Praise God That You Bear His Name - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) May 24, 2024

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 4:16 that although Christians will suffer for the sake of their faith, we are to "praise God that you bear that name."

Has it ever occurred to you to thank God that you are called by His name? Yes, when you became a Christian, you joined the family of believers and became one of His children. As is typically the case for most children when they are born, you got the name of your Father written on your birth certificate. That certificate is a page in the Book of Life that calls you the child of God and thus a bearer of this name.

It is easy for some to look at all their struggles and genuinely wonder what benefits they've experienced as a child of God. This is because God's children go through tough times. In many cases, the enemy attacks them to make them regret choosing God's family. And, at other times, the Lord allows these challenges to strengthen and build up His children. Neither situation is fun and when one is in the midst of it, the pain and stress can seem daunting.

Nevertheless, can you truly say you've never experienced God's blessing? Can you say He's done nothing for you? Are there no Jericho Moments you've experienced where God worked a miracle for you or a loved one? Has God not shown Himself to you in a way you can hold on to?

Even if that is somehow your testimony, there is breath in your lungs. You've been chosen to see a new day while others weren't so fortunate. No matter how tough things are, there is a future and a hope for you and as you walk with God you will surely see it (Jeremiah 29:11). Plus, despite the trials you have been through, a time will come when you will look back and smile that you made it through with God's help. All of this is because the Lord's best is for His children and He promises that the days to come will be better than those of the past (Job 8:7).

Also, because you are God's child and bear the mark of Christ per Galatians 6:17, the worst of what satan wanted for you never came to pass and never will. When the Bible said that the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy that was no exaggeration (John 10:10). The devil wants God's people feeling hopeless and if possible, dead. That way they cannot resist hell's operations on earth. It is the grace and love of the Lord that spares each of us from the fullness of satan's wicked desires and causes our enemies to not have success.

Today, let us express gratitude that we are part of the family of believers. Let us thank the Lord that we are His children, chosen and loved by Him. Take a moment to think of the kindness you've experienced in this world. Remember the mercy God has shown you. Give Him thanks, confident that you have encountered and will encounter more of His blessings because you bear His name.

And if you are unsure that you are His child, this is the moment to change that. Ask Jesus to come into your life and reconcile you with God. Tell Him that you want to bear the name of God and submit to being His child. Just invite Him to make himself real to you right where you are. And because Romans 8:14 teaches, "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God," ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. That way, you will always be led by the Lord and remain His child even when life seeks to pull you away from Him. I pray in the name of Jesus that everyone who cries out for the Lord this way will have a tangible encounter. May you come to know God deeply way whereby He's as real as any human being you know. I pray you will have a wonderful relationship from this day, in the mighty and wondrous name of Jesus Christ, Amen.