Your Great Name

I am loving the song, "Your Great Name" by Natalie Grant right now.  Such a powerful worship song.  I strongly believe in the power of praying in the name of Jesus, as the bible calls us to do.  I love the line in the song that says, "The enemy; he has to leave, at the sound of your great name."  It is true that the devil cowers in fear when we mention the name of Jesus or when we claim scripture out loud.  This is something I've taken to a whole new level since I've been pregnant, constantly claiming this baby for Christ and casting out the enemy with the power of Jesus' name.  Recently our church held their annual Easter pageant, and I loved seeing the depiction of when Jesus was tempted in the desert, (Matthew 4:1-11), and spoke scripture to drive the devil away.  We need to remember the enemy that attacks us is a terrified coward.  He knows he is defeated and weak, but doesn't want us to believe it.  It's so important that we do not live our lives in fear but rather with the courage and power of the Holy Spirit.  We have been given such a gift to have access to our almighty God and Father and we must claim this opportunity in our lives.

I will never forget the first time I heard Erwin McManus speak and he told a story about his son being scared one night when he went to bed.  I think he was afraid of something in his room and he asked his dad if he would pray that God would take away the fear or the thing that was causing it.  Erwin said something like, "No, but I'll pray that God gives you courage and power through Him to overcome and destroy it."  I love the incredibly powerful perspective he taught his son in that moment. 

We are already victorious in Christ, yet are often tempted to live in fear or believe that we can be defeated at times.  We ask that anything that could cause us fear be taken away, rather than claiming Christ to conquer it.  As Easter approaches, I encourage you to cling more than ever to the redeeming power of Christ and his resurrection, pray in the great name of Jesus, and believe in his power with a courageous boldness.  Pray specific scriptures out loud for your life and your family, believing that God is who He says He is, and He will do what he says He will do.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!

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 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11