POWER. Its the word for today. Tim Allen has popularized the word by calling for "more power." Computers are judged on how powerful they are. In the Political arena, there is a constant struggle for power. Who controls the Congress, who is the closest to the president, who holds the power.
Last week, as I was sitting in the Houston airport waiting for the next available flight I bought a paperback novel by David Balducci Titled Absolute Power. It is also now a movie and it is gripping because it is a plausible scenario of the phrase "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." It is the fictional story of the President of the United States who believes his power insulates him from responsibility in the murder of a woman with whom he had had an affair. The ensuing cover-up leads him and those close to him on a downward spiral of corruption, murder and deceit. Ultimately, he is impeached, and prosecutors seek to prosecute him for capital murder and seek the death penalty.
In the final analysis, the most powerful person in the world is always held to a higher power. Richard Halverson, recently retired Chaplain of the United States Senate dealt everyday with the power brokers of this country and of the world. But he wrote a book that grew out of his reflections on the subject of power,. It is entitled "No Higher Power." In that book he affirms that the true power belongs to the Holy and Sovereign God.
It is an honest appraisal that no matter how great human power is perceived to be, it still lack real power. No matter how much power a person has, it simply stimulates a hunger for more and more power.
In Jesus teaching on prayer, in which his model prayer is taught to the disciples, Jesus reminds them and us that one of the most alluring sources of power available - mammon or wealth - can never satisfy our quest for power. Instead it holds us in its power. It can be easily stripped from us and so we become slaves to it, guarding and protecting it.
There are many other things which we believe might bring us power as well. However, they are like mammon. They can easily become our masters.
And so this prayer begins with the petition that Gods name be hallowed. In other words, a person praying this prayer is acknowledging the lordship and mastery of God in their life. In praying this part of the Disciples prayer, we are affirming that there is indeed no greater power to which we can submit.
Q190 Westminster Shorter Catechism - What do we pray for in the first petition?
In the first Petition (which is Hallowed be Thy name) acknowledging the utter inability and indisposition that is in ourselves and all men to honor God aright; we pray that God would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know to acknowledge and highly esteem him, his titles, attributes ordinances, word, works and whatsoever he is pleased to make himself known by; and to glorify him in thought, word and deed; that he would prevent and remove atheism, ignorance, idolatry profaneness and whatsoever is dishonorable to him; and by his overruling providence, direct and dispose of all things to his own glory.
That is a long difficult sentence to say simply that when we pray that Gods name be hallowed, we are opening our hearts and asking God to enable us to know and love God as the Holy Sovereign God.
Three significant ideas involved with this portion of the prayer.
It is also a prayer for others to know that as well. One of the greatest prayers we could make is not that God would straighten out all the problems in our country but that people would know and understand by his grace that God is holy or hallowed. That knowledge would drastically change the course of this nation.
When God's name is truly hallowed, or held in highest position in our lives, it involves the recognition that we are willing to yield our purposes to God's purposes for God's purpose greater than our own. It also affirms that our highest purpose is that of glorifying God.
Contrast to the prevailing purpose in the world today. TO get and maintain wealth. To establish personal power over others. The gratify the sensual desires of one's flesh regardless of who or what might be destroyed in the process.
If you could have three wishes which would you choose from the list below?
When you pray that God's name would be hallowed in your life; that is set above everything else, you find direction that looks beyond your own need and purpose that seeks to serve and glorify God in thought word and deed.