Names of God prayers

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Most of us remember the childhood prayer that begins with the phrase, God is great, God is good, let us thank Him . . . Yes, God is great and God is good, but He is so much more too! To teach your children about the many dimensions of God’s character, keep an envelope in your car or at the kitchen table that’s full of slips of paper with various “names of God” written on them.

Every time you go for a drive or sit down to eat, have your child pull out one name for God and pray together, based on the name. For example, “The God of all Comfort” is one of God’s special names. You can pray a simple prayer together along those lines, such as, Thank You God for being like a warm quilt on a cold night. When times are rough, what a comfort it is to have You as our Comforter! Amen. (This name and prayer are based on 2 Corinthians 1:2-4.)

Here are some more names of God to inspire praise. The first two columns listing names of God and supporting Scriptures are reproduced, with permission, from Time Out: Prayer Retreat Manual by Mary Kassian (Kingdom Communications Inc., 2005).

Name of God Supporting Scripture Sample prayer of praise
“El”
Mighty One		 Psalm 50:1-2
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.”		 God Almighty, You are the Mighty One. As we see the sun rise and set each day, please remind us of Your beauty and Your power. Amen.
“El Shaddai”
God Almighty		 Revelation 4:8b
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”		 Lord God Almighty, only You are holy. Thank You for being the Lord of yesterday and today. You are the Lord of tomorrow and the next day too. Amen.
“Borey”
Creator		 Isaiah 40:28
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.”		 God, You are the Creator of the earth. You never get tired and You never grow old. Thank You for making __________. Amen.
“Ha-El-ha-Nora”
Awesome God		 Nehemiah 9:32a
“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps His covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in Your eyes . . .”		 Awesome God, today we want to praise You for being so amazing! Thank You for __________________. Amen.
“El ha-Kavod”
God of Glory		 Psalm 29:3-4
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.”		 God of Glory, when I hear the thunder and it is scary, please help me remember that it is Your power making the big rumbles! Amen.
“Melek ha-Goyim”
King of the Nations		 Jeremiah 10:6-7
“No one is like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is mighty in power. Who should not revere You, King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You.”		 God, You are great! You are King of the nations! You are wiser than all the wise men in the world! Amen.
“Yahweh Rophey”
Lord Healer		 Exodus 15:26
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.’ ”Psalm 103:2-3
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases . . .”		 Lord God, today we want to thank You for being the One who makes us better when we are sick. Thank You for forgiving us too – healing the sin-sickness in our hearts. Amen.
“Yaweh Shalom”
The Lord is Peace		 Judges 6:24
“So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites ”
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”		 God of Peace, we pray today, thanking You for ___________ (name a stressful or difficult situation relationally). We ask You to give us peace in place of ________ (worry / fear / fighting etc.). Thank You. Amen.
“Hatsur”
The Rock		 Deuteronomy 32:4
“He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.”		 God, You are our Rock! Thank You for being solid and strong like a rock! You are faithful and we trust You! Amen.
“Pele Yo-ets”
Wonderful Counsellor		 Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
John 14:26
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”		 God, thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit as our teacher! We want to be willing to learn everything You want to teach us! Amen.
“Uzzi Yawhe Chizqi”
O Lord, My Strength		 Psalm 59:16-17
“But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to You; You, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”		 God, when we feel weak, please be our Strength. We want to sing praise to You, even in times of trouble. Amen.
“Immanuel”
God With Us		 Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.”		 Jesus, thank You for living on earth as a person. Thank You for being with us every day too! Amen.
“Ek Theos”
Love		 1 John 4:16
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”		 God, You are love! Please fill us with Your love so we can share it with others. Amen.
“Moshiach”
Messiah / Christ		 John 1:41
“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ).”
Philippians 2:8-15
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming 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.”		 Jesus Christ, today we bow down and call You Messiah and Lord. You are Lord of this earth and Lord of the whole universe. We invite You to be Lord in our home and Lord in our hearts too. Amen.

 

Radio frequencies

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While listening to the radio, intentionally tune the radio poorly. Then use the following questions to initiate discussion.

Questions for discussion
  • Is it enjoyable to watch or listen when things are not tuned correctly? Why not?
  • When you are communicating with others, are they always tuned-in to your communication?
  • Does this make communicating with them easy or difficult?
  • Can you hear what one DJ is saying if you are tuned-in to another frequency?
  • How can we tune-in to what God wants to tell us?
  • How do we tune out the things that Satan wants us to believe?

To further develop this concept, ask your kids to list some things Satan would want them to believe and compare their answers with what God says instead (i.e. Satan says it is OK to lie if it is only a small lie. What does God say?) Close your time by praying and asking God to help you tune in to His voice.

Name that tune

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Have your children listen to music, then ask them to identify the song. Use a CD player, or play songs on a musical instrument. If you are driving in the car, hum familiar songs or listen to a CD.

