Recap: Previous Article

As discussed in our previous article, Jesus taught us to pray with every aspect of our being - from head to toe. However, we often limit our prayer to mere words, while the rest of our being may not reflect His prayer. As a result, we fail to fully magnify and glorify God, and our prayers lack utmost readiness. To grasp this concept fully, it's essential to explore the first line of Jesus' taught prayer, the Lord's Prayer: Father, hallowed be your name. (Luke 11:2, NIV)

Heavenly Names:

God, who dwells in heaven, embodies absolute holiness Himself. His name is the ultimate and greatest among all names. He is known as the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. As recorded in scripture, His naming is significant: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. (Luke 1:31-32, NIV)

Sacred Contradiction:

Since God’s name is ultimate and greatest among all names, the first line of Jesus' taught prayer and His naming in heaven appears contradictory. This apparent contradiction raises a crucial question: Can God's inherent holiness be increased or magnified by our declaration - Father, hallowed be your name. (Luke 11:2, NIV)

A Sacred Analog:

We've all heard parents scold their children, 'You've spoiled our name.' Biological parents worry about their reputation, and it's their children's responsibility to uphold it. Similarly, as God's children, it's our duty to protect His holy name from misuse.

When we say, 'Father, hallowed be your name,' but use our eyes to see unholiness, our ears to listen to unholiness, our hands and legs to engage in unholiness, and our minds to think unholiness, then we take God's name in vain for engaging in unholy behavior. This is sinful, as warned in Scripture: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7, NIV)

Hallowing God's Name from all our Being:

Since God will hold humanity accountable to those misusing His name, therefore, those who prevent themselves from seeing, listening to, and speaking evil, and who restrict themselves from committing sin, are those who obey God's commandments and seek forgiveness through true repentance and confession. They keep the Father's name intact and holy consistently and continually, as exemplified by Jesus: If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (John 15:10, NiV)

Similarly, St. John emphasizes keeping God's name intact and holy:

He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30, NIV) This means that as we decrease in wrongdoing and sin through obedience, God's name will be uplifted and magnified through our lives.

Continuing the Journey:

In our next article, we will delve deeper into understanding Lord's Prayer

Amen!

Praise be to God, Thanks be to God.

Not being Unrighteous is Religion!!

Jharkhand! Peace be upon you!!

India! Peace be upon you!!

Peace to the whole world!!