This is part of an ongoing series on the Cornerstone Confirmation Curriculum we are developing at First Trinity Lutheran Church. (Main Confirmation Page)
God, our loving Father, is the sole recipient of our worship and prayers. We are to keep His Name holy.
Overview of Prayer
Read Revelation 22:8-9
- Underline: Worship God.
- Write: Pray to God alone
Read Romans 8:26
- Underline: the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
- Margin: Pray in the Spirit
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
- Underline: pray without ceasing
- Margin: Pray a lot!
Read Matthew 6:5-8
- Underline: when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
- Margin: Pray from the heart.
Read Matthew 6:9-13
- Underline: Pray then like this
- Margin: The Lord’s Prayer
God is to be our sole focus of prayer. Only He can hear and answer prayers. We don’t pray to angels, dead saints or loved ones, or other objects, but to God alone. He not only invites us to pray continually, but partners with us as the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf when we don’t know what to say. Jesus also gave us specific words to pray when we don’t know what else to pray for, what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. So when we are uncertain what to pray, we can confidently pray this.
Our Father in Heaven
Read Luke 11:11-13
- Underline: If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
- Margin: God gives good
God tells us to approach Him as a loving Father. He is able to provide all things good to us and never fails us.
Hallowed Be Your Name
Read Jeremiah 23:28
- Underline: but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully.
- Margin: HALLOW God’s Name.
Read Matthew 5:16
- Underline: let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
- Margin: HALLOW God’s Name.
Read Romans 2:23-24
- Underline: breaking the law … The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
- Margin: HOLLOW God’s Name.
Hallowing and Hollowing are two similar, but opposite words. Hollowing is the more common and familiar word. It means to take substance or value out of something. So if I hollow out a piece of wood, all that would be left is the outer shell. It is less than it once was. Hallowing is like adding or protecting the value that is already there. While we can not make God’s Name any more holy than it already is, we can protect the value of God’s Name by using it correctly.
Similar to the 2nd Commandment (You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God), we hallow God’s Name by using it correctly. Through teaching God’s Word, pointing attention back to God for our good deeds instead of ourselves, and calling on His Name when we are in trouble, we hallow His Name. Conversely, we hollow God’s Name when we publicly say we believe and trust God, but continually disobey Him. In other words, when we talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.