Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. (John 17:11)
Denise stood behind the counter of her Bible bookstore in Auburn, California, while a woman hurled curses. Denise distributed as many prayers as she did books, and this customer was in sore need of intercession. In fact, the Holy Spirit made it known the crazed woman carried a demon that hated God, his children, and the literature of the Way.
Denise thrust an arm into the air. “In the name of Jesus, be silent.”
The woman went mute, fell to her knees, then stumbled out the door.
This event is reminiscent of when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus. In response to their inquiries he proclaimed, "I am He." He invoked the name God had given to himself, “I Am that I Am.” The soldiers drew back and fell to the ground.
There is awesome power in the names shared among the Trinity. Generally, an entity contains all its life and strength, while the name is merely an external label. But God is so mighty that power sparks from his name when it’s invoked.
As the passage above informs us, when we wear the name of Jesus, we join the unity he shares with Jehovah. His supernatural protection surrounds us. Our decaying flesh isn’t always preserved, but the real person inside can’t be touched by destruction, demons, or death.
Jews don’t pronounce the name Jehovah because it’s too holy. They’re right. Those who speak the name as an expletive or in casual speech don’t fathom the depth of their folly. Nevertheless, once I slip the garment of Jesus’s holiness over my head, I’m entitled to reverently speak, own, and hide in the name of God.
Prayer: Holy, awesome, mighty Jehovah, I bear your name.