God na Holy, Holy, Holy, as e show for the vision wey Saint John the Apostle see: “Holy, holy, holy na the Lord God Almighty, wey bin dey, wey dey now, and wey go come” (Revelation 4:8). For Bible language, this cry of “Holy, Holy, Holy” three times show say God holiness perfect and complete. We dey repeat this eternal truth for the Lord’s Prayer when we pray “Make Your name dey holy,” wey mean “Make Your name receive glory and dey holy inside me and for everywhere for all creation.” With this request, we dey acknowledge say God holiness no get limit, e no dey change, and e deserve the highest reverence wey we fit give. Just as the Seraphim no dey ever stop to glorify Am, na so dem invite us to dey sing hymn of praise all the time, dey make His name holy for everything wey we think, desire, and do.
God first show Moses His holiness when He talk say:
“Make una dey holy, because I, the LORD una God, dey holy” (Leviticus 19:2).
Later, God show Prophet Isaiah this holiness:
“I see the Lord wey siddon for one high throne wey dem lift up well, and the long end of His robe fill the temple. Seraphim stand above; each of dem get six wings: dem use two cover their face, use two cover their feet, and use two dey fly for one spot. One call out to the other:
‘Holy, holy, holy na the LORD of heavenly armies! His glory fill the whole earth!’” (Isaiah 6:1–3).
This Eternal Truth—say God na Holy, Holy, Holy—na the foundation of all prayer because e express the highest truth about God perfectly. When we recognise this Truth, e draw us to join the Seraphim worship God, and join their song of praise wey no dey end. Just as the Seraphim no dey ever stop to glorify God, na so, through the new life wey we receive for Baptism, God set us apart to live lives wey go dey make His name holy all the time.
To Love God Because of Who He Be
For this chapter, we dey consider the first request: “Make Your name dey holy.” This request dey reveal and form our highest desire inside us, because e go help arrange and direct our whole being towards the glorious purpose of our lives: God glory and our sharing for His glory forever.
The Greek verb wey dem use for this request—hagiasthētō—dey for the aorist passive imperative form. Na solemn plea wey firm and clear: “Make Your name become holy!!!” This verb show urgency and call for God name to become holy as one full and complete act—no be act wey go happen small-small or only for one part. As we mention for the Introduction, the idea of three exclamation marks na way to use picture for words show how strong the plea be: We dey make am with urgency, with firm decision, and with our whole being. When we pray this request, we dey ask make all people become instruments wey God name go receive glory through.
Baptism as the Foundation
The first way wey we take become holy na through Baptism, where dem wipe away Original Sin and we become the Father children. About this matter, the Catechism of the Catholic Church quote Saint Cyprian:
“Who fit make God holy, since na He dey make people holy? But since He talk say, ‘Una go dey holy for Me; because I the LORD dey holy,’ we dey seek and ask say make we wey dem don make holy for Baptism continue to stand firm for wetin we don begin to be. We dey ask this one every day, because we need make God make us holy every day, so that we wey dey fail every day fit wash our sins away as God dey make us holy continually…. We dey pray make this holiness remain inside us” (CCC #2813).
Through Baptism, no be only say God make us holy and free us from the chains of sin; we also become hidden inside Christ, so that His prayer become our prayer to the Father. Baptism na the doorway to the life of grace, and because of this, na the doorway to the life of prayer wey we offer to the Father through Christ the Son, with Am, and inside Am. This way wey God make us like Christ, wey we receive for Baptism, no fit lost. Even though we fit lose the grace of Baptism through mortal sin, the mark wey show say we be God children go remain on us forever, even if we become children wey don go astray. Na our duty as people wey don receive Baptism to always strive to make our actions resemble the Son, as our response to the adoption wey we don receive as God children. Every time we pray “Make Your name dey holy,” we dey renew the promise wey we make for Baptism to live holy lives as God children, wey dey give Am glory through the Son, with Am, and inside Am.
Through Baptism, no be only holiness for each person we dey receive; God join us to the very life of Christ and to His conversation with the Father wey no dey end. So, our prayer no be our own alone—na the prayer of the Mystical Body, wey join to Christ, the Head and High Priest.
