What’s in a Name? – The Presidential Prayer Team

Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice. – Proverbs 29:26

During Old Testament times, names had great meaning. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham to signify that he was to be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-6). Jacob was to have Rachel as his wife, but Laban gave him Leah first. That created much ill will within the family. So when Leah bore sons to Jacob, she named them according to her situation (Genesis 29:31-35).

When Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians captured Jerusalem (Daniel 1), he laid hold of four young men whose names were changed as part of their assimilation into the Babylonian culture. But their Jewish names were linked to God and proved to be the names they lived by: Daniel (“God is my Judge’), Hananiah (“Yahweh is gracious”), Mishael (Who is what God is?”), and Azariah (“Yahweh is a helper”).

Similarly, Elijah was the prophet at the time of Ahab, one of the wicked kings of Israel. The prophet’s name means “My God is Yahweh.” Elijah also demonstrated a life lived by that name. When Israel was flailing under Ahab’s rule and living in obeyance to Baal rather than the living God, Elijah stood against the 450 prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel to show God’s power and sovereignty (1 Kings 18:20-40).

The illustrations above point to the fact that God should be your point of reference. Consider how your life represents His name and how your testimony supports His reputation. Make your life count according to the standards God has set. Then pray for these United States and its leaders that they may once again become united under the hand of the living God.

Today’s Verse: Proverbs 29:26

Many seek the face of a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: John 12:35-46

³⁵So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ³⁸so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”

⁴¹Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. ⁴²Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

⁴⁴And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.