We have all experienced times of great pain, disappointment, or confusion – and maybe you’re in one of those valley’s right now? I know when I have been in those seasons, there are times I cannot even form a sentence to pray to God. What I find myself saying over and over again is simply His name, “Jesus!” The value of that one-word prayer has sustained me many, many times.
As I say His name over and over again, my mind will regularly tune into a song I sung throughout my childhood and thankfully, the words are still ingrained.
“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just
Something about that name.
Master, Savior, Jesus, like the
Fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all heaven and
Earth proclaim.
Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away
But there’s something about that Name!”
To have that song going through your mind constantly, be on your heart when you wake up in the night or first thing in the morning, brings incredible peace and rest. Another song, “I Speak Jesus” is amazingly powerful. I’m linking the video here as it’s guaranteed to give you Holy Spirit chills!
But recently, I came across another word in the Old Testament that caught my attention – Ebenezer. I know … your first thought was probably the grumpy, old guy in “Scrooge.” But actually, the name Ebenezer was in the Bible a long time before that story was ever written. It literally means, “stone of help.” Anything with the word “stone” in it always catches my eye as it is my last name. However, when you read the story behind the “Ebenezer stone” in 1 Samuel 7:10-13 you find a very applicable meaning.
When the Lord rescues the Israelites from the Philistines, Samuel takes a large stone and names it Ebenezer. He then says, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
I began to think about this truth in my life. How many times has the Lord helped me? Proven Himself to me? Countless!! Most of the time, the prayer has not been answered in the way I would expect … but His ways are always higher than my ways. And as I look back over my life, my hurts, and my pain, I see the woven tapestry of His hand on my life. I can say with certain belief, “Up to this point, the Lord has helped me!” and I know I can rely on Him for anything in the future.
Side Note: If you’re looking for an avenue to really encourage you in your prayer life … for those times when you are able to pray more than one word, I have two suggestions I cannot highly recommend enough. The movie, "War Room" and the complementary book, "Fervent" by Priscilla Shirer. There is actually a Bible study that goes along with the movie as well. The movie will encourage you as you see the power of prayer lived out and what it can look like in your life. The book will guide you and help you as you create your battle plan to fight back against everything the enemy is trying to steal from you. I urge you to borrow or purchase these today.
Back to the passage from 1 Samuel – up to this point, how has the Lord helped you? Why not make a list of the ways He has helped you throughout your life? My guess is the list will be longer than you expect. Maybe we can call this our “Ebenezer List?” When life is hitting you hard, this list can stand as your “stone” to remember.
In the future, when I’m about to drown in my circumstances, I now am armed with another one-word prayer … Ebenezer! Now my challenge to someone is … create a song with the similar meaning and impact of the one above using the name “Ebenezer!” That makes me giggle just to think about it!
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