Prayer Is Adoration

Matthew 6:9-10
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, July 13, 1997
Copyright © 1997, P. G. Mathew

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:9-10

There is a rabbinic saying which goes like this: “He who prays within his house surrounds it with a wall that is stronger than iron.” In our study of the Sermon on the Mount we have come to the prayer called the Lord’s Prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. In this study we will consider the first part of the prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-10: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'”

What Is Prayer?

Prayer is an activity of the children of God. Now we must state right away that we know all people are not children of God. Only the citizens of the kingdom of God can pray because only they will pray to the heavenly Father, who is also the King of the kingdom of God. And God’s people will pray. Jesus said, “When you pray,” not “If you pray.” This means the Lord Jesus Christ knew that all true Christians will pray.

The Lord’s Prayer as we find it in Matthew 6:9-13 is a pattern, a model, for our prayers. The outline of the prayer contains six petitions. The first three deal with the glory and the honor of God and the last three deal with the total spiritual and material needs of God’s people. We must make note of the order: First there is God, then there is man.

The Privilege of Prayer

We read in several places in the New Testament of the prayers of Jesus. Even though he was God, Jesus prayed constantly to his Father in heaven. Thus, in John 11 we see Jesus praying at the tomb of Lazarus. In verse 41 we read, “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up”–that is, he looked up to the heavens–“and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. . .'” Jesus addressed his prayer to his Father in heaven. We see this again in John 17:1, “After Jesus said this, he looked up toward heaven and prayed. Amazingly, the same privilege is granted to us to look up to the heavens and pray to our heavenly Father.

Not only was prayer the habit of Jesus, but it was also the habit of the apostles. In Ephesians 3:14 Paul wrote, “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.” What a privilege it is to pray to our heavenly Father who especially dwells in heaven. And what is heaven? It is the place of purity, righteousness, and power. It is the place of God’s throne, where holy angels delight in the worship of the heavenly Father.

Heaven is a place of great prayer, and in the book of Revelation we find the prayers of the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, the angels, all the heavenly creatures, and God’s people. It was to this third heaven, to paradise itself, where Paul was caught up as he describes in 2 Corinthians 12. There he heard inexpressible things, “things that men are not permitted to tell.”

So we are given the privilege to pray to our heavenly Father who loves us and whom we love and adore. He is our heavenly Father–the one who is near, the one who is immanent, the one who is with us, and yet is transcendent and all-glorious.

Entering His Presence

What is the first thing we must do when we come to pray to our heavenly Father? We must recollect who God is. We must examine ourselves and see if we are doing this. Do we tend to rush into God’s presence, immediately demanding that he do this and that for us? Have we ever acted as spoiled children who will come into the presence of their father–suppose his name is Joe–and demand, “Oh, Joe, where is my breakfast? Oh Joe, where is my medicine? Oh, Joe, where are my clothes this morning? Joe, where is my spending money? Joe!” I don’t know about you, but my children are trained not to say those things to me. Why? I have taught them to respect me. I hope that all of us who are fathers will train our children in the fear of the Lord so that they will revere and respect us rather than treating us as peers, calling us by our first names and demanding things from us.

When we enter God’s presence, we must recollect who God is. We must come conscious of his glory and be filled with awe, reverence, and love for our heavenly Father. Why? Because we are entering the presence of the holy God. We cannot just enter as we want. Moses could not come into God’s presence however he wanted. Do you remember when he wanted to approach the burning bush to find out why it was not consumed? What did God say to him? “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground.” Moses could not just approach God however he wanted. In fact, he feared God and hid his face when he heard this. So, although God is our Father in Jesus Christ, we must be aware that he is our holy, heavenly Father. We must learn to revere and adore him when we come into his presence.

Hallowing God’s Name

What is the first petition in the Lord’s Prayer? “Hallowed be thy name.” That is a restatement of the third commandment as found in Exodus 20:7: “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.” As God’s children we are to be chiefly concerned about the glory of God.

