Only when I pray is a short series of thought-provoking reflections based loosely around the theme of prayer as found in Luke 11:1-13.

Hallowed is one of those old words we seldom use except when we are reciting the Lord’s Prayer. I’ve heard it used rather inappropriately, but quite innocently and with harmless intent, in reference to a football ground; to Windsor Football Stadium, for example. “Here we are back on hallowed turf…”

Its dictionary meaning is described thus: Made holy, consecrated – holy ground as well as greatly revered and honoured.

Today’s reading is from Exodus 3:1-6

One day as Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, out at the edge of the desert near Horeb, the mountain of God, suddenly the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him as a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw that the bush was on fire and that it didn’t burn up, he went over to investigate. Then God called out to him, “Moses! Moses!” “Who is it?” Moses asked. “Don’t come any closer,” God told him. “Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Living Bible

I love The Message version.

Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn’t burn up. Moses said, “What’s going on here? I can’t believe this! Amazing! Why doesn’t the bush burn up?”

God saw that he had stopped to look and called to him from out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He said, “Yes?” said Moses, “I’m right here!” Then God said, “Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” The Message

I can just imagine Moses saying, “What’s going on here?” I love that, but I think it’s brilliantly understated; I’m sure he was rocked to the core and could hardly believe his eyes and ears. A bush spontaneously bursting into flames and not being consumed - and he heard God speaking to him! Goodness only knows what he was thinking right at that moment. There he was, now barefoot, on holy ground, in God’s presence!!!

So, let’s turn into today’s subject. I think now might be a good time to listen to the accompanying song, Hallowed be Your name. All will become a little clearer in a moment.

At one time, back in the early days of our faith, everything felt different. Fresh. Life was new. It was possibly a time of never-experienced-this-feeling-before for us which one song has described as a lightness in my Spirit. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get back to that very first encounter we had with the living Lord? That initial high, if you get my meaning; to experience again that first feeling of excitement, of spiritual rebirth and forgiveness and the accompanying relief of knowing your unpayable debt, your guilt has, in fact, been permanently, irrevocably paid/cancelled. Sure, there is a peace and a joy in this way of life that continues – but wasn’t that first early encounter a special time? Perhaps not as spectacular as that of Moses, though!

For some, it’s all great at the start. But then, for others, life takes over a bit, doesn’t it? Life happens and the things of our faith don’t run just as smoothly as they did back at the beginning when we made a decision to follow the Lord. If so, then that is our own fault; but it needn’t be terminal, so don’t be too deflated as this is a familiar experience for many new Christians. The “trick”, if I can call it that without meaning it irreverently, is to keep on going, to keep moving forward, to keep doing what we know we need to do – praying, reading our Bibles, meeting with fellow Christians and keeping our eyes on Jesus.

That said, even when things are not working out so “holy” for us it is often reassuring, even comforting to know we have friends around us who are willing to give us the kick we need, to get us back on track no matter what state we find ourselves in. At least, this has been my experience. This is the mark of true friendship, that someone is prepared to climb into the pit with us into which we have jumped to help us out. That’s what Jesus did when He went to the cross; He gave us the ultimate, never-to-be-repeated, get-out-of-the-pit-free card from which to escape eternal death. What Jesus did for us is something we could never do, but we may have to do something that requires a great act of love on our part for a friend at some point.

We are easily broken and we live broken lives in need of a Saviour who loves us in our brokenness. That’s not the same as saying He loves to see us broken, it means He loves us in whatever condition we are in, including our brokenness; He loves us enough to have died for us.

On the cross Jesus won a remarkable victory for mankind. Golgotha was meant to be a place of execution, fear, death, shame, but with Jesus’ presence there and His sacrifice it became like holy ground. Wow. Just let that sink into your brokenness for a moment. Are you hoping for a fresh start, yearning for a clean heart, looking for an opening door? Believe this – Jesus is that door.

Today, right now, go and find a quiet place to pray. Kick off your metaphorical sandals in the knowledge you are in God’s presence (on holy ground, so to speak) and pray like you did at the beginning of your walk with God. Perhaps start simple by saying; Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name!