Introduction

We are so glad you are joining us for these daily prayer posts. Throughout these weeks we have been listening to the prayers of the Bible and learning from them how to pray. This week we turn our attention to the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples when they asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1)

Each devotion will take five to seven minutes of your time.

1. We will look at an insight from those who know something important about prayer.
2. We will listen to Jesus as He prays “The Lord’s Prayer.”
3. We will reflect, asking the same four questions each day that invites us to look and listen with intent.
4. And we will pray, for it is in praying that we learn to pray. And it is in praying that the Spirit changes our hearts.

May we encourage you to grab a notebook, a journal, something to write on as you do each prayer guide. Yes, it will add a few minutes to the time it takes to do the devotion, and it will also deepen your experience and shape your walk with God for years to come.

Look

First, Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will; then, give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us. The lesson is of more importance than we think. In true worship the Father must be first, must be all.

Andrew Murray, Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Listen

The second line of The Lord’s Prayer is surely the most misunderstood. What in the world does “hallowed be your name” even mean? The verb “hallow” means to set something apart as sacred or holy, to honor or venerate it, to keep it pure, to lift it up or glorify it. In the original language of The Lord’s Prayer, the word is in the verb form; it’s a petition for God to cause His name to be set apart over the earth.

The prayer is structured around 6 petitions — the first 3 are about God (vv 9-10), the next 3 are about us (vv 11-13). So this first petition, “hallowed be your name,” lays the foundation for the whole prayer. When Bible references God’s name, it’s referring to His character, His being, His essence. So, “hallowed be your name” is a passionate call for God to be glorified — for His name, character, and being to be set apart, honored, and worshiped. It’s the foundation on which the entire prayer rests. 

Matthew 6:9-13

⁹ Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
¹² and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
*For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.

Reflect

1. Having read the Word, sit silently for a minute and give God’s Word a moment to settle within you.
2. Re-read the verses slowly and write down some thoughts that resonate with you.
3. Ask the Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that those thoughts are pointing to. (for example: you may write down, “The first priority of the prayer is the Father’s name.” The Spirit can help you consider and evaluate the things that tend to be first priority in your prayers.)
4. When you think about asking God to glorify His name, does that come natural to you? Why or why not?

Pray

Throughout the week we’ll pray “The Lord’s Prayer” together, emphasizing a different line each day.

⁹Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name.

Pause your prayer here to think about what this means. You are asking God to act in a way that sets His name apart from all others. You are prioritizing God’s glory above all else. Although you will address your own needs later in the prayer, you are fundamentally praying a God-centered prayer, not a self-centered prayer.

¹⁰ Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,
¹² and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
*For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.

*Some of the earliest manuscripts do not contain this line.