God makes himself known to us in many different ways, but the Bible is very clear to us on we can address our Father in Heaven and His names are a powerful tool for us to use in prayer and to build our faith.
Below I will break down the names of God and how I interrupted their meanings through Scripture with some insight on how to include them into your own prayer life.
Adonai - Master
"Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality." - Colossians 3:22-23
The name Adonai was given at the time because it was believed the "Lord" was to sacred to be spoke out loud. The Hebrew word Adonai is also translated to Kyrios in Greek.
I think it's important to recognize, God as the Master of our lives for He should be the one that we work heartily for. Taking the time to acknowledge Him in your prayer life as Adonai you are saying that you are willing to be a vessel for Him and His glory.
Jehovah Sabaoth - The Lord of Hosts
"One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions. It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies." - Psalm 84:10-12
The Lord of Hosts is translated in our Bibles from the Hebrew language. You may have also seen it written as "Elohim Sabaoth" as Elohim and Jehovah both translated to 'God' in the English language and is now mostly translated as "The Lord Almighty." It is mentioned in the Old Testament two hundred and sixty one times.
When you break the phrase down a little deeper it means "The God of Angel Armies" which may seem like an obvious statement to some but imagine how powerful it could be in your prayer life.
It's important to first understand that angels aren't cute little cherubs that fly around and shoot people with the love arrow, like cupid. But God has an army of mighty and powerful angels that watch over us and are at the command of our Father. When we often see angels in scripture the conversation usually begins with "fear not," or "do not be afraid." One of the most popular being from Luke 2. It's likely because angels are not as adorable and small as we have seen in modern art and sculptures. You read up more on angels in the book of Ezekiel.
When you think of an army you probably think of strong men and women with weapons who have been well equipped to fight in battle; and so we really shouldn't think any less of an army of angels. They are powerful beings that are fully equipped to protect and fight for us.
They are messengers from God and they follow the command of the Father in Heaven for our benefit. For example, when Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days and nights, our bibles tell us that after He was tempted by Satan, God sent His angels to minister to Jesus. (Matthew 4:11)
God is the almighty God who reigns over a powerful army of angels that fight on our behalf. Declaring Jehovah Sabaoth over you life or situation in prayer is acknowledging His power to send His army in our lives.
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord My Peace
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." - Isaiah 9:6
The Lord My Peace is translated from the Hebrew language meaning soundness, completeness, harmony, and the absence of strife, which is best translated to the word peace in the English language.
We know from scripture that God is not the author of confusion or chaos as it says in 1 Corinthians 14:33. But we also know that just because God does not authorize it doesn't mean it won't appear in our lives. As humans we will undergo seasons of high stress, chaos, and strife so it's important for us to call on God and His Spirit for guidance in those times.
Remember Phillipians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hear and your mind in Christ Jesus. And incorporating Jehovah Shalom into your prayer life reminds the enemy that you are standing firm on the peace God has provided you through Jesus.
Jehovah Jireh - The Lord My Provider
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Phillipians 4:19
The Lord My Provider is first seen in scripture in Genesis 22:14 after God provided a ram in the thicket for Abraham and Isaac. Abraham gave the name Jehovah Jireh to the mountain for God's provision.
We often associate this name with our finances as its typically the thing that causes many of us to be wrapped up in worry about our next steps. Studies have shown that arguments over finances are the second leading cause for divorces in married couples and the poverty rate in America is standing at 11.4% as shown in a study done in 2020.
Remember that He is able to do more than we could ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) so when you declare that Jehovah Jireh is over your needs - you are sending the devil a message that you are confident God will be provide for you and your family.
Jehovah Mekoddishkem - The Lord Who Sanctifies You
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: for I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”
- Leviticus 20:7-8
Jehovah Mekoddishkem or Jehovah M'kaddesh/Jehovah Mekadesh comes from the Hebrew word meaning 'to sanctify.' and it used a handful of times in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. When we take a close look at what Sanctify means, we'll see that the definition is to set apart, declare holy or, consecrate.
The Lord our God declares us holy, sets us apart, and declares us sacred under His authority. What an honor! Ephesians 2:10 tells us "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
There is authority in being called by God, walk in the authority in your prayer life.
Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord My Righteousness
“Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a king shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness." - Jeremiah 23:5-6
When looking up the definition of righteousness we see it means to become morally right or justifiable. To understand what this means we need to take a closer look at the scripture above, which is one of two times that Jehovah Tsidkenu is mentioned.
During the Old Testament the Israelites lived under the law of Moses, it's not just the Ten Commandments but actually six hundred and thirteen laws of Torrah. It including blood sacrifice for atonement of sins and the need for a high priest or prophet to communicate with God. Jeremiah was one of those prophets who heard and communicated directly too God for the people.
In this passage, Jeremiah was communicating to the Israelites to repent from their since they had been exiled into Babylon while Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. When Jeremiah wrote the above scripture, he was encouraging the Israelites to turn back to God so that the temple could be be rebuilt and a new King from the linage of David would rise up. We know that the King he was speaking of is Jesus who is our Lord of righteousness.
When we declare Jehovah Tsidkenu over our lives we are acknowledging that we have been made morally right and justifiable through The Blood of The Lamb, this is a concept the enemy does not want you to grasp, especially in your prayer time.
