““Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your Name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/mat.6.9-13.CSB

When we look up to God, what should be the first words we say? Your Name, O God, be honored as holy. Is that our first wish, our first thought, our first desire? God’s Name should be honored as holy on earth as it is in heaven. His Name is honored as holy when His will is done on earth. Obedience to the word of God makes us holy and reveals the holiness of God to others. This is what God wants, first and foremost, from His people. Do we require this first and foremost from ourselves, our church, and our community? To what degree are we trying to make this happen? Do we give ourselves to God intentionally and diligently by studying His word with His people so that we all obey everything Jesus has commanded? Are we seeking and saving the lost, trying to win everyone to the ways of the Savior so that no one perishes but all come to everlasting life? What hinders our efforts? The pursuit of more than what we need for today? We need only today’s supply, not decades of excess, so we can relax and take it easy to be rich toward ourselves instead of rich toward God. Our sin hinders us, for we are not wrestling against this flesh and blood as we ought, but we allow the principalities and powers of our age to cloud our minds and hearts into thinking the cultural ways are the good ways. We pursue instead the things of the world that have no eternal value instead of staying focused on the holiness of God on earth as He is honored in heaven. When we pray, are we committed to living and working for the honor of God on earth?