Moses was concerned about the glory of God’s name, as we just read in Exodus 20. The glory of God’s name was also Joshua’s passion. In Joshua 7:8-9 Joshua prayed, “O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth.” And then, notice his question: “What, then, will you do for your own great name?”

Our singular passion in life ought to be to promote the glory of God and the fame of his name. We live for one purpose only–the furtherance of the kingdom of God. Now, we must understand that we do not make God holy, glorious, and resplendent. He is holy, and in Isaiah 6:3 we read how the seraphs cried out before God, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” So we do not make God glorious, but we are to proclaim him as glorious. We as creatures are to reflect his glory in all that we do. Didn’t God say many times, “Be ye holy for I am holy”? And in 1 Samuel 2:2 Hannah sang, “There is no one holy like the Lord.”

So when we pray “Hallowed be thy name,” we are praying that God will glorify his name among his rational creatures. We are also praying that all the people of the world will praise his name. We are praying that they stop their idolatry and blasphemy and come and worship the true, only, living God. But we especially are praying that God’s children will reflect the glory of God daily in their lives and not despise him.

Honoring Our Heavenly Father

In the last prophetic book of the Old Testament, we read, “A son honors his father” (Malachi 1:6). It is an indicative statement, meaning it is reality, or at least it ought to be. So the Lord Almighty asked his people, “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me?” We ought, as sons, to honor our heavenly Father.

How are we to honor our heavenly Father? Peter tells us, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:14-15). When we live holy lives we hallow God’s name and consider it as holy and separate.

The Multifaceted Name of God

To hallow God’s name, we must understand who God is. God’s name stands for who God is as he is revealed especially in his sacred Scriptures. So we must examine the names of God that reflect his multifaceted character.

1. God is called El, which means Mighty One. When we come into the presence of God, we must always be aware that he is El, the Mighty One.
2. God is called El Shaddai, which means he is God Almighty, mighty to save his people and destroy all his enemies. Do you keep that in mind? Are you aware of that name as you come to his presence for prayer?
3. God is called Elohim, which means Creator. He is God who, with fullness of power, calls into existence that which never existed before.
4. God is called El-Elyon, which means God Most High, Sovereign Lord of the universe, who rules all things.
5. God is called Adonai, meaning Master of all, Lord of all.
6. God is called Jehovah or Yahweh, which means the self-existing, self-sufficient Savior of his covenant people. God alone is independent, and all creatures depend on him.
7. God is also Jehovah of hosts–God of the heavenly armies. Do you consider that when you come to his presence? The one who wages war and always succeeds. He always defeats his enemies.
8. God is also called Jehovah Jireh, meaning the Lord who sees ahead and provides for all our needs–physical and spiritual–needs of the body and of the soul.
9. God is also called Jehovah Tsidkenu, meaning the Lord our righteousness. We have no righteousness in ourselves. Do you remember the publican in Luke 18? When he came to pray, he affirmed he was a sinner: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” But what happened? This man went home justified. Why? The Lord is our righteousness. Do we understand that as we come into his presence? If so, then we are hallowing his name.
10. God is called Jehovah Nissi, which means the Lord my banner. He is always triumphant and leads us always in triumph, the Bible says. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Have you considered that his name is Jehovah Nissi? It is he who defeated death and raised his Son from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures. He is God triumphant.
11. God is also called Jehovah Ropheka, meaning the Lord who heals you. We are sick in soul and in body, but, praise be to God, the mission and purpose of this Jehovah is to bring healing to us. In Isaiah 53 we are told, “By his stripes we are healed.”
12. God is called Jehovah Shalom, meaning the Lord is peace. The wicked have no rest. There is no peace for the wicked. Even in their partying they have no peace, they have no rest. But this Jehovah, this Yahweh, is our peace. Do you consider that when you enter into his presence, especially experiencing that peace that passes all understanding?
13. God is called Jehovah Roi, meaning the Lord is shepherd. He is our shepherd, ever guiding us in the way of life, peace, and joy, ever knowing our every need, ever helping us, and ever present with us.
14. God is also called Jehovah Shammah, meaning the Lord is there. God is with his people. Remember how Jesus said, “If two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst”?

