Judges 18:24: 24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
Thomas Watson
First, we pray, "Hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done," before we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." God's glory ought to weigh down all before it; it must be preferred before our dearest concerns. Christ preferred his Father's glory before his own as he was man. "I honor my Father, I seek not my own glory." John 8:49, 50. God's glory is that which is most dear to him; it is the apple of his eye; all his riches lie here. As Micah said, "What more have I" (Judges 18:24)—so I may say of God's glory, what more has he? His glory is the most orient pearl of his crown—which he will not part with. "My glory I will not give to another." Isaiah 42:8. God's glory is more worth than heaven, more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. It is better that kingdoms be demolished, better men and angels be annihilated—than God lose any part of his glory! We are to prefer God's glory before our nearest concerns. But before we prefer God's glory to our private concerns—we must be born again. The natural man seeks his own personal interest before God's glory. He is "of the earth, earthly." John 3:31. Let him have peace and trading, let the rock pour out rivers of oil—and let God's glory go which way it will, he minds it not. A worm cannot fly and sing as a lark. Just so, a natural man, whose heart creeps upon the earth, cannot admire God, or advance his glory, as a man elevated by grace does. ― Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer