What should we call God? When you're communicating with God, how do you refer to God? Do you call Him Father? God? Lord? Yahweh? Some see God as feminine - so perhaps Mother?
The thing is many people have some very strong ideas about how we must refer to Him to be successful in communicating with God. Some folks go so far as to say that if you call God by any name other than His correct one He won't hear you. There may even be a few people who believe there is some sort of punishment associated with calling The Almighty something other than whatever they perceive His correct name to be.
So what are the names of God? Or perhaps what is THE name of God?
Personally I use "Father". I don't view God as masculine or feminine anymore. Spirit is neither and God is spirit. I was raised with that terminology and I'm comfortable with it. In my relationship with God what I call Him isn't important.
Let's assume that you've never tried to communicate with God before and now for whatever reason the events and experiences of your life are creating a desire within you to connect with God. You're wondering about names for God. How should you go about calling out to God?
Well, there are a few things that need to be understood first.
1. God created you. You are in His image.
You could read the story of the father and two sons in Luke 15. That's a story that Jesus told about a son who spent much of his life away from the father and then returned. Jesus told the story to help you and I understand the great love the Father has for his children.
2. You are one with God. Your spirit and His spirit are intertwined in such a way that it's impossible to tell where one starts and the other begins. Scripture teaches that our spirit returns to God who gave it. Some of Jesus's final words on the cross "Into Thy hands I commend my spirit". Spirit is the "real" you. It's not limited by physical constraints of any kind. It's that aspect of you that is one with God.
3. Bible characters didn't seem to stress over what to call God. I can't think of a single place in the Bible where there was a question about how to address God. There were different approaches to communicating with God - from prayer to sacrifices to casting lots. If Bible characters didn't worry about it and Jesus didn't specifically address it - I don't think it's anything to worry about.
There's another issue that comes into play here as well.
The God we read about in the Bible was defined in the Hebrew language. So there's a language barrier to some extent. I suppose we could all learn Hebrew, read the scrolls and try to better understand God in that way - but the reality is there are folks doing that and - well it doesn't appear they're any better off in terms of communicating with God.
A relationship with God doesn't come by studying scripture, Hebrew, Greek or anything else. Let's imagine for a moment that the language of the Old Testament was English. Let's imagine that the King James Version of the Bible was the original text. Would it really make any difference? Would you suddenly be connected to God?
What if it was Japanese, Spanish, French or some other language?
Alright I'm getting a little off track here and you get my point.
Let's remember that we are dealing with Infinite Spirit here. God isn't a being that becomes upset if you call Him something other than what someone else thinks He should be called.
If you're God is the sort that does, then I guess you'd better figure out what He wants to be called and stick with that. My God, however doesn't care. He just wants to communicate with me, and does. We just don't sweat the small stuff. Sometimes He calls me Robert and sometimes He just calls me without a name. I like it just the way it is.
If you're still worried about what to call God, try this. Get still. I mean really still. Still all your ideas and thoughts about God - even the ones about what to call Him.
Then ask God what He would like you to call Him. Whatever comes to you will be your answer. Go with that. That is something between you and God. It may be a personal name just for you to use.
When you get your answer, realize that every other person may be getting the same or different answer. God by any other name still wants a personal relationship with you.
It doesn't matter what your name for God is. What matters is that you're communicating with God!
Robert Pedersen invites you to enjoy a minicourse he has created..... if you are serious about communicating with God that is. You will receive a lesson every few days in your inbox giving you time to think about each lesson.
It's FREE! Get it here! => Communicating With God
Focus on Communicating with God! => http://www.bestillknowgod.com/
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