John 17:6 I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world….

John 17:6
I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

By Pastor Vivian

When I think of my wife, I have many names for her. Mick, wife, honey, baby, Michele, even monkey butt (when she beats me at Hand and Foot or Phase 10) to name a few. All of my names for her are mostly said in a loving manner and is used depending on the situation at the time. Don’t judge me for monkey butt, she beats me ALL. THE. TIME!

A new study has found that couples who use pet names for each other are more likely to be satisfied in their relationship. The study reinforces previous research which suggests using pet names is a sign of a strong relationship. In a survey of over 1,000 adults, researchers found that people using pet names were 16% more likely to be happy in their relationships.

I think this also applies to the name(s) of God. If you use/know God’s names than you just may have a happier relationship with God. At least you’ll know who you’re talking to. For example, if you need a particular prayer answered perhaps you should use the name of God that applies. James Montgomery Boice wrote the names of God are windows through which God’s character is seen.

In Old Testament times, a name was more than something to use instead of “Hey, you!” Rather, it revealed important information about the individual. For example, Moses comes from the Hebrew meaning to pull or draw out. The name given to him by Pharaoh’ daughter after she rescued him from the Nile. The name Jacob comes from the Biblical story of Jacob’s birth where he came out holding the heel of his twin brother Esau. A name is so important in biblical settings that Scripture frequently mentions God changing someone’s name to reflect a new reality. Abram, which means “exalted father,” was changed to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.”

So, let’s look at some of God’s names:

Elohim – the Creator of the Universe (the first name of God used in the Bible)

Jehovah Jireh – God the provider (given to God by Abraham when God provided a ram when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac)

Jehovah Rapha – God your healer (this name was revealed by God to the Israelites after their exodus out of Egypt)

El Elyon – God Most High (there is no god above this God; used to describe the God Melchizedek served in Genesis 14)

El Shaddai – God Almighty (this is one of the most frequently appearing names for God in the Bible and has also been translated as the destroyer and the many breasted one, as in indicating sufficiency and nourishment)

El Roi – the God who sees me (given to God by Haggar after she ran away from Sarah and Abraham and felt no one understood her plight)

Jehovah Shalom – God is my peace (first used by Gideon when Israel was threatened by the Midianites)

These are just a few of God’s names; and I would say God has a name for every situation we find ourselves in. God’s names can be great prayer starters and can deepen your knowledge of God.

Which of God’s names most resonate with you today?

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