Therefore, in accordance with God’s revelation in the Holy Scriptures of his character, may we honor our heavenly Father and learn to adore him. Let us not blaspheme him, which is the opposite of honoring God. People will either hallow God’s name or blaspheme it, and all idolatry is blasphemy. But all who blaspheme God will be judged by him, so may God help us to hallow his name.

Jesus Sets An Example

The singular passion of Jesus Christ was to honor his heavenly Father. In John 8:49 we read, “‘I am not possessed by a demon,’ Jesus said, ‘but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.'” What was the singular passion of Jesus Christ? To honor and glorify his Father. And let me say further, his passion was to honor and glorify his Father especially through his suffering and death on the cross.

We read about this also in John 12:27-28. As Jesus faced the cross, he told his disciples, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” What is the meaning there? “Father, glorify your name through my death on the cross!”

In John 17:1 Jesus prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” Again, he was speaking of glorifying God by his death on the cross.

That is what I am saying, brothers and sisters. The singular passion of a true child of God should be to bring honor and glory to God alone.

Hallowing God’s Name

How, then, can we honor God’s name in our daily lives? We do so, first, when we profess his name truly. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus spoke concerning those who profess his name falsely: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

Any person who says Jesus Christ is Lord but refuses to live in accordance with that confession is a blasphemer. That person is not a true believer in Jesus Christ. We must examine ourselves to see whether we have professed Jesus Christ as Lord truly. And if we have done that, and lived according to that confession, then we are hallowing his name. Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

Second, we hallow, honor, and glorify God when we suffuse our minds with God’s word and think his thoughts. Otherwise, we will be filled with our own considerations, and God will become a subsidiary item. But to do so is blasphemy. Our minds must be suffused with God’s thoughts.

Third, we honor God’s name when we trust in him and his revelation, the Holy Scriptures. First John 5:9 tells us, “We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.” When we put our faith in God’s testimony, which is the Bible, we are hallowing the name of our God. And in 1 John 5:10 we read, “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.”

It is blasphemy not to believe in God’s word. When you do so, you are claiming, “God is false, God is a liar, and therefore I will not believe in his word.” But let me assure you, any person who refuses to believe in the absolute veracity and authority of the Holy Scriptures is a blasphemer of the only true and living God.

Fourth, we hallow God’s name when we come to truly worship him, saying, “Thou art worthy and there is no other God but you.” God alone is the worthy One and we must worship him alone. When we gather together on the Lord’s Day, we are to worship him and declare, “Thou art holy. Thou art worthy.”

Fifth, we hallow God’s name by honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 5:23 we read a statement of the Father himself: “He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” On the basis of this scripture let me say that if you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ–in his person, his work, his propitiatory sacrifice, his resurrection, his ascension, his sovereign lordship, his function as the coming judge–then you are not a worshiper of God. You are not hallowing his name; rather, you are blaspheming it.

Sixth, we hallow God’s name when we choose his glory at our expense, whether it is in terms of life or property. In John 21:19 we find Jesus speaking to Peter and we read, “Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.” If we are true Christians, our singular passion is to bring glory and honor to God at our own expense, even the expense of our lives. That is why multitudes of people all throughout the history of the church died for their faith in Christ. Yet through their martyrdom they were glorifying God and honoring him.

What about our properties? Hebrews 11:26 tells us, “[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.” Moses was probably trained to be an emperor. He was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt but he forsook it and cast it all aside for the honor of Jesus Christ.

You know, there are people who easily will trust in Jesus Christ if only he will give them a long life, a good-looking wife, a handsome husband, a job promotion or any of those things. But all that is false faith and pure nonsense. We must hallow God’s name because he is the only true God who has become our heavenly Father. And in him we will receive all that we need.

In Matthew 19:27 Peter asked Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What, then, will there be for us?” Our faith in Jesus Christ may cause us to forsake all our material possessions. Therefore, we must understand that when we say, “Hallowed be thy name,” we are choosing God’s glory at the expense of our own life, prestige, property or anything else we call our own, and refusing to manipulate God.

