Chapter 2

The Right Approach

       The first thing Jesus teaches His disciples is HOW to approach God in prayer. Our understanding of how God desires us to think of Him as we make request is crucial. There are many titles Jesus could have suggested for God all drawing our attention to a particular aspect of the Almighty’s person. He could have taught us to address God as pantokratōr, Almighty ruler. This is popular in the Book of Revelation. He could have recommended we petition Him as kurios, Lord or supreme in authority. And of course, there is just plain Theos the Deity or God. But Jesus teaches us to address God as “Our Father in heaven…” ‘Father’ was most likely chosen to place God’s love for us in mind as we make our request.

       I often hear believers say they struggle with the idea of God as father because they had a cruel or unloving father. This may be so but we still have a notion of what a good father is like or else how could we know our earthly fathers were bad fathers? I know one thing for sure, a good father, at least, wants to give his children every advantage possible for their success in life. Jesus is asking us to believe that about God, our Creator. He holds nothing but ultimate good in His heart for His creation and especially those who have chosen to love and trust Him.

+  the approach +

       As I was growing up, it seemed my parents made a big deal out of how we should approach someone, especially when making request. If I wanted the mashed potatoes during a meal and demanded, “Hey, pass the potatoes!” I was immediately corrected and admonished to ask politely before the potatoes would be passed. My parents, of course, were glad for me to have another helping of mashed potatoes but they felt it important that I learn to politely approach others with my request. Therefore, with the wrong approach my request would be denied.

       Jesus, therefore, teaches His disciples how to approach God as the first order of business. James doesn’t mince words when he writes to the early believing community, “…you do not have because you do not ask. ³You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:2b-3). When we need to have God actively intervene in our lives, asking amiss (i.e. wrongly) will not yield results. What determines if one is asking amiss? James says it is one’s ‘reasons’ for asking that makes the difference in the results.  

       Jesus deals with a slightly different problem with our approach to God. It is found in the phrase, “Hollowed be Thy Name.”  One’s name carries with it his or her reputation…the essence of one’s character. If someone possess and consistently lives out certain virtues that are recognized as good, then we say that person has a good name. This is the sense in which Jesus is using ‘name.’

       With that in mind, we will tackle the word ‘hollowed’. This is not a commonly used word today. What does it mean to say one’s name is hollowed? The set of Greek words behind it is translated most often as sanctified or holy. God is holy. This is drilled into us by scripture. Holy is the way we describe God’s ultimate perfection in all areas of His being. He is prefect love, prefect mercy, perfect in power, perfect in knowledge, perfect in wisdom and perfect in justice, just to name a few. Jesus would have us declare God’s holiness or perfection as we approach Him. We should make sure that we believe God is holy in the deepest level of our being. In Luke 11:2 the word translated hollowed is hagiazō.  It is a verb in the third person, aorist, passive, imperative, singular form. One translator rendered the sentence like this: “I deem Him (God) to be Holy (blameless).” I can’t come to God believing He is lacking in anything and expect to have hope He will answer my prayer. I can’t come to God thinking he is the reason for my moral mess. God is Holy. He has no moral flaws in His being. He is blameless in all things even though human beings seem want to blame Him for most anything evil.

       An example of someone who saw and perceived God in the beauty of His holiness is Isaiah. In a time when he was grieving over the death of King Uziaah, God gave him a vision of heaven. He finds beings call seraphim (fiery spirits) constantly calling attention to God’s holiness. Seeing God makes Isaiah aware of his utter uncleanness (un-holiness) and he cries out in despair. Just the sight of God in His holiness awakened a longing for holiness in the prophet which God quickly remedies (Isaiah 6).

       Seeing how completely holy God is will awake humility in us. James (James 4:6) and Peter (1 Peter 5:5) both observe that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. To approach God we must be clothed in humility or He will resist us. Seeing God’s holiness will awake faith in us. James declares, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…and it will be given to him. ⁶But let him ask in faith,…For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (James 1:5-8). Hebrews 11:6 is even more direct. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Finally we must approach God in faith. This is necessary as we position ourselves to make request before our heavenly Father.