Derek Smith, Lead Pastor LHBC
Luke 11:2: And He (Jesus) said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name.”
C.S. Lewis once stated concerning prayer,
“The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”
Jesus was a man of prayer, which is incredibly significant because He was the God-man, God in the flesh. He taught us how to pray and He said that prayer starts with God not with me. That sounds really simple, but don’t we often times find ourselves coming to God in prayer first with our agenda in mind instead of His? The disciples made a most profound request of Christ when they asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus told them to begin by calling on the holy name of God. Why? Because He really is all we need and we learn this through calling on and meditating on His multi-faceted name. Consider some names of God in the Scriptures and their meanings:
Elohim – Plural in form, the Strong One (Jeremiah 32:27)
El Shaddai – Almighty God (Psalm 91:1-2)
El Elyon – The Most High God (Genesis 14:19)
El Olam – The Everlasting God (Genesis 16:13)
Yahweh – The Great I Am, The Self-Existent One (Exodus 6:3)
Yahweh – Jireh – The Lord My Provider (Genesis 22:14)
Yahweh – Rapha – The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26)
Yahweh – Nissi – The Lord My Banner (Exodus 17:15-16)
Yahweh – Makadesh – The Lord Who Sanctifies (Leviticus 20:7-18)
Yahweh – Shalom – The Lord My Peace (Judges 6:24)
Yahweh – Rohi – The Lord My Shepherd (Psalm 23:1)
Yahweh – Tsidkenu – The Lord My Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
Yahweh – Shammah – The Lord Who is Present (Ezekiel 48:35)
Yahweh – Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts or Armies (1 Samuel 17:45)
Adonai – Plural in form, Master or Lord (Joshua 5:14)
And that’s just names from the Old Testament! Consider in the New Testament He is Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Savior, our Deliverer, our Comforter, our Advocate, and our Friend just to name a few. When I call on the name of God and meditate on the character, nature, and goodness of God I quickly realize He is all I need. Today, call on the name of God. Consider all He is to His children and rest in His holiness today.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father God, You dwell in Heaven above and Your name truly is holy. You are holy, righteous, gracious, and compassionate. You are all I need. Please remind me of that today as I seek to carry out Your will. In Jesus name, amen.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)
But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.