[i]Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6: 9-10 (KJV)[ii]
If you are like me, you have “friends” you know by name, but you have never actually met them. I have hundreds of so-called friends on Facebook. When I glanced through the list, I noted several of them have died! Others, I only know the name and photo. Then there are names of people we have learned about through history, word of mouth, or seeing them on TV or in the news, we only know their name. We can know a name but never having met, we cannot claim them as friends.
Is the name of God in the same category as a Facebook name? Jesus said: “You are my friends if you do what I command you,” (John 15:14). A true friend interacts with a depth beyond a picture and some brag about what I’ve done or where I’m going. His command is to love each other as He loved us—a giving love; a sacrificial love. Friends need each other for the way we can support each other and demonstrate our love.
Hymn books are filled with hymns and gospel songs about the Name, yet can we rightly claim His name as one we know? In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray “Hallowed be Your name …” What does the name mean? Can we claim His name when we have never seen Him? Yes, we have heard His name; we sing about His name; we believe His name is the one we can claim to enter the holy presence of God. What is the difference between our claim to His name and Facebook? How can we see “Him who is invisible?”
Moses saw Him:
He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11: 26-27
God called Abraham His friend:
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness—
and he was called a friend of God.
James 2: 23
Our view of Him is not with our physical sight but with our spiritual sight. As we pray the Lord’s prayer, we need to understand until we come to the Name in faith—in spiritual sight—our words are meaningless. Who is He? He is:
The Name above all other Names:
Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1: 20-21
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2: 9-11
The only Name to whom we will all bow:
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Romans 14: 11
The only Name to call upon for eternal salvation:
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10: 13
The only Name that covers every human need:
We can pray to God as healer, because His name is Jehovah Rapha, the Healer; we can pray to God for strength, because His name is Jehovah Uzzi, my strength. He sees you; He is present with you when you trust Him; He guides those who know His name. His name is Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Oh, so much more!
When we comprehend the Name, we long for the Day of the LORD when we shall see His face and truly know Him. We go on to pray “Thy kingdom come …” with a longing to know Him. Meanwhile back on earth, we live as Kingdom people, we demonstrate to an unbelieving world, what being in His spiritual presence is like – “Thy will be done as it is in heaven.” We demonstrate by how we live:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5: 22-25
Challenge: Do you know the name of Jesus, the Savior? Is He real to you? Can you claim to know Him with your spiritual sense? How does the name of Jesus help you to meet the challenges of the visible world?
Prayer: LORD, help us to claim Your wonderful Name in a spiritual reality. May we turn to You for every human need because of Your Name, because of the Name of Jesus. Amen
All scripture from ESV (English Standard Version) unless otherwise indicated
[i] https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/68/69/33/240_F_68693358_7EtZlb2iu9g0unbFjjLWmetNJWWShNUf.jpg
[ii] King James Version
