Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
This week, I spent time reflecting on the word “hallowed” as used in the Lord’s Prayer. We’ve repeated this prayer since childhood—many of us memorized it long before we could even understand its meaning. But what does hallowed mean? I wondered why Jesus chose that word, of all words, in the Lord’s Prayer. Why?
For most of us, prayer means speaking to God—lifting our needs, our gratitude, our burdens, and our hopes. But before any request is made, Jesus teaches us to begin by naming God as hallowed—holy, sacred, revered above all. It’s not just a description but a revelation. In this word, Jesus invites us to approach a God who is not only related to us as “our Father,” but also utterly set apart in unmatchable holiness.
This is a great mystery. Despite being sinners, this holy, hallowed God is the one we are invited to speak to.
In the Jewish tradition, to encounter what is hallowed—what is most holy—was to tremble before the presence of God. It was a space set apart, a glory too radiant for human eyes. No wonder it was believed no mortal could do so and live. Yet Jesus calls us to enter that space with boldness, not fear. He teaches us to pray to Our Father, whose name is hallowed. The same God who spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob now opens heaven’s doors to us, sinners though we are.
This is the astounding grace of prayer: that we—imperfect, weary, struggling—can call on a God so holy that even the angels and all the heavenly hosts cover their faces in reverence. Yet we sinners, through Christ, not only call on Him—we call Him “our Father.”
My dear friends, each time we utter the words of the Lord’s Prayer, we are stepping into the sacred and hallowed. We are treading into the holy of holies, where God’s glory dwells and the heavenly host forever sing,
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).
In prayer, we are not alone. We join the eternal praise of angels and saints. Because of Jesus Christ, we need no other mediator—He has made a way for us to approach our God. We are drawn into God’s family, siblings in Christ, speaking to the One who is both infinitely holy and intimately near.
So wherever you find yourself—whether burdened or blessed, searching, distressed or confident—remember this sacred invitation. Return to the hallowed place of prayer, where all sinners are welcome.
Join us for worship this Sunday, so that together we may enter the hallowed presence of God with joy.
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From the E-Crier of June 5, 2025. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter.