Teach Us to Pray · Stop 2

What does it mean to keep God's name holy?

At the burning bush, Moses asked God a bold question: what's your name? God answered. A name is how you call someone, and people use names kindly or carelessly. Today you'll find out what it means to keep God's name holy, and why Luther said it starts with us.

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God's Name

Hallowed is an old English word for holy. It's where Halloween got its name: All Hallows' Eve, the night before the day that honors the saints.

At the burning bush, God gave Moses a name: I AM WHO I AM. In Hebrew it's written with four letters, and many Jewish people treat it with so much respect that they don't say it aloud. Most English Bibles print it as LORD, in small capital letters. Look for it in your Bible.

Luther pointed out that God's name is already holy. We can't make it holier. We're asking that it be holy among us: that we use it with love, tell the truth about God, and live in a way that doesn't embarrass the family name.

Read it in your Bible

Exodus 3:13–15. Moses asks what he should say when the Israelites want to know God's name. God answers, I AM WHO I AM, and says this is the name people will remember forever.
Exodus 20:7. One of the Ten Commandments: don't misuse the name of the LORD your God.
Psalm 8:1. The psalm opens by praising God's name as glorious across the whole earth. It closes with the same words.

The first petition and Luther's explanation

Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean? God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also.

How is this done? When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives in accordance with it.

Words to know

Hallowed. An old word for holy, and the reason Halloween has its name. You've been saying it for years. Now you know what it means.
Moses. The man at the burning bush who asked God's name. He asked a bold question and got an answer. Your questions are welcome too.
Lord. How most English Bibles print God's personal name, in small capital letters. When you see it, you're looking at the name God gave Moses.
Name. How we call someone, and also what people say about them when they're not in the room. Keeping God's name holy includes how we talk about God, as well as how we talk to God.
Witness. Someone whose words and life show others what God is like. Luther said God's name is kept holy when we live by God's Word. Your life is part of that.