What Does Hallowed Mean? || Learning the Lord’s Prayer || Week 1

Podcast: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/xF8Hix4gvwb

What are we saying when we recite the Lord’s Prayer? It’s a practice for most Christians to say in their daily lives when they get up, go to bed, and at church, among other practices. Yet, how often do we think about and dig deeper into what we are saying to God? Over the next five weeks, I will take the Lord’s Prayer, as told by Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13, apart line-by-line. We will examine what each line is saying and how it’s reflected throughout the rest of the Bible. Let’s dive into it!

Let’s look at the first line of the prayer that Jesus is teaching us to pray. I’m going to share Matthew 6:9 from the New Living Translation:

9 Our Father in Heaven, may your name be kept holy.

The second half of this line has a couple of variations, such as: “Hallowed by your/thy name” and “let your name be treated with reverence.” I’m a United Methodist, so I’m familiar with the opening of the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name.” I’ve often been confused by what “hallowed” means in this context. I’ve only heard the term “hallowed” when referring to these “hallowed halls,” meaning that these halls possess a lot of history and importance. Is that what it means in this context too? Let’s explore that first.

Hallowed Explained

The dictionary describes something that is made holy. My concordance says that “hallowed” is the Greek word “hagiazo” (hag – ee – ad – zo) with the exact general definition. A deeper explanation is to render or acknowledge to be venerable or respected.

With this explanation, we are expressing that we want to give God the full respect his name desires and requires. Let’s explore this more by looking at Isaiah 29:23. Again, I will share this from the New Living Translation.

23 For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob. They will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

This verse talks about the future generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reflecting on their deliverance from their Babylonian capture. When they got saved from exile, they hoped to recognize God as their Savior and the Almighty One.

To wrap this thought up, keeping God’s name hallowed means keeping his name pure, respected, and without tarnish. How do we do that? That’s where I want to jump to next.

How Do I Hallow?

Two verses continue the theme of “hallowed” that we’ve been discussing. The first verse is Luke 1:49. From the New Living Translation, it says:

49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

This verse is part of the song that Mary sings after she talks to Elizabeth about becoming the mother of Jesus. She’s excited (after a moment of anxiousness) and is celebrating God for everything He has done for her. Again, we’re seeing this reverence alongside mentioning God’s name. God is holy or pure. What God is having her do is not a bad thing. It’s scary, but instead of reveling in anxiety, she worships and praises God for everything that has happened to her.

It’s interesting to think about how we can incorporate more worship times into our lives. Granted, we will never have her experience, but we still have big things happen. We have those nervous parts of life that decide our next season of life. We have those moments of anxiety where we don’t understand what God is planning for us. Instead of getting frustrated at God for causing these complex feelings, we can lift them to God and worship everything God has done and will do in the future.

Let’s continue to the next verse. It’s 1 Peter 3:15, and it says this in the NLT:

15   Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

In this context, worshiping Christ as your Lord and Savior can mean: “set apart in your hearts Christ as Lord.” The heart is where Jesus wants to take residence, leading us to a life of loving him and obeying what he has called us to do. To love God will all our being and love each other as we love ourselves.

Always being ready to explain your relationship with Christ in this context is where we see the English word “apologetics.” I have heard of apologetics, but my denomination doesn’t use them. I just wanted you to know this fun fact. Peter says this informally and insists that believers need to understand what they believe and understand why they became Christian in the first place. When this happens, believers must articulate their beliefs humbly, thoughtfully, reasonably, and biblically.

Two critical things in this verse: acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior and understand why you made that decision so that you can tell others why you made that decision. These concepts, in my opinion, are the time to see how God is holy and what it means to you. I’ve always pictured God as a coach or mentor to me. When I’ve sat down and prayed, I picture him over my shoulder, pointing out the plays I need to make in the world. Why? I need someone to show me the plays. I can’t see myself. I need someone to show me how to overcome the defense setup on the play so I can accomplish the play that he is asking me to run.

Now, have I been the best player on offense? No. Have I called audibles? Yep. Am I learning not to create the plays myself but instead follow the game plan in front of me? Always. That’s part of what it means to be on the Christian team. Learning to understand God’s playbook and respect the plays he’s calling without trying to do things yourself or spreading toxicity about the coach.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Week 1 of my “Learning the Lord’s Prayer” series. Next week, we will look at Matthew 6:10 and discuss what it means to have God’s kingdom reflected here on earth. Until then, stay blessed!