“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:16

God is perfectly holy. When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” he is teaching us to pray that we, and all who are around us, will see God’s glory and holiness.

Nearly every day, 50 or more students enter the Interfaith Centre at Medicine Hat College, where I work as a chaplain. They come from dozens of countries and from many religious backgrounds, or none at all. They come for free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and snacks. They come for a quiet place to sit, rest, or study. They come for friendship and fellowship. Sometimes they even come to see me!

My prayer for our campus ministry is simply this: “Father in heaven, hallowed be your name! In every visit to the Interfaith Centre and in every interaction with the campus minister, may your name be hallowed. May your glory be seen as clearly as Isaiah saw it so many years ago!”

The apostle Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). These words apply to every one of us who follows Jesus. So we need to ask, “Who and what do people see and experience when they come into my presence or our presence?” And by God’s grace, may people see the glory of the King living in us.

Lord God, hallowed be your name. As the people around us get to know us, may they see your glory shine through us in all we think, say, and do. In our lives, Lord, be glorified today! For Jesus’ sake, Amen.