Jehovah Shammah - The Lord Is There
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." - Psalm 139:7-12
Shammah is derived from the Hebrew word sham, which can be translated as "there" in the English language. It's Hebrew translation is only used a few times throughout scripture.
'The Lord Is There', what a comforting statement. Sometimes, our lives can feel so lonely and empty and since we cannot physical reach out and touch Our Savior we can take solace knowing that He is there for us. John 15:15 tells us "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from the Father I have made known to you." He call you friend, and He is there for you.
In those moments when you don't have the words to pray anything know that He is there right beside you and I encourage you to take the time to thank Him for it.
Jehovah Rapha - The Lord My Healer
"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." - 1 Peter 2:24
Jehovah Rapha is one of the most commonly used names of God to date and you have likely heard this one used in Sunday school, prayer meetings, or from the pulpit. To be healed means to become whole, healthy, or sound.
Yes, we live in a fallen and sinful world but that doesn't mean that God doesn't want for us to live our lives as whole as possible. Some wounds take much longer to heal then other but it is my His stripes that we have been made whole.
When you pray remember that God wants you to be physically well as it says in 2 Kings 5:10, emotionally well as it says in Psalm 34:18, mentally well as it says in Daniel 4:34, and spiritually well as it says in Psalm 103:2-3. You can proclaim Jehovah Rapha, our healer, over all the areas of your life because He cares for you.
Jehovah Raah - The Lord My Shepherd
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." - Pslam 23:1
Jehovah Raah is also commonly spelled, Jehovah Rohi or Jehovah Ro’eh, comes from the Hebrew language and is translated to The Lord My Shepherd, However it can also be loosely translated to "The Lord My Friend," from the Hebrew word 'Rea' which translates to 'companion.'
A shepherds main job is to protect and care for its sheep from any danger. We see in 2 Samuel, before David was king, fighting over predators from attacking his flock of sheep. In the same way, Jesus is our shepherd and protects us from any danger.
When you pray to our Shepherd you are entrusting in Him to protect you. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."
Trust in your Shepherd to guide you, acknowledge it through prayer so His spirit can speak to you.
Jehovah Nissi - The Lord My Refuge, The Lord My Banner
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1
"Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner." - Exodus 17:15
Depending on who you talk to, Jehovah Nissi can be translated differently. Some scholars believe Nissi can either be derived from the Hebrew word Nes meaning "banner" or "sign", which is likely what you see written in Exodus 17:15. While others believe it could be derived from he Hebrew word Nus which translates to "refuge."
The definition of refuge is "a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble." How true is it that when we feel the pursuit of the enemy upon our lives we can rely heavily on Jehovah Nissi to shelter us from harm.
Earlier I mentioned the Hebrew world Nes, it means a wonderful sign or miracle. Written in Exodus, only once, Moses builds and alter and called its Jehovah Nissi after the Israelites defeated the Amalekites in battler. Moses built an alter and gave praise for their victory.
In prayer you can use both these translations to your advantage. Either praying to seek refuge in The Lord or thank Him and give Him praise for a recent victory in your life.
El Olam - The Everlasting God
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." - Isaiah 40:28
El Olam was first spoken by Abraham in the book of Genesis during times of worship. The definition of everlasting means something is 'lasting forever.'
One of the greatest things as a Christian is knowing that God is eternal. Just like the prophet Isaiah tells us, He will not grow tired and He has more understanding than anyone can imagine.
When you pray to El Olam, know that that alone holds so much power. He is God of all time, lasting forever. Pray with authority.
El Elyon - The Most High God
"For you, Lord, are the Most High, over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods." - Psalm 97:9
El Elyon is can be translated as The Most High God or God Most High.
Claiming God as the Most High signifies that nothing can be above Him. No other person or god is as powerful as El Elyon. In Matthew 8:27 the disciples were astonished at the power of God, it says: "The men were amazed and asked, "what kind of man is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"
When you declare El Elyon over your life in prayer you are acknowledging Him as the Most High God and proclaim His power over you life.
El Shaddai - Lord God Almighty
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8
The word almighty means 'having complete power,' and it mentioned several times throughout scripture in both the old and new testament.
As mentioned before, God is everlasting. He is and was, and is to come. He obtains complete power. When you recognize this in your prayer time you will have understanding that nothing is more powerful than God. He is the God that can do all things and through Him, we can do all things as well. (Philippians 4:13)
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh - I Am That I Am
"Moses said to God, "Look, when I appear before the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you'; and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God said to Moses, "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh." Exodus 3:13-14
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh is translated from Hebrew as "I am that I am."
God is omnipresent, which means that He can be anywhere at anytime, throughout history and in the future. Omnipotent which means He is unlimited power. And He is omniscient meaning He is all knowing. For God to say "I am that I am." He is simply putting that there is none greater than Him.
Malachi 3:6 says "God is always the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He never changes. He is so faithful, so constant, so loving and so true!" God is what He is and nothing can compare.
Praying to an all powerful, all knowing God, who can be anywhere at any time is a wonderful privilege and we should take the time to acknowledge His Greatness and thank Him for it.
We have been given the incredible opportunity to talk with our creator and because of Jesus and His sacrifice for us, we no longer have to follow a multitude of regulations in order to receive blessings and words from Him.
Make Him a priority in your prayer time and use the Living Word of God, the scriptures, indicating how powerful and loving our God is to grow more and more in your prayer life.
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