Matthew 6:9. This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
Answered prayers require faith. As Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” But what kind of faith does this require? It is faith in the power of God.
God still works powerfully through His Spirit in the lives of His people, fulfilling His Word. The individuals listed in Hebrews 11 often appeared to be perishing, yet their unwavering faith in God’s power prevailed: “The world was not worthy of them” (Hebrews 11:38).
When we pray, we must not rely on our own thoughts and ways, but on God’s, for His thoughts are higher than ours and His ways far beyond our understanding (Isaiah 55:8–9). We should not limit our prayers to the scope of our present circumstances. The power of God transcends all human comprehension. We must learn to see from His perspective. He is Jehovah, the One who makes a way in the wilderness and brings forth streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19).
A prayer based on our own standards, apart from God’s power and will, is not truly prayer at all. Only those who genuinely believe in God’s power will see answers to their prayers.
To possess such faith, we must begin by knowing who God is—”Our Father in heaven.” God is spirit. He is all-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He cannot be confined or limited. Anything with limits cannot be God; it is an idol. God created the universe by the power of His Word and continues to sustain and govern all things from His throne. And this infinite God is our Father. This is why we receive answers to prayer when we come in the name of Jesus.
Even before we pray, God knows the condition of our faith and our attitude toward Him. Therefore, we must seek to know Him more deeply. As Paul prayed, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
The best way to know God is through His Word, where He reveals Himself. Scripture and prayer go hand in hand; they cannot be separated, as Jesus said, ” If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
There is no name like the name of our God. His name is holy (Psalm 33:21), and it brings protection (Psalm 20:1), salvation (Psalm 20:5), righteousness (Psalm 23:5), goodness (Psalm 52:9), and deliverance from sin (Psalm 79:9). His name is absolute (Isaiah 42:8). Jesus came in His name (Matthew 21:9) and revealed it to those whom God had given Him (John 17:6). This is the name of the Triune God (Matthew 28:19).
When David faced Goliath, he declared, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:45). Even in his darkest hour, David proclaimed, “He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3). Like David, we must come before God with faith in His name.
When his nation was on the verge of destruction, Hezekiah prayed, “Now, therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone” (2 Kings 19:19). He placed his trust and the fate of his people in the name of God.
God has given us the name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The name of Jesus is above every name, and at His name, every knee will bow—in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Philippians 2:9–10). Anything is possible when we pray in His name (John 14:14; 16:24). It is a name like no other. When you believed, you were given the right to come before the throne of your Father and receive answers to prayer.
Prayer. Father, I come before You now, relying on who You are and the power of Your name. Lead me in the path of righteousness for the sake of Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.