IN WHICH NAME SHOULD I PRAY, MOVE AND HAVE MY BEING?
“Do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus”
,
Sakkie Parsons
Someone wrote to me and asked me the following.
“Can you give me insight on the different names of the Father and Jesus when I pray?
I deal with names like; Elohim, Yahweh, Yahshua.
Why do people no longer pray the names, and are they not mentioned in the new translations of the Bible?
Someone told me you use different names for different prayers, such as when you pray for healing you use a certain name, and so on. ”
Here's how I look at this subject:
People sometimes make the Christian Religion so complicated and it happens of course that satan also has a finger in the ‘complex making pie’. So, I'm just going to tell you what has always worked wonderfully for me since my conversion.
When I was converted, I was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ.
ACTS 2:38-39
38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
I immediately learned and realized that Jesus is the beginning and end of everything, also in my life and that from now on there is only one Name given to me which is the beginning and end for me in everything.
ACTS 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
I have learned from the Word, that there is only one way to be heard by our Lord and that is to approach our Lord in the Name of Jesus.
COL 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
At first – through large-scale persecution – satan tried to eradicate the Name of Jesus among the people and I give an example:
In my example to you, the disciples use the only Name we have been given to use, namely Jesus and it work.
ACTS 3:2-7
2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.
3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.
4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."
5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"
7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.
Then they were threatened not to do so anymore:
ACTS 4:17-20
17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."
18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,
20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
If you now read further in the next chapter, namely Acts 5, you will see they are thrown in prison, they are beaten and all because they proclaim Jesus' Name and use it in their lives.
When, after many centuries, satan see that this evil plan of his, namely persecution, is not working, he come up with a new, even more evil plan –
From what I see and experience around me, satan then most likely reasoned as follow:
"Let them abuse the only Name that has been given to them that they can be saved and that they must use to gain access to their God, as a curse word and if they themselves do not use it as a curse word, let them accept and enjoy programs on TV, movies, books that they read, etcetera, as well as the companionship or gathering in which they may be, in which Jesus’ Name is being use as a curse word – or let them at least tolerate it.
Now they have no contact with their God, because then they show Him how little they think of that one Name that was given to them, that He esteem so highly and that He gave them to gain access to Him. Yes, then they show Him – their God – with what contempt they hold that Name.
If my plan A does not work, well then I use plan B –
Then I take some other names of their God from their Bible and show them that they should use it in certain cases.
If they then use those names in disobedience to their God and not the one Name He gave them to talk to their God, I "score" a ‘bull's-eye’ anyway.”
This is how I see satan reasoning.
No wonder that the Christian faith is the only faith I know of, where our Lord and Saviour’s Name is abused as a curse word by all.
For see, this is the only Name that is a problem for satan.
When my wife and I watch a program or movie and Jesus' Name is being abused in some form, we immediately leave that channel.
If I read a book or whatever and Jesus' Name is being abused in some way, I immediately close what I read for the last time.
If I am in a social gathering and someone is abusing Jesus' Name in some way, I immediately make people understand that it is wrong and if the person or persons do it again, I excuse myself from their company.
My friend, I encourage you –
Ever since I was converted, I have always used only one wonderful Name in my life and that is Jesus and it has always worked for me in everything.
Read here what the Word still say about the Name of Jesus:
PHIL 2:9-11
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Did you see what you read now?
Every other name, whatever you may get from whoever, is considered by our Lord less than the Name of Jesus.
The New Living Translation put it this way:
PHIL 2:9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
Do you want a love relationship with our Lord?
Do you want to communicate with our Lord?
Well there is only one way to do it:
JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Come, let you and I always remember in our lives these words of Jesus – as well as:
COL 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
ACTS 17:28 for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Greetings,
Sakkie