Teach Us to Pray Pt. 3
by Brad Spangler
Praise- Hallowed be Your name.
Hallowing God’s name means to regard it as holy, set apart, or unique. One way we can do this is by simply meditating on who God is and then praising Him. Now, why would we do this? Is God an egotistical-maniac who needs us to tell Him how awesome He is? Knowing God’s character, I would venture to say, “no,” that’s not why we do it. The reason why we give God praise is actually for our own benefit. It is a powerful form of prayer because when we remind ourselves of who God is, it begins to calm our souls by changing our perspective. It can move us from a place of fear and doubt to a place of faith.
Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
The psalmist knew despite his current circumstances, the appropriate response was for him to remind his soul about the goodness of God. When we exalt God’s name above our own circumstances, it changes us from the inside out. Where there was fear, faith begins to rise. Where there is the condemnation, love begins to overwhelm us. Where there was uncertainty, confidence in God begins to take root.
Recently Anna and I had friends over at our house for FIKA, a yummy Swedish tradition. At a certain point in the evening, we began to pray and worship God together. As this time of worship ended, we began to say, “God, you are good.” As we were saying this repeatedly, a scripture that came to my mind was Psalms 27:13 NKJV.
“I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.”
You might find yourself stuck in a difficult situation right now, but I want to encourage you not to lose heart. Strengthen yourself by meditating on the goodness of the Lord. Choose to open your mouth and give God praise. In so doing, you will be hallowing God’s name.