Monday, April 26, 2010

May Your Name be Honored


“May your name be honored” (Matt. 6:9 nlt). We’re to pray with an attitude of loving respect for our Father’s holy and awesome name (Ps. 103:1). We are in the presence of our Father, whose name is mighty in power and equally as great in love and compassion (Jer. 10:6).

“By the ‘name’ of God we mean all those attributes through which he is revealed to us—his power, wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy and truth.” (Ryle, Matthew,  39)

We will never be ashamed of the Lord as some are of their earthly father. Our own fathers may have a bad name due to a poor reputation, may be uncaring and irresponsible, and break their promises.

God our Father is in no way like that. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Ps. 145:13b). We are secure in Him for He is loving, responsible, and totally trustworthy. “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Ps. 9:10).   

Above all Jesus desires that we give glory to His Father’s name just as He did, “‘Father, glorify your name’” (John 12:28)! When we honor our Father’s name in our prayers and by our godly life, we are glorifying Him.

“In true worship the Father must be first and He must be everything. The sooner we learn to forget ourselves so that He may be glorified, the richer our own blessing in prayer will be.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  32.)


May Your Kingdom Come Soon

When we pray, “May your Kingdom come soon,” we are asking our Father to fulfill His plans for this world, which is people coming to faith in His Son, Jesus Christ our Savior (Matt. 6:10 nlt). “By his kingdom, we mean, first, the kingdom of grace which God sets up and maintains in the hearts of all living members of Christ by his Spirit and Word. . . .” (Ryle, Matthew, 40)

“The coming of the Kingdom is the one great event on which the revelation of the Father’s glory, the blessedness of His children, and the salvation of the world depend.” (Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer,  33.)

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