Taking Refuge

Matthew 6:9 (NIV)
This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’

Once we know who we should be focusing on, we must ask the question how. I think a lot of Christians, myself included, know in our heads who God is to us (Father, Creator, Saviour etc.) but not always what we should do with that knowledge, and we tend to just 'go through the motions' in our worship and prayer life.

If, instead, we want to move into a deeper relationship with God, letting the Holy Spirit remove any fear holding us back, we must start living out what God's name means. 

You might ask, what is his name, Sam? Isn't it just God? Let verse nine explain: 'Hallowed is your name.' The definition of the word Hallowed is 'regarded as Holy.' So when Jesus tells us to pray 'hallowed is your name', we are saying 'Your name is Holy.' ’ 

God is the 'Holy one.'. 

Key point: we need to take refuge in and establish our lives on God's holiness.

• We move from just knowing God in our heads to loving God in our hearts. 

• We exchange head-knowledge of God for heart obedience to his Holy Name.

In Mark chapter 1, verse 24, the Apostle records a possessed man shouting at Jesus: 'I know who you are - the Holy One of God.'  Even unclean spirits recognised that God is holy and revealed in Jesus. The one and only 'Yahweh' the holy God of the Old Testament, is fully present then and now in Jesus.

Jesus tells us that regarding God as Holy must be our whole life perspective. The question is, how are you and I supposed to experience God as holy other than just proclaiming, 'God, you are holy?' Tomorrow.....

Prayer - Lord, thank you that I can take refuge in your holy name every day and that there is no one like you. Help me to know you more today.