To Pray Inside Christ to the Father
Even though Jesus na God, He Himself proclaim say the Father dey holy and teach us to do the same. The first request for the Lord’s Prayer dey join us to the burning desire of Christ Himself, wey direct His whole life and sacrifice towards the Father glory.
Small time before Jesus enter His Passion, E pray: “Papa, give Your name glory.” (John 12:28). This prayer dey show for His whole life, and e give us example of how to pray.
For the Garden, just before dem arrest Jesus, E give the Father glory and ask the Father to give Am glory. This prayer dey Chapter 17 of John Gospel, and dem know am as the Prayer Wey Jesus Pray as High Priest. E show perfectly everything wey we need to know about the first request for the Lord Prayer. Jesus pray:
“Papa, the time don reach. Give Your Son glory, so that Your Son fit give You glory, just as You give Am authority over everybody, so that E fit give eternal life to all the people wey You give Am. Now, na this be eternal life: make dem know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One wey You send. I give You glory for earth as I finish the work wey You give Me to do. Now, Papa, give Me glory together with You, with the glory wey I get with You before the world start.” (John 17:1–5).
When we pray “Make dem regard Your Name as holy,” we join Christ for His own deep desire to see say the Father receive glory for everything, and to share that glory with the Son. No be only to acknowledge say God dey holy; we dey also commit ourselves to live in a way wey go show and proclaim His holiness, as we dey united with Jesus. Na why our Lord teach us to start prayer with this request—because the thing wey we desire pass everything must be to give God glory.
“This request carry all the other requests inside am. Like the six requests wey follow am, e dey fulfilled through Christ prayer. Prayer to our Father na our prayer, if we pray am for Jesus name. For His priestly prayer, Jesus ask: ‘Holy Father, protect the people wey You give Me with Your name’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2815).
Make Dem Regard “Our” Papa as Holy
When we pray as we dey united with Jesus, we no dey pray on our own like one person wey dey seek only wetin e need. Our prayer in Christ dey unite us with Am and with everybody wey be member of the Body of Christ.
The Lord Prayer no be just my personal prayer; na our prayer to the Father: Our Papa, the One wey dey Heaven, make Your name receive glory and make dem regard am as holy for my life and throughout everything wey You create. If we pray this request well, then we dey pray am with the love wey dey beg make everybody know, love and adore God for His holiness. We no fit separate this request from the way e concern all of us together; if we do so, we no dey pray am in Christ. Jesus pray for this unity in a beautiful way as E continue His Prayer as High Priest:
“I reveal Your name to the people wey You give Me from the world. Dem be Your own, and You give dem to Me, and dem don keep Your word. Now dem know say everything wey You give Me come from You, because I don give dem the words wey You give Me, and dem accept the words and truly understand say I come from You, and dem don believe say na You send Me. I dey pray for dem. I no dey pray for the world, but for the people wey You give Me, because dem be Your own, and everything wey be My own na Your own, and everything wey be Your own na My own, and I don receive glory through dem” (John 17:6–10).
We dey among the people wey Jesus pray for inside the Garden. When we unite ourselves with His prayer, we dey also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, just as Jesus do. But our prayer no stop there. As Jesus continue His prayer, E pray for the people wey go come to faith through us, through the witness wey we bear. So, to pray to our Father make dem regard His Name as holy mean say we dey pray for all the people wey go come to faith for future. This make the prayer become prayer wey dey look ahead with hope:
“No be only for dem I dey pray, but also for the people wey go believe in Me through their word, so that all of dem fit be one, just as You, Papa, dey in Me and I dey in You, make dem too fit dey in Us, so that the world fit believe say na You send Me” (John 17:20–21).
God Name
Why we dey pray make dem regard God “name” as holy? For Bible tradition, name dey reveal who person really be, e character and the mission wey e get. For the Old Testament, God appear to Abram and talk: “Na Me be God the Almighty. Live for My presence and make you no get blame. I go establish My covenant between you and Me, and I go make your descendants plenty well-well” (Genesis 17:1–2). Then God change Abram name to Abraham: “Dem no go call you Abram again; your name go be Abraham, because I dey make you papa of plenty nations” (Genesis 17:5).
