“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:38)
Praying the names of God—
It always honors God when our prayers begin with worship, focusing our attention on Him rather than on our needs and requests. Jesus taught us that we should come to our Father to “hallow His name” before we ask for our daily needs to be met (Matthew 6:9-11).
To hallow God’s name is to take the time to understand what it represents of His divine nature and character, of how He is able and willing to work in our lives. When we are interceding, we have a specific need—and calling on Him by one of His revealed names is saying to Him, this is who I need You to be in answer to my prayer. When in turmoil, we need Him to be our Prince of Peace. Seeking guidance, we come to our Shepherd to lead us. In financial stress, we call out to our Provider. For the lost, we cry to the Lord of the harvest.
Jesus said—commanded, according to the tense of the verb—that we should pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into His harvest field (Matthew 9:38). We know that as intercessors, we’re an important part of those workers (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Our prayers pave the way for our Father to draw them (John 6:44), to enable them to come (John 6:65) and to send His Holy Spirit to grant them rebirth (John 3:3, 5). Our prayers help open the door for divine appointments for the workers He sends into the field.
The Lord of the harvest will send someone into the life of a friend or loved one to plant a seed, a grain of truth in his heart, and He will prevent Satan from snatching away that truth (Matthew 13:19). When we come to the Lord of the harvest, we are acknowledging His authority, His control—it is His field, His harvest, His initiative that sends the workers and prepares the hearts of the lost. The Lord of the harvest will make sure the seed is nurtured, fed and watered, able to grow until it’s ripe and ready. The Lord of the harvest will send someone at precisely the right moment to gather that soul into the kingdom. Using His name, Lord of the harvest, reveals that we understand these things and that we have the faith to believe and to anticipate the harvest, no matter how long it takes.
Our help is in the name of the Lord...” (Psalm 124:8)
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Jesus…Jehovah…I Am Who I Am
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14, NIV)
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV)
Jesus, the name above all names, is Jehovah incarnate.
Before He was born, an angel told Joseph to name Him Jesus (Matthew 1:21), the name the Apostle Paul tells us is “above every other name.” (Philippians 2:9)
Jesus’ name itself proclaims who and what He is—“Jehovah, our Salvation” (Herbert Lockyear, All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible). The first syllable “Je” represents “Jeho” or Jah”—short for “Jehovah.” The other syllable “sus” literally means “help.”
Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, which is a contraction of Jehoshua—meaning Jehovah our Savior. Of all God’s names, Jehovah represents our ever-revealing God, who revealed Himself to His people many times in many ways. There are many compound variations for His name Jehovah that indicate the ways in which He helped His people in the Old Testament, and the ways in which He will relate to us today. He is Jehovah: our Peace (Judges 6:24), our Provider (Genesis 22:14), our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1), and more.
God’s greatest revelation of Himself is through His incarnate Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jehovah of the Old Testament (wherever we see “LORD”) and Jesus (Jehovah our Savior) of the New.
When God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), He identified Himself as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am,” a statement of His self-existence. He is beyond time; at every moment of our lives, He is present—always “I Am,” never “I Was” or “I Will Be.” Jesus identified Himself as the timeless “I am” when He said, “before Abraham was born, I am.”
There are many “I Am” names of Jesus—including the bread of life (John 6:35); the light of the world (John 9:5); the gate through which we are saved (John 10:9); the good shepherd (John 10:11); the resurrection and the life (John 11:35); the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6); the true vine (John 15:1); the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:18); the First and the Last (Revelation 1:17; 22:13); the Living One (Revelation 1:18); the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16).
Every title, every name of God, every attribute is revealed in Scripture to help us understand who God is and who He desires to be in our lives. We trust in His names because they reveal and represent Him—and He is trustworthy.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7, NIV)
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV)
Jesus, the name above all names, is Jehovah incarnate.
Before He was born, an angel told Joseph to name Him Jesus (Matthew 1:21), the name the Apostle Paul tells us is “above every other name.” (Philippians 2:9)
Jesus’ name itself proclaims who and what He is—“Jehovah, our Salvation” (Herbert Lockyear, All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible). The first syllable “Je” represents “Jeho” or Jah”—short for “Jehovah.” The other syllable “sus” literally means “help.”
Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, which is a contraction of Jehoshua—meaning Jehovah our Savior. Of all God’s names, Jehovah represents our ever-revealing God, who revealed Himself to His people many times in many ways. There are many compound variations for His name Jehovah that indicate the ways in which He helped His people in the Old Testament, and the ways in which He will relate to us today. He is Jehovah: our Peace (Judges 6:24), our Provider (Genesis 22:14), our Shepherd (Psalm 23:1), and more.
