Matthew 6:9 Meaning: Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name
Pray like this: “‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
thus therefore pray ye: `Our Father who art in the heavens! hallowed be Thy name.
Thus therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in the heavens, let thy name be sanctified,
Meaning in one sentence
What did Jesus mean by 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name'? This devotional explores the heart of prayer.
Context
Jesus had just told his disciples not to pray like the hypocrites who love to be seen, or like the Gentiles who babble with many words. Prayer, he said, is a private conversation with our Father who sees in secret. Now he gives them a prayer to shape their own. This verse begins the model prayer that has guided Christian prayer ever since. It starts not with our needs but with God: who he is and why he matters above all. The phrase 'Our Father in heaven' draws near to God while honoring his majesty. 'Hallowed be your name' asks that his holiness be recognized and treasured. Jesus is teaching his followers a posture of prayer before he gives them words for every petition.
Key Words
For the word 'hallow' Jesus uses the Greek verb hagiazō. It means to set apart as holy, to treat as sacred, to acknowledge as worthy of reverence. The ancient Jews would recognize this language from the temple and the prophets: God's name is not made holy by us, but we are called to treat it as holy. And the word 'Father' (patēr) is startling in its closeness. Jewish prayers often addressed God as King or Lord, but Jesus teaches his followers to speak to him as a child to a parent. The two words together hold the whole of prayer: intimate trust and holy awe.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood this verse differently. Many in the Reformed and Lutheran traditions, like Calvin and Luther, have seen the Lord's Prayer primarily as a pattern or directory, not a fixed form to be repeated. The Anglican Cambridge Bible similarly calls it a model. Others, like Matthew Henry and the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary, argue that it is also meant as a form of words we can pray directly, noting that Jesus says 'when you pray, say.' The early church used this prayer regularly in worship. Across these traditions, all agree that the prayer begins by putting God first. The request that God's name be hallowed is not about adding holiness to God, but about our hearts and the whole creation recognizing his holiness.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think 'hallowed be your name' means we are asking God to make himself holy. In fact, the Greek verb hagiazō ('hallowed') is about how we relate to God's name. We are asking that his name be treated as sacred in our lives and in all the earth. It is a prayer for reverence, for the honor due to him.
Living This Out
This week, try starting your prayers with exactly what Jesus says here. Before you bring up any request, begin with 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.' Sit with those words for a moment. Let them remind you that God is both close and high above you. Then consider what it would look like for God's name to be hallowed in your ordinary day: in the way you speak about your colleagues, in the patience you show your family, in the honest work you do. When you catch yourself worrying or rushing, whisper 'hallowed be your name' as a way of resetting your heart. It is not a magic phrase but a reorientation. It puts God back at the center.
Main takeaway: Prayer begins by coming to God as our Father and placing his holiness above every other concern.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God is like a good daddy who loves you very much. He is in heaven, but he hears you when you pray. When we say “hallowed be your name,” we are telling God that he is holy and wonderful.
For ages 9, 12
Jesus teaches us to start our prayers by remembering who God is: our Father who is in heaven, perfect and powerful. When we say “hallowed be your name,” we are asking that God’s name would be honored and respected everywhere, starting in our own hearts. It reminds us that prayer is not just about getting things from God, but about loving him and making him known.
Questions People Ask
Why does Jesus say 'Our Father' instead of 'My Father'?
Jesus includes all believers in this prayer. He is teaching a community prayer, not just private devotion. God is the Father of all who trust him, and we pray together as a family.
What does 'hallowed be your name' actually mean?
Hallowed means set apart as holy. We are asking that God's name be treated as sacred and honored. We are not making God holy; we are acknowledging his holiness and asking that everyone would recognize it.
Is the Lord's Prayer a pattern or a fixed prayer?
Christians have debated this. Some, like John Calvin and Matthew Henry, see it as a model to guide our own prayers. Others, like the early church, have used it as a set prayer repeated in worship. Jesus says 'after this manner' which suggests it is a pattern, but the early church often prayed it word-for-word. You can do both, as long as your heart is engaged.
Why does the Lord's Prayer start with God's honor before our needs?
Jesus is teaching us that prayer begins with worship. Before we bring our requests, we remember who God is. This puts everything else in perspective. It also aligns our hearts with what matters most.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study