For Hebrew, “Abram” mean “father wey dem exalt,” while “Abraham” mean “father of plenty people.” This change of name no be just new name; na God dey transform who the person be and the mission wey He give am. Na so too, for New Testament, Jesus change Simon name to Peter, wey mean “rock,” to show the role wey he get as foundation for the Church. For both cases, name dey show calling, vocation wey God give person, and who the person be.
God name for Scripture pass just name or title; e dey reveal who He really be. When He tell Moses, “I DEY WHO I DEY” (YHWH), He reveal say He dey forever, He dey exist by Himself, and He no dey change. So, for the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray make dem honour God Name as holy, we dey acknowledge who He be as God, wey holy without limit and wey no dey change.
To honour God name and hold am holy mean, first of all, to love God because of who He be. Even though e important make we thank Am for His goodness to us, true love pass the gifts wey He give us; e reach to love Him for who He be. Saint Thomas Aquinas teach say the highest act of love na to seek God glory above every other thing; na this be the main meaning of the first request. To desire God glory and choose am dey put our life in order. Before we ask for any other thing, we dey long make people know, honour and adore His holiness. We no dey pray make God become more holy—He don already holy without limit. Instead, we dey pray make we and everything wey He create fit rightly recognise, adore and proclaim His holiness.
This request pass to honour God name with mouth; e dey call us to hold His name holy for the way we dey live, and to allow His holiness transform our hearts and actions. When we honour His name as holy, we dey allow His holiness make us holy, make we resemble Am more, so we fit recognise, proclaim and reflect God holiness for everything wey we do. No work wey person fit do for life fit great pass this one!
Foundation Wey Sure
Just as building dey collapse if e no get strong foundation, na so our spiritual life go collapse if e no rest on the desire for God glory above every other thing.
Imagine say you be architect wey dey design one very big building wey go reach high well-well. Architect wey get wisdom no go ever talk say, “Nobody dey see the foundation, so I no think say e too important.” To continue like that go bring terrible consequences later.
If we no build our spiritual life on the desire to glorify God holiness above every other thing, every other part of our faith fit begin lose direction. We fit begin treat God as only Person wey dey give gifts, instead of the Highest Good Himself.
The foundation of our prayer and life pass the glory of His Name; God dey call us to make Himself, for all wey He be, the main focus of our love and adoration—for God glory, only because of God Himself, because God deserve all glory and love. As the Catechism teach, this request “dey carry us go meet Am, because of who He be” (CCC 2804), and e dey carry us deep enter “the innermost mystery of who He be as God” (CCC 2807).
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, for the great spiritual work wey he write, Spiritual Exercises, teach this same truth for wetin he call the “Principle and Foundation.” He begin by talking say: “God create human being to praise, honour and serve God our Lord, and through this way to save im soul…” Just as foundation of rock dey make building stand strong, na so the foundation wey “dey save our souls” be “to praise, honour and serve God our Lord.” When this purpose be our highest desire, our whole life dey stand on strong foundation.
This desire wey be foundation still mean say we dey honest with ourselves before God. God don already know His Greatness, Holiness and Perfection. When we profess this Truth wey dey forever, no be for His benefit, but na for our own.
This first request dey put every other thing in order. Na im be the goal and purpose of the rest of the prayer. As we go see for the chapters wey dey come, every other request for the Lord’s Prayer—Make Your Kingdom come, Make dem do Your will, Give us today our daily bread, and the rest—dey serve, for the end, to fulfil this first desire. Na why we go continue to refer back to this request as we dey go forward. For example:
- If we truly dey honour God Name as holy for our life, then His Kingdom truly dey reign inside us.
- If we truly dey honour His Name as holy, then dem truly dey do His will inside us and through us.
- If we truly dey honour His Name as holy, then everything wey we need—both spiritual things and material things—we truly dey receive them with thanksgiving, without holding on to them pass as we suppose.
Gift of the Holy Spirit: Fear for the Lord
Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas connect “Make dem honour Your Name as holy” with the Gift of the Holy Spirit wey dem know as Fear for the Lord. This gift be the foundation of spiritual life, and e dey put deep respect, holy awe and love for the soul before God holiness wey no get limit.
