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Praying the Names of God
by
Ann Spangler
This 26-week devotional leads us right into the heart of God by teaching the names of God and the meanings behind them. The names of God in the Bible are more than just titles; they reveal the nature and character of God and give us a deeper understanding of who He is.
God wants us to pursue Him the way He pursues us, and He promises:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
To meditate on the names of God is to seek to know the very essence of who God is. #PrayingtheNamesofGod #TheHeartoftheAuthor #podcast Click To Tweet
To meditate on the names of God is to seek to know the very essence of who God is. And the more we comprehend who He is, the more hope and faith we have in Him.
Elohim
The word for God in Genesis 1:1 means God the Creator. He is the original Creator of everything. As humans, we can only make something out of materials we have available to us. God can make something out of nothing – not only in the creation of physical things, but also in our circumstances and in our hearts. Where there is nothing, He can make something beautiful and amazing. Where there is no hope in our own abilities or circumstances, He is our hope.
El Roi
He is the God who sees. When Hagar was alone in the desert, desperate and hopeless, God met her there and took care of her. Genesis 16:13 says: She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me…”
So, when you feel alone and abandoned, God sees you. He meets you there in the places that no one else sees.
Abba
God is our Father. Though Father sounds more formal, “Abba” was used familiarly and affectionately between a child and his father the way the name “Daddy” is used today. It signifies closeness, tenderness, and childlike trust. If you didn’t experience this type of relationship with your earthly father, it may be harder to comprehend or trust the fatherly love of God. But no matter how flawed your earthly father may be, God’s love is perfect and secure.
These are just a few examples given in Praying the Names of God. The book focuses each week on a different name or title of God, the meaning and context of it in the Bible, and related scriptures to pray and meditate on throughout the week.
And as we daily seek to know God for who He is, His promise in Jeremiah 29:13 is fulfilled in us.