Thy Kingdom Come

The next petition in the Lord’s Prayer is, “Thy kingdom come.” Now, that statement assumes the fact that there is another kingdom besides God’s, which is the kingdom of Satan, the kingdom of darkness. It assumes the fact that the whole world is under the power of the evil one, and that Satan is the god of this world. (PGM) It assumes the fact that the vast majority of the people of the world worship, adore, obey, and honor Satan, the god of this world, as we read in Revelation 13. But what do the children of God pray? “Thy kingdom come” meaning, “May the rule of God, the reign of God, come.”

The truth is, God’s kingdom has come into our midst through Jesus Christ. In Luke 17:21 the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was to come, and he responded by saying that the kingdom of God had already come. In Jesus Christ the kingdom of God broke into this world. That is glory, and we need to praise God for this great truth. The Son has risen with healing in his wings.

Additionally, as Christians we must pray that God’s kingdom may come into human hearts on a daily basis so that people all over the world will repent and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We must pray that the Spirit of the living God will move in the hearts of sinners, causing them to bow down to Jesus Christ, kiss his feet, and confess that he is Lord.

Where is the will of God done? In the church. The true church is the kingdom of God in which his will is done. And so this prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” is being fulfilled on a daily basis in God’s church. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). That is speaking of God’s rule in the hearts of God’s people. And in Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What, therefore, should be the prayer of God’s church? “Thy kingdom come.” May we see that prayer fulfilled as more and more people throughout the world confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! And what is the nature of God’s kingdom? It is not eating or drinking. No, it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Even now God’s people experience these things in this world.

God’s Kingdom Fully Manifested

Not only is this prayer for a manifestation of God’s kingdom now, but it is also a prayer that his kingdom will manifest in its fullness when Jesus Christ comes again. At that time every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ is Lord, as we read in Philippians 2:10-11.

In Matthew 26:64 we read, “‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'” That is also a prayer that the kingdom of God may come in its full resplendent glory, authority, and power to defeat all enemies and eliminate all evil from God’s universe. That is why in 1 Corinthians 16:22 we find this Aramaic expression “Maranatha.” This was the prayer of the early church: Come, O Lord!

We see the same thing in Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” That is a prayer for the coming of God’s kingdom in all its external glory, fullness, and power.

The Coming Kingdom

God’s kingdom is coming! In Revelation 11:15 we read, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” This is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:7, “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.”

In Daniel 2:44 we read what Daniel received by way of revelation as to this coming of God’s kingdom in all its glory: “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”

And in 2 Peter 3:12-13 we read what Peter said about this kingdom. He wrote, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” There is a looking forward to and a hastening of the coming of this kingdom of God in all its glory. Peter continued, “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

When the kingdom of God comes, evil will be finally wiped out and God will make a new heaven and earth, which will be all glorious and without evil. Satan will be defeated, put away destroyed, and Christ will reign forever and ever.

Every synagogue service ended with a kaddish, a prayer, which goes like this: “Exalted and hallowed be his great name in the world, which he created according to his will. May he let his kingdom rule in your lifetime and in your days and in the lifetime of the whole house of Israel speedily and soon. And to this say ‘Amen.'”

Thy Will Be Done

The third petition in the Lord’s Prayer is “Thy will be done.” This petition follows the first and second petitions logically. Why? You cannot hallow God’s name unless you are doing his will. So Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Angels Do God’s Will

How is God’s will done in heaven? Let me assure you, God’s holy angels are in heaven eagerly seeking after his will. They are ever ready to hear and do the will of God completely, joyfully, immediately.

Just listen to what the angel Gabriel said to Zechariah the priest in Luke 1:19: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.” The angels stand in the very presence of God and when they hear his commands, they run to do them. So in the gospel of Luke we see Gabriel going to Zechariah and then to Mary. He goes wherever he is sent because it is his pleasure, delight and joy to do God’s will.

