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Nehemiah 1:5-7
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. We have studied that the first step in rebuilding our prayer life is to come to the point where we understand that our sin desecrates God’s name and reputation. Then we learned deep, intimate, specific prayer (and fasting) must be part of our normal life. Take away the prayer and you take away the power! Not only did Nehemiah lead the people in renovating the city, he led them in renovating their hearts. True spiritual revival is not about filling pews with new Christians – it’s about filling the hearts of those Christians with God, as God!! We are going to learn about the names of God Nehemiah uses in this prayer because each name helps us learn more about the Great God Who saved us.
- REASONS TO STUDY THE NAMES OF GOD! First, the only way man can know anything of God is if God Himself reveals it to us. Read Deut. 29:29; Job 11:1-9; and 1 Cor. 2:9-16. Second, every name God uses in Scripture reveals something more about Him. Third, we study the names of God to learn more about Him. Did you know God reveals Himself to us using over 2,000 names throughout Scripture? In its simplest form the word “theology” means knowledge of God. It is formed from Theos meaning Deity or Who and What God is; and Logos meaning speech. In order to learn the “speech of God” we must learn it through the names God uses to teach us about Himself.
- THE MEANING OF THE NAME “O LORD.” The first name Nehemiah uses is found in Ex. 20:2-11 and is the name El-Shaddai which means The Almighty, All Sufficient God! It appears in Scripture to reveal God’s great power. El means “The Strong One” and is found in many OT passages, two of which are Num. 23:22; and Isa.9:6, 7. One writer says the most expressive and sacred use of the name appears in Ps. 22 and when Jesus quotes it on the Cross saying “El, El” or “My Strength, My Strength…” Jesus Himself, in His darkest hour and greatest need, calls on His heavenly Father for the strength to see Him through. Think about that for a moment! There is so much more to this beautiful name! Shaddai means “Almighty.” It is used in Gen. 29:22-25. Where Jacob prays for God to bless Joseph many times over saying “from EL of your father, you shall receive help; and from Shaddai their shall be blessings to you.”
- APPLYING THE NAME “O LORD” TO OUR DAILY LIFE! One writer teaches so well, “in Him all fullness dwells, and out of His constant fullness His own received all things!” Remember, when Jesus said, “all power is given to me…?” He was telling us He is El-Shaddai and the Source of all our needed power. This name also means that God’s Almightiness is His power to fulfill every promise He has made to His people! It is also a promise that God is faithful to perform every promise He has made to us! Another pastor has said so clearly, “there is no obstacle to spiritual maturity God cannot remove; there is no spiritual fear God can’t overcome; there is not spiritual temptation God can’t defeat; and there is no spiritual weakness God can’t strengthen!” The name El-Shaddai comes to every Christian with all of everything we could ever need, and it comes in infinite proportions, to see us through every day of our Christian life here on this earth! This is the God to Whom Nehemiah bows in intimate prayer seeking true spiritual revival. Will you bow to Him and allow His mighty power to bring back to life true spiritual dedication to Him?
If we can help you with this or any other spiritual matter, call us at (574) 643-9419.
