Is it wrong to be familiar with God?

Why should we pray in the Name of Jesus?

Google defines a name as "a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to". So what makes a name so special? And more specifically, why all the fuss about the Name of God?

Recently a thought came to my mind concerning this Name and the world's insistence on using it idly. Isn't it strange that you would never be watching TV and in high speed car chase, after barely avoiding a head on collision, one of the characters exclaims, "Buddha, that was close!" Likewise, in no movie has the name "Muhammad" ever been used as an expletive. But for some reason the Lord's Name is quite popular for this application. Jesus, Christ, Jesus Christ, God, God Almighty, God Above, Sweet Jesus and a whole host of others are all used in a dishonorable fashion on radio, TV and other sources of media. Obviously they have never heard or pay no heed to the third commandment, which states:

“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7)*

It is quite clear then that the Lord is serious about His Name. The question is: why?

Without becoming overly philosophical, I propose that a name is the most elementary representation of a person in their entirety. That if a person's entire identity could be captured in just one word, that word would be a name. That is why it is so difficult to name ones children these days (because we don't do the family names anymore - that ship has sailed long ago!). My wife and I went through the arduous process of choosing our youngest son's name about two years ago. It involved countless instances of one of us quite hopefully suggesting a name, only for it to be dismissed by the other, because, "that was the name of a bully in my primary school," or "I'm pretty sure my cousin named her dog that," or "according to Google that name means 'destroyer of peace'!" A name is connected to the bearer of it, and it is near impossible to separate the two. 

So what does all this tell us about God? Well one thing we cannot deny is that our God has many names. Jesus alone is given more than 200 names in scripture, names like Emmanuel, the Good Shepherd and Prince of Peace. I believe this is for our benefit. Every one of God's names convey some aspect of His character. For instance when I'm praying for breakthrough against overwhelming odds, it actually builds my faith when I can call Him my Mighty Fortress! And when I am left in awe of the starry host on a clear night, my praise and adoration feels a little more appropriate when I can call Him Creator and Sustainer of Heaven and Earth. 

Even so, it is just a name right? Surely there isn't some special mystical power in something as simple as a name? Well let's see what the Word tells us about the Lord's Name. 

The apostle John in his gospel introduces Jesus as the Word. He goes on to make a statement vital to our understanding of salvation through Christ. He wrote, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) This is not an isolated occurrence of this theme in scripture. The first part of Joel 2:32 states, “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved,” a statement quoted by Peter in his sermon in Acts 2 and later by Paul in chapter 10 of his letter to the Romans. The Lord's name grants us access to all that He is and all that He does. Jesus is the Saviour of the world it's true, but when I believed in His name He became MY Saviour. 

This name grants us more than just salvation though. I love the account of Peter healing the lame beggar in Acts 3. When the man asked Peter and John for money, Peter responds, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6) And not only did the man walk, but because of the miracle thousands came to the Lord that same day! It stirs my faith reading this and realizing that when our faith collides with that wonderful name, supernatural things start happening. Undeniably there is power in the name of Jesus. But the power of the Lord's name in your prayer life is directly related to the revelation you have of Him. Later in the book of Acts we find the account of the seven sons of Sceva trying to cast out a demon "in the name of Jesus who Paul preaches." But instead of leaving the person, the demon replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) And the evil spirit overpowered them causing all seven to flee the house naked and bloodied. It becomes clear then that one cannot simply invoke the name of Jesus as if it were a spell. It requires faith, and faith is rooted in who God is TO YOU. 

So we need the name of the Lord for salvation, healing and deliverance. But what about His protection? When Jesus prays for the disciples in John 17, He makes mention of the protection afforded to His followers because of His name. He prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me." (John 17:11b-12a) There is an old Pentecostal song we used to sing when I was growing up. Its verse is taken directly out of Proverbs 18:10, which states, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” How great is the name of our God that it is a place of safety for all who call upon it! But like we established earlier, we must know the God behind the name for our faith in that name to be effective. If revelation of God flows from a relationship with Him, it means the more we get to know Him in a specific situation, the more effective our faith becomes in that area. It is easier to believe God can protect me today if I already experienced His protection yesterday. One can almost say His name becomes "more powerful" in the life of the believer as His character is revealed. 

My friend, there is authority in the name of Jesus that we can hardly begin to grasp. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11) Jesus reigns supreme. He rules from the highest place in the heavenlies. In fact, His authority is so great that at the mere mention of His name every being in existence has no choice but to bow and pay homage to Him. I declare to you that from the smallest atomic particle to the biggest galaxies, all of creation knows the authority of that name. The angels and Living Creatures and Elders who surround the throne know the authority of His name. And you best believe that every demon, evil spirit and the devil himself knows that they can not stand against the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. So when the enemy presses his attack and you are resisting him in prayer, there is no need to introduce Him. Since Satan knows the power of that name it is unnecessary to debate, elaborate or convince him. No, you boldly call upon the name above every name and you tell him, "Devil, IN THE NAME OF JESUS!" Our adversary doesn't stand a chance!

In closing it is only appropriate to respond to this revelation by praising His name. At times I wonder what the world thinks when a Christian utters the words, "Praise the name of the Lord!" Or, "Bless Your name Jesus!" But how can we, having understood the mystery and the potency of this wonderful name; having tasted it's power to save and heal and deliver; how can we not but give the highest glory, honour and adoration to the name of Jesus? In truth, that is what we were taught when the disciples asked the Lord about prayer. He said, “This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9)

Ibarto Botes

*All scripture quoted from the New International Version. Emphasis mine.