In the Word: Be Glorified in Us

Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals.  As we study God’s Word together, we encourage you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dive in Scripture with us! 

“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:5-6

READ:

As the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer, hallowing God’s name should be of utmost importance to us. This God-centered approach to prayer focuses our hearts on Him first and foremost. Our primary goal in prayer is not to achieve our own comfort and exultation, but to glorify the Lord. This reverential attitude towards God’s name, therefore, must be the foundation of all our prayers.

Since God is already infinitely, unchangeably, and utterly holy, what does it mean for us to ask Him to make His name holy through our prayers? Essentially, we are praying for God to demonstrate His holiness—to reveal His glory—in and through us. We are asking God to so move and act in the world that people value His glory, esteem His holiness, and treasure His character above all else. Of course, the glory of God’s name cannot increase or decrease. Exodus 15:11 reminds us that God is already perfectly “majestic in holiness.” We could never detract from or add to God’s holiness, but His glory can be made more evident through us as we live out our faith in Him for the world to see. We are His image bearers after all.

When we pray as Christ taught us to pray, we’re really asking that even through the difficulty and pain God’s name would be exalted in us. We’re asking that others would marvel at the greatness of God on display in our lives. As you resolve to move forward each day, leaning into God’s goodness and looking to Him in the midst of the sorrow, the name of God is being hallowed through you. Choosing to magnify the Lord through your heartache is a powerful testimony to the utter gloriousness of God.

Dear sister, what would it look like if we were so dedicated to the glory of God’s name? How might our lives look different if our highest priority was to magnify the Lord even through our suffering. If we cried out to God, “My soul is in anguish. Loss has robbed me of so much joy and peace. But you have brought me to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Blessedly, this is a prayer that God is delighted to answer. The sanctifying work that He has begun in you will be brought to completion. He will continue to reveal his glory to you and glorify His name through you as He molds you increasing into the image of of His Son. And He has decreed that as His glory shines forth throughout the whole earth, one day we will all perfectly and completely behold his holiness.

REFLECT:

1. What view of God do you give others by your response to the challenges of life? How can you choose to hallow God’s name through your grief?

2. In what ways has God revealed His majesty to you? How can you grow in adoration for Him?

- Ashlee

Hope Mom to Simeon and Odelle

Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of their I AM, Identity, and Sojourn Bible studies. She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.