The Name

“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy.” —Matthew 6:9

In placing this petition at the beginning of His model prayer, Jesus declared that no other item on our prayer list should rank higher than to hallow God’s name. We are to glorify it. Esteem it. Draw others’ attention to it. Stand amazed at it. In fact, in praying for our needs and concerns, our chief desire should be that His answers provide an opportunity to shine a spotlight on His magnificent name.

God is jealous for His name—He considers it a serious offense for us to cheapen it or allow anything to dim His glory (Ex. 20:7). As God’s children, how concerned are we about upholding the reputation of our Father’s name? And if we who’ve been given His family name don’t treat it with reverence, how can we expect His name to be reverenced in the world? What a tragedy to have it said that “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom. 2:24). May His holy name be magnified this day in and through our lives.

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The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings

©2012 Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Scripture taken from The CSB