Eleventh Sunday after Trinity – Wednesday

Hallowed be Thy name. – Matthew 6:9.

This is the first petition which we are to make.  We should pray that God’s name be hallowed among us.  What name of God?  Why, the name “Father.”  We should beg God to grant us grace to prize His name as a sacred treasure, ever remembering that He desires to be our loving Father, and that we may so address Him.  We should pray God to write this name “Father” into our hearts with the fire of His Holy Ghost, working through His Word, so that this blessed truth may ever burn and glow in our hearts: God is my Father!  God does all of this through His Word, His Word of grace in Christ Jesus.  Therefore we should pray that the Word of God may be taught among us in its truth and purity.

We should furthermore pray God to grant us His Holy Spirit,  working through His living and “powerful” Word (Hebrews 4:12), that we may be sincerely glad and rejoice and be grateful for the fact that we are His children, and that, as the children of God, we may also lead a holy life according to His Word.  May God preserve us from false doctrine, which keeps us from learning to truly know God in His great mercy, and, consequently, keep us from having childlike confidence in God!  May God preserve us from leading an ungodly life, from leading a life unbecoming a child of God!  By false doctrine and an ungodly life, the name of God is profaned.  “Hallowed be Thy name!”  This is the First Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Our God comes to meet us poor sinners in Christ Jesus through His Word, and says to us, His dear believers: “I wish to be and desire to be called, your Father.”  Then each of us ought to gladly answer and pray: “Hallowed be Thy name!”

Ah, yes, Lord, let me learn to know this; let me comprehend it; let me live it; let me die trusting in this saving truth that Thou art my dear Father, and that I am Thy dear child through my dear Redeemer and Savior, Christ Jesus!

PRAYER – Lord God, our Father in heaven, we, Thy children, who still are so weak and timid, implore Thee to continue to grant us a rich measure of Thy changeless grace, that Thy indescribably sweet name may continue to be hallowed among us, not only with our hearts, but in all that we say or do.  Continue to grant us, through all of our remaining days, Thy Word in its truth and purity, that the light of Thy great mercy in Christ Jesus may shine ever brighter on us.  Graciously continue to guard us against every false doctrine, whereby Thy name is profaned and desecrated, and all ungodly living, whereby Thy name is disgraced.  Continue to help us each day, for Jesus’ sake.  Amen.

Thy name be hallowed; help us, Lord,

in purity to keep Thy Word;

that to the glory of Thy name,

we walk before Thee free from blame.

Let no false doctrine us pervert;

all poor, deluded souls convert.

(Hymn 458, st. 2; TLH)