God told him, “you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (Num. 20:12). In contrast the Lord Jesus Christ, anticipating the cross with its sin-bearing and separation from the Father, said, “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour” (John 12:27). Then, affirming that God’s glory was more important than the suffering He would endure, Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify Your name” (v. 28). He was willing to endure the cross so that God’s holy wrath against sin, His justice, His grace, and His mercy might be put on display.

Living a life that hallows God begins in the heart. Using a form of the word translated hallowed in this passage, Peter exhorted believers to “sanctify Christ as Lord in [their] hearts” (1 Peter 3:15). It involves a constant awareness of God’s presence, a truth that David expressed when he wrote, “I have set the Lord continually before me” (Ps. 16:8). Most significantly, a life that hallows the name of God is inevitably marked by obedience in all aspects of life. As Paul exhorted the Corinthians, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). When believers’ lives conform to God’s will the unbelieving world will “see [their] good works, and glorify [their] Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). They also hallow God’s name by confessing it (Matt. 10:32), trusting it (Ps. 33:21), refusing to profane it (Lev. 18:21; cf. Ex. 20:7), loving it (Ps. 119:132), and honoring it (Ps. 96:8).

God’s name is much more than merely a title; it refers to all that He is, including His nature, attributes, and character. In response to Moses’ plea, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” (Ex. 33:18) God promised, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you” (v. 19). In fulfillment of that promise God declared some of His attributes to Moses:

Throughout Scripture God’s name is equated with His person. When David declared that he would “sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High” (Ps. 7:17; cf. 113:1; 135:1; 148:5) he was not referring to a title, but to the person who bears it. Conversely, when the nations are said to “fear the name of the Lord” (Ps. 102:15), it is God’s majestic being that is in view. When the Lord Jesus Christ said to the Father in His high-priestly prayer, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world” (John 17:6), He meant that He had revealed God’s true nature to them. Understanding God’s name is a prerequisite to trusting Him. In Psalm 9:10 David said to God, “Those who know Your name will put their trust in You.”

The names of God revealed in Scripture identify the range of His glorious attributes. Elohim, the plural name of the triune God, describes Him as the Creator (Gen. 1:1); El-elyon (God Most High) as the sovereign ruler of the universe (Gen. 14:22); I AM as the eternally existing one (Ex. 3:13–14; cf. John 8:58); Jehovah-jireh (The Lord Will Provide) as the one who meets the needs of His children (Gen. 22:14); Jehovah-nissi (The Lord is My Banner) as the King under whom His people march (Ex. 17:15); Jehovah-ropheka (The Lord your healer) as the one who cares for their physical needs (Ex. 15:26). He is Jehovah-shalom (The Lord is Peace [Judg. 6:24]); Jehovah-roi (the Lord our Shepherd [Ps. 23:1]); Jehovah-tsidkenu (The Lord our Righteousness [Jer. 23:6]); Jehovah-sabaoth (the Lord of Hosts [1 Sam. 1:3]); Jehovah-meqaddeskem (the Lord who sanctifies you [Ex. 31:13]), and, supremely, “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:6)—God incarnate who perfectly reveals Him (John 1:18; 14:9).

The Bible also lists many names and titles that unfold the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is called the Amen (Rev. 3:14; cf. 2 Cor. 1:20), the Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 22:13), the Advocate (1 John 2:1), the Apostle (Heb. 3:1), the Author and Perfecter of faith (Heb. 12:2), the Beginning (source, origin) of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14), the Branch (Jer. 23:5), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), the Author of salvation (Heb. 2:10), the Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), the Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25), the Counselor (Isa. 9:6), the Sunrise from on high (Luke 1:78), the Deliverer (Rom. 11:26), the Door of the sheep (John 10:7), God blessed forever (Rom. 9:5), Eternal Father (Isa. 9:6), the Faithful witness (Rev. 1:5), the First and the Last (Rev. 1:17), the Firstborn (preeminent one) from the dead (Rev. 1:5) and over all creation (Col. 1:15), the Forerunner (Heb. 6:20), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14), the Guardian of souls (1 Peter 2:25), the Head of the church (Col. 1:18), the Holy One of God (John 6:69), I AM (John 8:58), Immanuel (Isa. 7:14), the King of Israel (John 1:49; cf. Zech. 9:9), King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15), the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Light of the world (John 8:12), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5), Lord (John 13:13), the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8), the Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), the Messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1), the Messiah (John 1:41), the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6), the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), the Only Begotten (unique one) from the Father (John 1:14), our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), the Prince of life (Acts 3:15), the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Righteous One (Acts 7:52), the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4), the Root and Descendant of David (Rev. 22:16), the Root of Jesse (Isa. 11:10), the Ruler in Israel (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6), the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5), Savior (Luke 2: 11; Titus 1:4), Servant (Isa. 42:1), Shiloh (Gen. 49:10), Son of the Blessed One (Mark 14:61), Son of David (Matt. 12:23; 21:9), Son of God (Luke 1:35), Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32), the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2), the True God (1 John 5:20), the True Vine (John 15:1), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), the Word (John 1:1, 14), the Word of God (Rev. 19:13), and the Word of Life (1 John 1:1).

True prayer begins, therefore, with a proper understanding of God. Emphasizing the importance of the correct thinking about Him from which true, God-honoring prayer flows A.W. Tozer wrote,

Such thinking and praying must begin, as the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in this passage reveals, with recognizing God as our sacred Father.