First Baptist Church of Niles
Bible Study
A Study of Prayer
Building Your Prayer Life - Part 2
The Wonder of God's Names
A person may be known by various names. His father may call him “Son”, his children call him “Father”, his wife calls him “Sweetheart”. Other people may call him various names. He isn't multiple people, but the names he is known by, tell of his character. And so it is with God.
Each name of God, helps us to understand him more.
We as Christians worship one God who alone is living and limitless, maker and master, holy and most high, savior and sovereign over all.
We use his names at various times
To be Saved
or, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Rom 10:13
Proclaim in Witnessing
At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. Acts 9:20
Praise in Worship
Praise the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord; praise him, you servants of the Lord, Ps 135:1
Trust His Name in Daily Living
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Ps 33:21
Pray in Intercession
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13
Some names describe who he is, regardless of what He does
Elohim – God
Yahweh – Lord Jehovah
El Elyon – The Most High
El Olam – The Everlasting God
Some of His names are tied to action
God Who Avenges Me
He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, Ps 18:47
The Lord Who Heals You
He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Exo 15:26
The One Who Sustains Me
Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Ps 54:4
Elohim
The first name given to God in the Bible. It is plural and shows that the Father, Son and Spirit were all present and had a part in creation
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Gen 1:2,26
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1-2
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Col 1:16
Some names refer to a specific Person of the Trinity
The Father
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? Ps 22:1
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. Isa 53:4
now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:3
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Ps 68:5
The Son
The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together
against the Lord and against his anointed one Acts 4:26
the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8
And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. John 5:27
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. Rev 19:16
The Spirit
trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 1 Peter 1:11
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Cor 3:3
The name of Jesus is especially precious to us.
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:9-11
The Wisdom of God
Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge to a situation, making the best choices with the data you have.
Wisdom helps keep us under control when difficulties arise.
When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Prov 4:12
Wisdom is what we need. God promises us wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Prov 2:4
He wants us to be successful for His glory
so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, Col 1:10
Proverbs is shown how we can be “better”.
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. Prov 16:32
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Prov 15:16
Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. Prov 15:17
What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. Prov 19:22
The Way's of God's Spirit
Prayer is an admission that we are not in control, and at the same time confidently under the control of God.
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. Ps 103:19
God knows that we forget to pray and not know what to pray or how we should be praying.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Rom 8:26
The Holy Spirit is the engine of the Christian life. He guides us to do what we cannot do on our own.
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8
We offer Him our work of prayer, and trust that the Spirit will launch it into far greater works.
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14
Every believer of Jesus has the Spirit within them
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. Eph 1:13-14
We must submit and walk in the Spirit
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, Eph 5:18
It is not a one-time experience
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Gal 5:16-25
He will give us the mind of Christ
for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.1 Cor 2:16
Convict us of sin
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: John 16:8
Producing the fruits of the Spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gal 5:22
Empowers us to be witnesses
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
He reveals God's Word to us
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. John 15:26
He prays for us
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. Rom 8:26-27
He guides our praying
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,[b] Father.” Rom 8:15
21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isa 30:21