The First Thing We Should Ask for When We Pray

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." Besides sounding like a formal doxology, these opening words of the Lord's Prayer are so familiar that they are often glossed over with little or no thought about what's being said. In reality, however, this is actually a request. It's the first thing Jesus tells us to ask for.

So what does "hallowed be your name" actually mean? What does it mean to "hallow" something, and who is supposed to do the hallowing? Furthermore, what does this tell us about what God wants and intends to do in the world, and how does this help inform our priorities, both in prayer and in life?