God’s greatest revelation of Himself is through His incarnate Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jehovah of the Old Testament (wherever we see “LORD”) and Jesus (Jehovah our Savior) of the New.
When God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), He identified Himself as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am,” a statement of His self-existence. He is beyond time; at every moment of our lives, He is present—always “I Am,” never “I Was” or “I Will Be.” Jesus identified Himself as the timeless “I am” when He said, “before Abraham was born, I am.”
There are many “I Am” names of Jesus—including the bread of life (John 6:35); the light of the world (John 9:5); the gate through which we are saved (John 10:9); the good shepherd (John 10:11); the resurrection and the life (John 11:35); the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6); the true vine (John 15:1); the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:18); the First and the Last (Revelation 1:17; 22:13); the Living One (Revelation 1:18); the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16).
Every title, every name of God, every attribute is revealed in Scripture to help us understand who God is and who He desires to be in our lives. We trust in His names because they reveal and represent Him—and He is trustworthy.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7, NIV)
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Jehovah, I Am Who I Am
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14, NIV)
Some of the names of God are His more formal majestic names or titles, such as the title Elohim [el-o-HEEM], our Creator; Adonai [add-eh-NYE], our Lord and Master; or ElElyon [el-EL-yawn], our Most High God. But His most personal name is Jehovah, “I Am Who I Am,” our ever-revealing God Who reveals Himself to His people.
Jehovah is considered God’s covenant name, His relational name, the foundation for His covenant relationship with His people. It’s a name with many variations, each indicating a different relationship He is willing to have with us.
When Moses met God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), God said to tell the people that He was sending Moses to lead them, and He identified Himself as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am.” It’s a statement of His self-existence. He is beyond time, so at every moment of our lives, He is present—always “I Am,” never “I Was” or “I Will Be.” He was sufficient then to part the Red Sea, as He sufficient today to meet our every need.
In the Bible every time we see the word “LORD”—written in all capital letters—it is translated “Jehovah.” Jehovah appears many times alone, and often compounded with other Hebrew terms, each identifying a different part of God’s nature and character, each representing a side of God’s character that He is willing to reveal to us—Jehovah-Jireh [JIE-reh], our Provider; Jehovah-Rophe [RAH-fah], our Healer; Jehovah-Shalom [sha-LOAM], our Peace;
and more.
God’s names not only reveal part of His nature, but through them He is revealing who He is willing to be in our lives. When we are in need, it is comforting to worship God as Our Provider. When we’re under stress, we praise our Prince of Peace. As we pray for those who are lost, we first magnify our Redeemer, our Savior, the Lamb of God.
We may certainly always address God simply as God, or Father—Jesus taught us to come to our Father. But Jesus also said we should pause before asking for our needs to be met to “hallow His name,” to worship Him. Our daily prayers should include at least a few moments of reflection on who God is and an expression of our love, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship.
Some of the names of God are His more formal majestic names or titles, such as the title Elohim [el-o-HEEM], our Creator; Adonai [add-eh-NYE], our Lord and Master; or ElElyon [el-EL-yawn], our Most High God. But His most personal name is Jehovah, “I Am Who I Am,” our ever-revealing God Who reveals Himself to His people.
Jehovah is considered God’s covenant name, His relational name, the foundation for His covenant relationship with His people. It’s a name with many variations, each indicating a different relationship He is willing to have with us.
When Moses met God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14), God said to tell the people that He was sending Moses to lead them, and He identified Himself as Jehovah, “I Am that I Am.” It’s a statement of His self-existence. He is beyond time, so at every moment of our lives, He is present—always “I Am,” never “I Was” or “I Will Be.” He was sufficient then to part the Red Sea, as He sufficient today to meet our every need.
In the Bible every time we see the word “LORD”—written in all capital letters—it is translated “Jehovah.” Jehovah appears many times alone, and often compounded with other Hebrew terms, each identifying a different part of God’s nature and character, each representing a side of God’s character that He is willing to reveal to us—Jehovah-Jireh [JIE-reh], our Provider; Jehovah-Rophe [RAH-fah], our Healer; Jehovah-Shalom [sha-LOAM], our Peace;
and more.
God’s names not only reveal part of His nature, but through them He is revealing who He is willing to be in our lives. When we are in need, it is comforting to worship God as Our Provider. When we’re under stress, we praise our Prince of Peace. As we pray for those who are lost, we first magnify our Redeemer, our Savior, the Lamb of God.
We may certainly always address God simply as God, or Father—Jesus taught us to come to our Father. But Jesus also said we should pause before asking for our needs to be met to “hallow His name,” to worship Him. Our daily prayers should include at least a few moments of reflection on who God is and an expression of our love, adoration, thanksgiving, and worship.
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