Jesus Did God’s Will

What about Jesus? The writer to the Hebrews said this about him: “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, “Here I am–it is written about me in the scroll–I have come to do your will, O God”‘” (Heb. 10:7). The sole purpose of Jesus’ life was to do God’s will.

Do you remember when Jesus was twelve years of age? After celebrating the Feast of Passover, his parents were returning to their home. After a day’s journey they realized that Jesus was not with them. He had stayed behind in the temple, and when his parents found him, he asked them why they had worried. Didn’t they know he had to be about his Father’s business?

During the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus repeatedly told Satan, “It is written,” “It is written,” “It is written,” meaning “I am totally committed to do the Father’s will as written in the Holy Scriptures,” in other words.

And, finally, as he faced his death on the cross, he prayed, “Not my will but thine be done” (Luke 22:42). Let me tell you, when we can say that–not my will but thine, O God, be done–then we will know that we are true Christians.

We Must Do God’s Will

What about us? In Acts 4:19 Peter and John told the Sanhedrin that they must obey God rather than men. And, in fact, God gives us the Holy Spirit so that we can obey him. As we do God’s will, we will be unafraid for our lives, our property, and our honor. We will have a mission, a passion, to honor God by obeying his will as it is revealed to us.

Jesus’ disciples are those who do his will. In Matthew 12 we read what Jesus said when his mother and brothers came to help him out. In verses 46-50 we read, “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.’ He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother and who are my brothers?'” In other words, who were those who were entitled to close fellowship with Jesus? Who could experience holy communion with God? “Pointing to his disciples, [Jesus] said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'”

In Ephesians 5:10, 17 we are told to find out what pleases the Lord. But how do we know what the will of God is? It is revealed in his word. We must study the Bible. How can we pray, “Thy will be done” if we don’t read God’s word passionately, intelligently, systematically, and regularly? We cannot. The will of God is discovered only from his book. And how is God’s will characterized? Romans 12:2 says it is good, pleasing, and perfect.

Doing God’s Will Alone

Now, we must realize that not only is there the will of God, but there is also the will of man and the will of Satan. But a child of God says, “I want to do the will of God rather than the will of all men, including myself, and rather than the will of Satan.” That is true Christianity.

Therefore, when we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are saying to God, “Lord, may I do your will alone and not my own or Satan’s.” And may we also say, “Lord, may my family do the will of God. May your church do the will of God. May the whole world recognize the will of God and do it.”

That ought to be our prayer. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16). When we do that, we will know God’s will and choose it only.

How to Do the Will of God

After studying the Bible and discovering the will of God, how, then, should we perform it?

1. We should do the will of God completely . We should be like the holy angels who eagerly await God’s command so they can carry it out. Remember how God told Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15? But Saul did not destroy them completely, and he was rejected by God. We must learn this: When God speaks to us, we must do his will completely.
2. We should do the will of God with joy. Deuteronomy 26:16 tells us, “The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.” We must do the will of God with all our heart, soul, mind, and delight. It should not be a mere mechanical performance.
3. We should do the will of God immediately. God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. But Isaac was the son Abraham loved, from whom a great nation and the promised Messiah was to come. What did Abraham do? Genesis 22:3 tells us he got up early in the morning to perform God’s will. No doubt Abraham had wrestled in his mind about God’s command. But finally he came to this conclusion, “God said a nation is going to come out of Isaac, and he told me to sacrifice him. If this is the case, God must be planning to raise Isaac from the ashes.” Hebrews 11:19 tells us, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”
4. We should do the will of God sacrificially. When we discover the will of God, we must not only do it completely, joyfully and immediately, but we must also do it sacrificially, at our own expense. That could mean at the cost of our own life, property and reputation.

Conclusion

May God help us to honor and glorify his name! May our heavenly Father help us to revere, honor, adore, and worship him, and may we learn to come into his presence in holy reverence, recognizing that he is the infinite, personal, almighty, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, all-holy, all-just, compassionate God who forgives all our sins. May we realize that God is truth and God is for us. And as we come to God in this way, may we pray according to his will that he may grant all our petitions, including all that we need for our bodies and our souls. Amen.