Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.
– Psalm 106:8
What a great simple picture of what we see all throughout Scripture. God does all that he does ultimately, for his name’s sake, for the glory of his name. And I want us to think about how this changes the way we pray. For anything, for everything, in our lives and others’ lives in the world. There’s a sense in which all of our prayers should end in “for your name’s sake, that you might make known your mighty power.”
Psalm 106:8 portrays God’s passion for his glory.
When we pray for things in our lives, to ask God for his help… For his name’s sake, for his glory in our lives. We ask God to lead us and guide us for his name’s sake. Just what Psalm 23 says. He leads, guides them in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake as we ask God to provide for us in different ways.
God, do it for your name’s sake, for your glory. And then as we pray for others, God, save this person for your name’s sake. God, help this person for your name’s sake. And as we pray for all kinds of things in the church, God help our church to grow in health and this way or that way for your name’s sake. As we pray for different things in the world, God, we pray for peace among the nations, for your name’s sake. As the giver and the author of peace, show your power in all these ways that result in your glory. After all, this is how Jesus taught us to pray. Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name. Calls your name to be made known as holy, as great, as good, as kind, as gracious as reconciler and redeemer for your name’s sake.
Psalm 106:8 encourages us to exalt God in our prayer lives.
And then as we pray that way, we realize, “Okay, maybe God will not answer this prayer in the way I was asking. Maybe he’ll answer it in a different way.” But if the goal is the exaltation of his name, then we’re good with that. May not be what we choose, but we want his name to be glorified no matter what happens. And if he chooses to glorify his name in a way we would not plan, we would not orchestrate, then we rest and we trust in what he ordains for his glory, which is what we want more than anything else. We want his name to be hallowed because he is God.
This really is the foundation of praying. To ask for things in our lives, others’ lives, the church and the world ultimately all for his name’s sake. So I want to lead us to pray like that and encourage you in your prayers to maybe intentionally for a time, just add for your name’s sake under the end of all the things you’re praying. To remember, that this is what we want more than anything else. And to train our hearts and our minds to seek the exaltation of his name over and above everything else, period.
Oh God, we pray as Jesus taught us to pray for the hallowing of your name in all the earth, for the hallowing of your name, in our lives, in our families, our churches, and in the world. God show the greatness of your name through us today in all kinds of different ways in our lives today, for your name’s sake. We pray for your blessing on people around us and our families, and our friends and our churches, for your name’s sake.
This verse challenges us to lift up our prayers for the sake of God’s name.
God, we pray for your blessing on our churches, for your name’s sake. We pray for your blessing among the nations, for your name’s sake. God, we pray that your glory, your grace, your majesty, your beauty, your splendor, your name, Jesus as Savior, your name, oh God as redeemer, would spread through our lives, through all the circumstances that we pray for. Exalt your name, we pray.
Help us to live over and above everything else for your name’s sake. And we pray that you would show in response to our prayers, show your mighty power. Show the greatness of your name in our lives, through our lives we pray. We pray for this right where we live.
Prayer for the Uyghur People
God, we pray for this around the world. We pray for this in our churches, in our cities where we are. And God, we pray this for the Uyghur people of China and other countries where they have spread out. God, this people group that has been through such suffering, God, for your name’s sake, show your salvation among them. For your name’s sake. Be gracious and merciful to them. For your name’s sake, oh God, cause your gospel to spread to them.
God, we pray for your name’s sake among all the nations, please lead our lives and every detail in them. Our thoughts, our desires, our actions, our words, our deeds. Please use all of it for your name’s sake, we pray. In light of Psalm 106:8, in Jesus’ name, and for Jesus’ name, we pray these things. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
