What do you call God? Father? Lord? God? All of these are good but there is much more to know about God based on His names. We can learn about the God of the universe from the ways He is addressed in scripture. God’s names show more about Him than our names show about us.

1. God’s names show His Character

God’s names are not like ours; we were given our name or names around our birth, God’s names were given to Him because of His character and acts. Some[ Abraham gave God the name Jehovah Jireh ] of these names were given to God by those who served Him throughout the Old Testament period, some are ones that God chose to call Himself. Overall they hold a significance that can be easy to miss. But if we take the time to appreciate them we gain a greater appreciation for God. 

2. God’s Biblical names add a depth that our English words don’t have.

Our English names for God are so inadequate, especially when you know some of the Hebrew names. The English words we have as names for God have been used in such a way that they don’t always show the reverence needed when approaching God. The translators of the Bible have been careful in how they translate the names of God, usually giving us an idea of which name is being translated. Knowing God’s Hebrew names give our English names back some of their meaning.

3. God’s names serve as a definition of God.

God’s names are one of the closest things we have to a definition of God. The more we understand these the more we know God. While nothing could ever fully define God, it is nice to see in scripture how God defines elements of Himself through the names He takes.

Prayer using God’s names

Any time I start a conversation with a friend it’s natural to use their name to address them. This shows them that I want their attention.

When we write a formal letter, say to a government official, you could start it with something like: “To whom is may concern” But would that appeal to any government official in particular? No. But if I started it with: “President Donald Trump” it would be identifying clearly that I wanted the President to pay attention.

When we pray, we address God in this way. We look for His attention and usually we use one or more of His names in this address. We want His attention, but even more than this once you know the character behind those names you can see how important it is to God that we pray.

Prayer is simply talking to God. We address Him by His Name (or Names) and confidently bear our requests to Him. The first reference to prayer as we know it is Genesis 4:26.

“And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.”

Before this men had talked with God, but in more of a conversational way like you would with a friend who was physically in the same room.

Adam and Eve knew a time when they “…heard the voice of the LORD (Jehovah) God (Elohim) walking in the garden…” (Gen 3:8^⁠1) they had an opportunity to access with God that was very special.

Scripture points to God’s Name as a source of help and hope over and over:

"Our help is in the name of the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth."
Psalm 124:8

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower:
The righteous runneth into it, and is safe." 
Proverbs 18:10

“8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God:  
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 
9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: 
And I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.” 
Psalm 52:8–9 

The Bible uses three main Hebrew Names for God, and then uses combinations of those names to form twelve or so other Names of God. Over the next couple months we’re going to look at each of these in scripture. We’re going to see how they can give us great confidence and focus in our prayer.

Studying and Application:

1. Search the English phrase “name of the Lord” in the Bible. How many times is it used? Read through some of them, what significance can be seen in the passages you read concerning the “name of the Lord”?

2. What do Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 138:2 and Psalm 52:8-9 say about God’s Name and how we ought to know and understand it as well as we can?