Our Father in Heaven
Month 4: The Teacher (Part 1) · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 6:9
9 So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
Memory Verse
“So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”— Matthew 6:9 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 28-29; 2 Chronicles 1
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 113 of 365 — David hands the kingdom to Solomon, who asks God for wisdom.)The Heart of It
Today we slow down and savor just the very first line of the prayer Jesus taught. It goes, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name." Before there is a single request, Jesus tells us who we are talking to and how to come. We haven't asked for bread yet. We haven't asked for forgiveness or rescue yet. First, He tells us we come to a Father. Not a faraway boss. Not a nervous wish. Not luck. We come to a Father who is tender enough to call "Daddy" and great enough to rule the heavens. And notice the very first word. It is "Our." We never pray alone. When you pray, you join a whole family of God's children all over the world, calling on the same good Father.
Then the very first thing we ask is not about us at all. We say, "hallowed be Your name." To hallow means to treat as holy. It means to honor as set apart, to love and lift high. Before we tell God what we want, we tell Him how worthy He is. That order matters. A heart that begins prayer by remembering how great and good God is will ask for the right things in the right way. So this week, let's hide these words deep in our hearts. Let them teach us that God is close enough to call Father and glorious enough to be worshiped.
Around the Table
God is our Father in heaven, and His name is special and holy. Let's learn to say the start of Jesus' prayer!
Let's do it: Clap a beat and say it together three times. "Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name!"
Jesus starts the prayer with "Our Father." That means we belong to God's big family. And "hallowed" means we treat His name as holy.
Let's talk: What does it mean to treat God's name as special, instead of using it carelessly?
The opening line sets the tone for the whole prayer. It holds two things together at once. There is closeness, when we say "Father." And there is deep respect, when we say "hallowed be Your name."
Let's go deeper: Why is it good that worship comes before our requests? How might starting with how worthy God is change what you end up asking for?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's a name or nickname that means a lot to you? God's name means even more. It stands for everything He is.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
It is astonishing that we can call the Creator of the universe "Father." And it all rests on Jesus, who alone makes us God's children (). This is not wishful thinking. It is a promise secured by the One who rose from the dead. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope you have ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
J.I. Packer wrote that the entire Christian life can be summed up in one word: adoption, which means knowing God as Father. If that one truth does not move you, Packer said, "you simply do not understand Christianity." Here is the searching part for a dad. Your children are quietly forming a picture of God the Father partly from you. When you are quick to listen, slow to anger, faithful to keep your word, and tender to forgive, you make "Our Father in heaven" easier to believe. When you are harsh, absent, or unpredictable, you make it harder. You can't be a perfect father. Only God is that. But you can point past yourself, saying often, "I get it wrong sometimes. Your Father in heaven never does."
Draws on: J.I. Packer, Knowing God.
Let's Pray Together
"Our Father in heaven, holy is Your name. Thank You for making us Your family. Help us honor You. Help us trust You as the very best Father. In Jesus' name, amen."
God is close enough to call Father, and great enough to be called holy.