After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Prayer, as conceived by most of God’s children, is a transaction between God and His children involving asking and receiving. Therefore, what is in the mind of an average Christian about prayer is that “we are going to ask God for things” when you go to pray. But what does the Bible teach about what prayer is and how it begins? Our opening Scripture reveals how Jesus taught His disciples to pray “in this way” or “after this manner”: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. The first thing that the Lord Jesus stresses in prayer is acknowledgement of who God is; it is worship of God, reverence of God. Prayer is not first and foremost asking, rather it is first acknowledging who God is, who you are in Him and acknowledging your union with God in Christ by way of thanksgiving or gratitude unto God. That’s how prayer begins. Acknowledging God begins with knowing His Name. In Matthew 6:9-13 the Word declares, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. So, in acknowledging God, we revere or reverence His Name; we worship His holy Name. This is the crux of prayer. Effective praying is done with God in view, His will in view, His purpose established on earth; it really is all about Him. So, essentially, prayer is acknowledgement of who God is.
When God introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7, He proclaimed Himself before Him, and He said, “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” God proclaimed His Name before Moses. Everything has a name; everyone has a name. You can’t relate with somebody without an identity, so, a name is a reference point; it is a point of contact and relationship. Therefore, when we come to God in prayer and call Him by His Name, we come to acknowledge Him for who He is and that is prayer. The best way to acknowledge God for who He is, is by giving Him thanks. Psalms 136:1 says, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.” The best way to greet God’s identity, to hallow and honour His Name is by giving Him thanks for who He is. The moment you call God by His Name, giving Him thanks, He will reveal Himself to you. The manifestation of God is always to the acknowledgement of His Name. For example, when you come before God and you say “Lord, I thank You because You are merciful,” He will manifest Himself to you as merciful. Remember at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon, when they began to sing to the beauty of God’s holiness and they began to say, “for the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever,” the glory of God filled the temple. So, prayer is the acknowledgement of who God is (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
MY SOLID FRONT (YOUR CONFESSION):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am wise and of good understanding in prayer; I pray according to the will of God, acknowledging who God is with abundant thanksgiving and the glory of God is revealed to me! Amen!
Further Meditation:
2 Chronicles 5:12-14; Psalms 136:1-4.