THIS THEN IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY / MATTHEW 6:9

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Matthew 6:9

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Prioritizing His Presence: Understanding the Foundation of the Lord’s Prayer

When the disciples asked Jesus how to connect with the Almighty, He didn’t offer a complicated ritual or a rigid checklist. Instead, He gave them a revolutionary blueprint. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus begins: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…'”

With these few words, Christ establishes the ultimate standard for a Christian’s prayer life. This model prayer isn’t a mindless chant; it is a framework of six precise petitions. The first three requests draw our gaze upward to God’s holiness and sovereign will, while the remaining three pivot to our personal daily needs.

While the prayer itself is brief, it isn’t a restriction on our time with God. Sincere prayer can be short, but it can also run deep—after we consider that Jesus Himself spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). Rather than limiting our time, Matthew 6:9 sets our priorities straight before we ever utter a single request for ourselves.

Our Father in Heaven: A Perfect Relationship

To call God “Father” was a radical shift in perspective for the disciples, and it remains a profound truth for us today. Prayer is first and foremost about worship and open, honest communication with our heavenly Father.

For many, the word “father” brings up painful memories of earthly shortcomings, abandonment, or harshness. But God is everything a believer could ever hope for, and He will never let you down.

• He is approachable: As a loving Father, He cares for us, guides us, and invites us into a deep, authentic friendship. Through faith in Christ, we have constant access to His presence to express our deepest needs.
• He is just: A truly loving father does not tolerate destructive behavior. God opposes sin because He knows what it does to His children. His discipline is never out of anger, but always perfectly tailored for our ultimate good and spiritual growth.

How He responds to us depends on our faith and obedience, but we can rest securely knowing that whether He gives or withholds, blesses or disciplines, His actions flow from perfect love and absolute justice.

Hallowed Be Your Name: Protecting His Reputation

The very first petition Jesus puts on our lips has nothing to do with our daily bread, our forgiveness, or our protection. It is entirely focused on God’s glory: “Hallowed be your name.”

To “hallow” God’s name means to treat it as sacred, holy, and completely set apart from evil. This is a call to action for our daily lives. If we call Him Father, our lives must reflect His character. We honor His name by pursuing:

• Moral purity in a compromised world.
• Spiritual wholeness rooted in Scripture.
• Active devotion to His kingdom purposes.

When we live carelessly, we risk bringing disrespect to the message of the church and the character of God. When we pray “hallowed be your name,” we are asking God to align our hearts so passionately with His reputation that our words, habits, and attitudes naturally bring Him glory.

Before you bring your shopping list of requests to God today, pause. Remember who you are talking to: a perfect, loving Father who rules from heaven. Lift up His name, rest in His care, and let His holiness reshape your world.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, Almighty God in heaven, we bow before You today in awe of who You are. Thank You for adopting us into Your family through Christ Jesus and allowing us to call You ‘Father.’ We praise You that You are a perfect parent—always loving, always just, and always faithful, even when we fall short.

Lord, we ask that You set a guard over our hearts and our actions today. May Your name be hallowed in and through our lives. Grant us the strength to live with moral purity and unwavering devotion to Your kingdom, so that our lives bring praise, honor, and glory to Your reputation. Help us to trust Your perfect guidance and discipline, knowing it is always for our good. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. PRAY IN SECRET / MATTHEW 6:6
2. ‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1
3. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
4. EXCEPT FOR MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS / MATTHEW 5:32
5. HELL / MATTHEW 5:29
6. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
7. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
8. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
9. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
10. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
11. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
12. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
13. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
14. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
15. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
16. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
17. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
18. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
19. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
20. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
21. SERMON ON THE MOUNT / MATTHEW 5-7
22. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
23. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
24. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
25. ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD / MATTHEW 4:8
26. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6-7
27. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
28. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
29. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
30. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
31. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
32. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
33. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
34. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
35. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
36. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
37. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
38. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
39. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
40. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1-2
41. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
42. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
43. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
44. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
45. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID /MATTHEW 1:1
46. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
47. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace