The Request Behind Every Other Request

Passage: Psalm 145

In its clause-by-clause breakdown of the Lord’s Prayer, the Heidelberg Catechism regards the phrase “Hallowed be your name” not as a statement but as a request. “What,” ask the authors of the Catechism, “does this first request mean?” When we utter the prayer, therefore, we’re not making an objective observation about who God is. We’re asking God to do something very specific in our lives and in our world. We’re asking that, above all else, God’s name would be hallowed. Revered. Recognized as holy. Glorified.

This has radical implications for whatever else we add to our prayers. If our goal, in prayer and in life, is God’s glory, then we pray and live accordingly. Our requests, for ourselves and our world, align themselves with this predominant value. Where our first inclination might be to ask, “Heal my illness,” we might instead find ourselves praying, “In sickness or health, be glorified in me.” Where we might be tempted to pray, “Let my kid’s team win this playoff,” instead we may ask, “May my child’s conduct point others to you and your greatness.” If we recognize rightly that the purpose of our lives is to reveal to heaven and earth the greatness of our Creator and Lord, our values change. Our desires change. Our wills realign according to the very will of God.

Psalm 145 is a declaration of the glory of God. In it the Psalmist states, “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.” He goes on to describe all the great things God is and does. God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in love. God is trustworthy in his promises, and faithful. God is near to those who call on him. God provides sustenance for life. God saves those who seek refuge in him. God gives his children the desires of their hearts.
The Psalmist adds this:
All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

If we truly know God, we can’t help but be enthralled by God. In turn we’ll talk about God in ways that compel others to seek him out. And we’ll live our lives in such a way that those who encounter us will catch glimpses not of our glory, but the glory of our Creator. As God’s faithful people, this is our greatest ambition. Every other hope and desire falls into place beneath it. That in our every act and experience God would make himself known. In our prayers, every other request is simply a variation on this one: Hallowed be your name. In my work, hallowed be your name. In my marriage, hallowed be your name. In my health, hallowed be your name. In my rest, hallowed be your name. In every facet of my day; my performance; my life; make yourself known to me and the world around me. Hallowed be your name.