“OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME.”
— Matthew 6:9
With these opening words, Jesus taught us how to pray. And the first thing He invites us to say after addressing our heavenly Father is not a request for provision or protection—but a declaration of worship:
“Hallowed be Your name.”
The New Living Translation says it this way:
“May Your name be honored.”
To hallow something is to sanctify it, to set it apart, to treat it as sacred. It means to honor, revere, and give weight to it. Jesus didn’t just instruct us to revere God’s name—He Himself prayed for that to happen.
But how does that happen?
Yes, it begins in our own hearts, with reverence and awe. But Scripture shows us there’s more.
As I studied Bible prophecy, I discovered that the hallowing of God’s name is actually a central part of His plan—a prophetic promise woven throughout the restoration of His people, especially through the story of Israel.
Consider these declarations from the book of Ezekiel:
“I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations… and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.”
— Ezekiel 36:23
“You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud… so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
— Ezekiel 38:16
“Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God… and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations.”
— Ezekiel 39:27–28
Three times, in three different contexts, God says that His name will be hallowed through His people—by what He does in them, through them, and around them.
These aren’t just poetic phrases. These are promises. Just in Ezekiel 36 alone, God says over fifteen times, “I will…”:
- “I will multiply…”
- “I will cause men to walk on you…”
- “I will sanctify My great name…”
- “I will sprinkle clean water on you…”
- “I will give you a new heart…”
- “I will put My Spirit within you…”
These are declarations of divine restoration—of God’s intention not only to bring His people back to their land, but back to Him.
Why?
“…so that they shall know that I am the Lord… I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the house of Israel.”
— Ezekiel 39:29
When we honor God’s name, He pours out His Spirit.
When He is hallowed in our lives, He brings renewal, healing, and blessing.
“Hallowed be Your name” isn’t just a phrase in a prayer—it is the heartbeat of prophecy, the outcome of revival, and the beginning of restoration.
Let it begin with us.
