As I mentioned in the last post, the main body of the Lord's Prayer is a string of "petitions" - i.e., things we are asking God to do. Petition is the heart of prayer!
The first petition in the Lord's Prayer is: "Hallowed be Thy name."
After a thorough study of the scriptures, the Reformers summarized what the first petition means in this way: "God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also."
Of course, this immediately begs a second question: "How is God's name kept holy?" And answering this question requires that we remember what "holy" is. It means "set apart" or "not mixed with the common, i.e., everything else."
Moreover, we need to remember that God's "name" is more than just the word or words we use to address Him, such as "Our Father who art in heaven" (as we do in the Lord's Prayer) or "Dear God" (as we sometimes do in personal prayers). God's Name is everything about Him; it's His essence and attributes. And it goes even further than that: His Name is Who He is and what He does for us, too. The Name of God is the story of God and His dealings with mankind.
In view of this, the Reformers answered the second question in this way: "God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!"
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