The Gift of Fear for the Lord dey move the soul to:
- Seek God glory above every other thing.
- Avoid sin—no be only because of fear of punishment, but because of love for God.
- Honour His holiness with humility and holy awe.
- Glorify His name for wetin we talk, wetin we do and wetin we desire.
Fear for the Lord dey work for two levels:
Fear Like Servant (di first stage):
- Dey fear di punishment wey God dey give for sin.
- Dey wake conscience up to recognise God justice.
- Dey resemble how pikin dey obey im papa or mama because e fear wetin fit follow if e no obey.
- Fit lead person to turn from sin go meet God, but e never perfect because person still dey put im own interest first.
Fear Like Pikin Wey Love Im Father (di perfection of dis gift):
- Dey honour God with mature love wey dey dread sin because sin dey offend di Father.
- Dey avoid sin, no be because of wetin fit follow, but because of love for God holiness wey no get limit.
- Dey flow from love and become di foundation of Wisdom.
- Dey lead us to di truth for Proverbs 9:10: “Di beginning of wisdom na to fear di LORD, and to know di Holy One na understanding.”
When we pray, “Make dem hold Your Name holy,” we dey ask:
- Make people recognise God holiness as dem suppose, give am glory, and honour am.
- Make love for God and our neighbour burn for our hearts, as we dey long to see say dem dey give Am glory for everything.
- Make we grow for holy fear—dey rejoice when dem honour His name and dey sorrow when dem disrespect am.
- Make zeal to defend His honour fill us, and make joy fill us when other people give Am glory.
Dis first request dey call us to:
- Recognise God holiness, adore Am, and show His holiness for our lives.
- Live according to di dignity of di calling wey we receive for baptism.
- Develop holy fear so dat our lives go show di greatness of His name.
Beatitude: “Blessed Na Those Wey Poor for Spirit”
Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas both connect di first request for di Lord’s Prayer with di first Beatitude: “Blessed na those wey poor for spirit, because di kingdom of heaven na their own” (Matthew 5:3). Dis connection dey show say to recognise God holiness as we suppose and give am glory dey begin with poverty of spirit—to empty ourselves of self-importance so dat our souls go ready to receive grace and God reign go take root inside us.
For Matthew Gospel, to dey “poor for spirit” mean to humbly stop to depend on ourselves, so dat we go depend completely on God. Na to recognise say nothing we get come from ourselves, but na from Him we receive everything. Dis poverty of spirit dey help us trust God without shaking, because na only Him deserve all trust and honour.
Dis prayer dey express our desire to live for true poverty of spirit, to reject pride and di belief say we no need anybody, so dat God holiness go show im greatness inside us. Those wey accept dis poverty of spirit dey inherit di Kingdom of Heaven because inside dem, God name dey receive glory as e suppose, His holiness dey reign, and His Kingdom don firmly take root for their hearts. So, di “poor for spirit” na those wey dey hold God name holy most perfectly, as dem empty themselves completely so dat His holiness go reign inside dem. Once dis desire wey be foundation don dey rightly directed, we fit move to di next great longing: “Make Your Kingdom Come.”
Make Our Desires Agree with God’s Own
For wetin fit be di most important exercise we go do, make we reflect with prayer on how to bring our minds, our wills, and our desires into line with di first request for di Lord’s Prayer.
We dey begin with di mind. As we dey learn di deep meaning of Make dem hold Your Name holy, we dey get di chance to examine our consciences for di light of Eternal Truth. From there, dem dey invite us to choose am with all di strength of our wills. As we dey do so again and again, e dey form habit wey dey become virtue, and dat virtue dey change our desires, turn dem towards di highest Good we fit seek: God glory.
To Believe for God Holiness
We dey begin by reflecting on di different ranks of heavenly beings for Heaven, wey dey cry out to God without stopping:
“Holy, holy, holy na di Lord God almighty, wey don dey, wey dey, and wey go come” (Revelation 4:8).
Na dis be your prayer? You dey recognise God perfect holiness? Every quality and action of God wey we don reflect on dey draw us to worship—no be because of wetin God fit do for us, but because God na God, wey deserve praise and adoration without limit.
