Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Isn’t it a familiar practice to ask for someone’s name when meeting them for the first time? Addressing an individual by their name brings a personal and special touch in interacting with them.
I believe it is the same with God and our interaction with Him. His name is powerful and worthy of all of our worship and yet He desires that we get personal and apply the benefits of His name to where we are in our present circumstances and that we also prophetically speak the potency of His name, to where He has destined us to be. He deserves worship worthy of His name and yet because of His great desire that we have connection with Him, we also get to know and experience His multi-faceted character and personality, through His many names!
Names hold significant meaning in the Bible. As we read through the scriptures, there was such a prophetic intention and purpose behind naming a child. If you’re a parent I’m sure you had the same desire when you were expecting your child and pored through baby name books to find just the right name that was significant and foretelling of your child’s destiny.
God is also intentional and precise in describing His character through His various names and how He desires to disclose Himself to us.
Ken Hemphill in his book, The Names of God said, “God in His infinite mercy has revealed Himself on the stage of human history that we might come to know Him in a personal relationship. As God reveals Himself, He discloses His character and nature through the expression of His names.”
Knowing His name gives us specific understanding of who He is and who He can be for the particular situation we’re facing. When we come to understand a specific name of God, we gain a sense of security and validation that God understands and sees what we’re going through, because His name addresses the need and carries the power, provision and peace to meet that need. Even if we don’t see the provision or get the deliverance we’re seeking, He is still worthy of all our adoration and His name is, has always been and forever will be, because He’s eternal, supreme, holy and deserving of worship.
No other name in all of Heaven or earth contains such profound depth and revelation.
Here are a few of His beautiful names I wanted to highlight…the meanings are so incredibly rich. Take your time to feast on the myriad colors and facets of Who He is!
ABBA……..Galatians 4:6
meaning “Daddy, Father”, an Aramaic word that means “Daddy.” In the Hebrew culture Abba is an endearing term of affection, respect and honor expressed to one’s father
ADONAI.…..Deuteronomy 11:1
meaning “Lord”, a reference to the Lordship of God
ADONAI-ROHI.…..Psalm 23:1
meaning “The Lord my Shepherd”
ADONAI-SHAMMAH…….Ezekiel 48:35
meaning “The Lord who is present”
ADONAI-REFUAH………Exodus 15:26
meaning “The Lord our healer”
ADONAI-TSIDKENU……Jeremiah 23:6
meaning “The Lord our righteousness”
ADONAI-YIREH.……..Genesis 22:13-14
meaning “The Lord will provide”
ADONAI-NISSI.……..Exodus 17:15
meaning “The Lord our banner”
ADONAI-SHALOM……..Judges 6:24
meaning “The Lord is peace”
ADONAI-GMOLAH……..Jeremiah 51:6
meaning “The God of Recompense”
ELOHIM.…..Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1
meaning “God”, a reference to God’s power and might
EL-BERITH…..Judges 9:46
God of the Covenant
EL CHUWL.…….Psalm 139:13-14, Deuteronomy 32:18
meaning “The God who gave you birth”
EL DEAH……..Romans 11:34
meaning “The God of Knowledge”
EL-ROI…………….Genesis 16:13
meaning “The strong One who sees”
EL-SHADDAI…………Genesis 28:3
meaning “The All Sufficient One, All Bountiful, Double Breasted One, ”
EL-PERAZIM.…………….2 Samuel 5:20
meaning “The God of Breakthrough”
When we focus on who God is within His name and attributes, we receive the right perspective our circumstances deserve.
God’s names attest to His compassionate, gracious and powerful character. His name invokes blessings, protection and favor. The church has sometimes done a disservice to God’s reputation by misrepresenting His character. When we get to Heaven, I believe we’ll be surprised at really how incredibly good and unreligious God is. His name is synonymous with goodness, kindness and mercy. His name is potent with creative and innovative wisdom. His name carries authority and world shifting power. Hell shakes and demons tremble at the very whisper of His name!
When we speak out His name things begin to shift for He intervenes at the sound of His name. In Daniel 10:12-13, Daniel prayed for the Lord to fight on his behalf. Michael, the angel came and said, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”
Daniel’s prayer was heard the first day he prayed but there was a 21-day spiritual battle in the atmosphere that was attempting to block his prayers from being answered. Even if there’s a resistance from the enemy that causes delays in our destinies or delays in accessing this online course haha, there’s no power that could come close to the breathtaking power of God’s mighty name! We may not see the intervention immediately, but we can be confident that He will stay true to His name and give to us all we need, and even exceed our expectations!
Friend, I encourage you to take your time and read through the list of His names, three times.
