Hallowed be your name

The Lord’s prayer — part 5

There is something about a name in the Bible, it is more than what you are called by. The name, in many ways, signifies who you are, especially when the name is given by, or relates to God.

Take the example when God renamed Abram to Abraham. The name went, in meaning from Noble Father to Father of Many.

Not that meaningful names were the Biblical norm. Zachariah, John the Baptist’s dad, was expected to call his son by a family name. Something that is still done today: My eldest daughter’s first name is my wife’s middle name and her middle name is my sister’s middle name. Even then the name has meaning, not the meaning from the baby book, but the name has a tradition from the family.

The name of God shows the meaning, character and purpose of God, which is too large to be contained in one word. A quick Google shows there are 102 names for God in the Bible, each showing a different aspect of God’s nature. Not just the names which people call God, these are the names which God has revealed himself.

Knowing God brings security. The Psalmist said: The name of the Lord is a strong tower; righteous run to it and are safe.

We pray Hallowed be your name, we say that Gods name is holy, special, set apart and not to be taken lightly.

But the important name, the one Jesus taught us to use, the name with which we can approach God, is Father. Let us pray to our Father that he will hallow his name to us by revealing his characteristics to us personally.

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