For Heaven, our eternal joy go be to see God face to face for di Beatific Vision and proclaim God holiness forever. But for dis world, plenty other worries, hopes, and ambitions dey easily take over our minds. Put dem aside for one moment and ask yourself:
- I believe say God dey Holy, Holy, Holy, na the Lord God Almighty, the One wey Dey Before, wey Dey Now, and wey Dey Come?
- I want worship Am pass every other thing?
- I dey allow other desires wey dey struggle to take the place of this desire wey suppose come first and pass all?
- I ready to change and make God im glory the highest praise wey my life dey proclaim and the foundation of my life?
Even though we no fit fully understand this mystery while we still dey this side of Heaven, we fit understand am more deeply if we reflect on this truth and believe am with all our strength.
To Give God Glory
To believe with all our strength na to use our power to choose—na choice we make deliberately. Once our mind understand God im holiness, we must choose to act. No be only to agree with the idea say God dey Holy three times; we must believe am, proclaim am, and live according to am with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength:
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
We dey love God when we look deeply into the mystery of Who He Be, believe in Am with faith wey no dey shake, and proclaim Im holiness—no be only for prayer, but for every thought, word, and action.
God Im Glory Dey Change Us
Now think about the things wey you desire—some good, some no dey in proper order. If we choose to love God with all the strength of our whole being, then that choice, as we dey renew am again and again with firm mind, go bring harmony and proper order to our desires. Small-small, we go see say God im holiness dey inside our mind and heart, throughout our everyday life.
As we dey do so, we dey allow every good desire to support that desire and prayer and take second place under am. Saint Paul explain the change wey we dey experience well:
“Make una rejoice always. Make una pray without stopping. For every situation, make una give thanks, because na this God want for una in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
This kind life wey person dey always rejoice and pray fit happen only when God im holiness don enter our mind and our power to choose so deeply that we come love Am with all our heart, with strong devotion wey no dey shake.
Pray for this desire. Allow am to fill your whole being and take first place over every other thing for your life. Na inside this worship, wey we join Christ im whole Mystical Body to proclaim God im glory and holiness, we dey find purpose and direction. We dey become blessed and poor in spirit, and we dey receive our reward as inheritance from the riches of God im love and grace.
Make we Pray:
Our Father, the One wey Dey for Heaven, make Your name receive glory and be held holy inside me and throughout everything wey You create. Together with the Seraphim and all the hosts of Heaven, I dey cry out to You:
“Holy, holy, holy na di Lord God almighty, wey don dey, wey dey, and wey go come” (Revelation 4:8).
“The Lamb wey dem kill deserve to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour and glory and blessing…Make blessing and honour, glory and might belong to the One wey sit for the throne and to the Lamb, forever and ever” (Revelation 5:12–13).
“Salvation dey come from our God, wey sit for the throne, and from the Lamb…Amen. Make blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honour, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 7:10, 12).
“Your works great and wonderful, Lord God Almighty. Your ways just and true, O King of the nations. Who no go fear You, Lord, or give Your name glory? Because na only You dey holy. All the nations go come worship before You, because Your righteous deeds don show for all to see” (Revelation 15:3–4).
Most Holy Father, make this become the prayer wey I dey pray always. Make You receive glory for my life and for the lives of all Your children, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Make all of us together become one choir of praise and adoration, as we dey recognise Your holiness, show Your holiness for our lives, and desire make everybody know and love Your holiness.
Abeg, purify my heart and make me poor in spirit. Make I turn away from every sinful attachment wey dey draw me, overcome every attempt to depend on only myself, and come depend on You completely.
Abeg, fill me with Fear of the Lord, the gift of the Holy Spirit. As I dey seek above every other thing make Your holiness show and receive glory, make I run from every sin and everything wey dey offend Your Majesty wey no get limit, because I love You, the One wey deserve all my love.
“Holy, holy, holy na the LORD of hosts! The whole earth full with Im glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).
Make all glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As e be for the beginning, na so e be now, and na so e go be forever.
Our Father, the One wey Dey for Heaven, make Your name receive glory and be held holy inside me and throughout everything wey You create. Amen!
Chapter Four: Make Your Kingdom Come”
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