by Louise Moyer, CVC Attender
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” is how Jesus tells us to start our prayers (Matthew 6:9). Jesus calls us into His family to be a beloved child of the Father to hallow His name. Edward M. Bounds states in his book The Reality of Prayer, that Jesus gives us our first and foremost direction and confidence to pray to our Father in heaven. (Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2004).
So what does hallow mean? Hallow in Greek is hagiazo (hag-ee-ad-zo). This means to make holy, treat as holy, to set apart as holy, consecrate. (Bible Hub, 2016a). Holy in Hebrew is qadosh (Kaw-dash) and is defined as sacred, consecrated, set apart, separate from human infirmity, impurity and sin, (Bible Hub, 2016b).
So who is this God that is set apart that we pray to and give praise first and foremost? When we praise Him first and acknowledge who HE is it sets our hearts in the reverent place of worship and right position to continue in our prayers. He is the one…
- Who was and is and is to come, He lives forever (Revelation 4:8)
- Who is Holy, holy, holy, there is no one like Him (Isaiah 40:25)
- Who created all things and sustains all things (Acts 17:24-31, Revelation 4:11)
- Who created us in His image to glorify and praise Him and live life with Him (Isaiah 43)
- Who has no evil in Him, Father of light there is no darkness in Him (James 1:17)
- Who hates sin and those who sin, living life for our self by our own strength, He demands obedience (James 4:4, 1 Peter 3:12, Leviticus26:4-30)
- Who demands a payment for our disobedience (Romans 6:23, Ezra 18:4, Psalm 145:20)
- Who says we never will seek Him for forgiveness, so He pursues us with His loving kindness (Romans 3:10-11, 23; Psalm 14:1-3, Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-8, 1 John 4:10)
- Who’s will was to crushed His only son to save us from His wrath and total separation from Him in eternity (Isaiah 53:10-12, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:9-11, I John 4:8-10)
- Who gives us hope of salvation through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, His life, death, resurrection and ascension (John 3:16, 1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 2)
- Who is good and loves with an everlasting love, He is faithful and true to all He promises (Romans 4:20-25, Romans 5:1-5, Hebrews 10:23).
He is worthy to be praised. Let us “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:4-5).
So, what does praising God look like? How does it change our hearts and change our prayers?
On October 1st 2016 Women’s Ministry will be hosting a prayer conference just for you. The purpose of the conference is to help women deepen their prayer life and intimacy with God as well as build community with other women. It is a free event at Cuyahoga Valley Church. “Speak”, the theme of the conference, is to emphasize that prayer is two way intimate communication between God and his beloved children. Register at www.cvconline.org/speak.
Large group sessions will include topics such as why we pray, who we are praying to, the power of the Holy Spirit in prayer, how to hear from God, and praying for our needs with thanksgiving. We will also be hosting 6 different breakout sessions on various forms of prayer that facilitate a deeper prayer life.
You may choose the prayer sessions that best fit your desired needs in prayer. The session topics include why and how to pray:
- Prayers of Praise and Exaltation
- Prayers of Consecration
- Praying Scripture
- Prayers of Intercession,
- Prayers of Being Still and Listening
- Prayers of Protection.