The tale of two families

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While driving or waiting in a line up, tell this story while making modifications to draw maximal interest from your children:

A day at the park

One family had children named Me First, Gimme the Biggest and That’s My Toy. The second family had kids named Go Ahead, You Have It and It’s Your Turn. At the park, Me First shoved to the front of the line all the time. At snack time, Gimme the Biggest took the largest chunk of puffed wheat square, leaving almost none for the other kids. That’s My Toy wouldn’t share any of his sand toys with the others.

These kids went home early from the park because their mother was tired of intervening in the trouble they caused and stopping their fights. When they left, everyone at the park felt like cheering (although they didn’t because they knew this would be rude). The kids in the other family had a wonderful time at the park.

Go Ahead let others go in front of her at the slide. You Have It passed around his snack of oatmeal cookies to the other kids in the park. It’s Your Turn delighted the other children by sharing his new sand rocket. When they were going to leave, the other children at the park begged them to stay as they had made everyone else’s afternoon at the park so enjoyable.

The lesson to emphasize is that the outcome of the greed in one family is misery. In the second family, their generosity blesses others, and everyone enjoys spending time with them. After the story, use the questions that follow to create dialogue with your children. You can tell a similar story and change the setting if your children would relate more to a family visiting the circus, going shopping, at the swimming pool or even Disneyland. James 3:13-16 can also be reviewed to give a Biblical perspective.

Questions for discussion
  • Which child in the story would you like to play with?
  • Which child in the story would you like to be like?
  • Have you ever seen any of these kinds of kids at the park?
  • If so, which ones?
  • Would you want to be a part of a family that is full of envy and selfish ambition or full of peace and consideration for others?
Relevant Scripture

James 3: 13-16 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice.”

Tone and expression matter

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This game works well while driving in the car. Speak a phrase and have your kids tell you if your tone is harsh or gentle. For example, say “Please stop doing that,” in a variety of ways. Let your kids give you feedback on whether or not they would like to be spoken to that way.

Let the game lead into a discussion about tone of voice and how people are more willing to listen when we speak gently.

Questions for discussion

Use the following questions to help your children think about they should aim to speak to others:

  • How would you like me to ask you to put away your toys?
  • How should a parent tell a child that it is time to go home when the child is having fun visiting at a friend’s house?
  • What should you say when you want a treat and I don’t give you one?
Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:21 “The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction.”

A gentleness story personalized

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While you’re driving, or during a quiet moment at home, tell a story that emphasizes the value of treating others gently. Use the plot below, or invent a similar one of your own. Feature a character and a special stuffed animal your child will relate to.

When Jordan’s grandma returned from a holiday in Texas, she brought him a special stuffed animal – one that resembled a wolf. Jordan had never seen such a wonderful stuffie. He loved wolves, and although he had other toy animals, Jordan had never had one that looked like a wolf.

Jordan named his new stuffie “Wolfie.” He took Wolfie to bed with him every night and felt safe when he cuddled Wolfie.

At first, Jordan was gentle with Wolfie, but soon he started treating his new stuffie roughly. If his mom or dad did not read him an extra bedtime story, or if he had to go to bed early, he would throw Wolfie to the floor. “Don’t do that,” Jordan’s parents cautioned, “or Wolfie will get hurt.” But Jordan didn’t listen. Sometimes, when he was feeling frustrated, Jordan would even punch or hit Wolfie.

One day, Jordan had a fight with his sister. While he was still feeling very angry, he went to his room and kicked Wolfie against the wall. But as Wolfie fell to the floor, Jordan noticed a large tear in Wolfie’s side. Wolfie’s stuffing was even starting to fall out.

Jordan called, “Mommy, I’ve hurt Wolfie! Come quickly!” Jordan’s mother came running. When she got to his room, she found Jordan holding Wolfie and crying. She hugged Jordan and said that she would help him try to fix Wolfie.

Together they picked up the stuffing and pushed it back into the large hole in Wolfie’s side. Wolfie looked a little better, but he was still lumpy and torn. Jordan’s mom got out her sewing machine and did her best to fix the tear.

When she was done, Wolfie looked like himself again, but he had a large scar down his side where Jordan had kicked him. Although the hole had been fixed, it was still obvious that the fabric had once been torn.

Jordan loved Wolfie as much as ever and took care to be gentle with Wolfie. Every day, when he saw the scar on his special stuffie’s side, he remembered how important it was to be gentle with his toys and his friends. He didn’t want to cause anymore scars.

The essential truth you’ll want to share with your children is that toys can be repaired or replaced, but when we hurt people, we can’t fix the hurt as easily. When we hurt others through using unkind words or rough actions, we can’t see the pain we have caused in a person’s heart.

Questions for discussion
  • Do you ever hit stuffed toys?
  • Are you ever rough with your toys?
  • Have you ever hit a person?
  • Did you know that hitting can really hurt people and toys?
  • Do you ever speak unkindly to your toys?
  • Do you ever say mean things to your friends or brothers and sisters?
  • How do you think God wants us to treat each other?
Relevant Scripture

Colossians 3:12-14 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Certificate of authenticity

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Visit a jewellery store with your children. Compare both real and artificial pearls, diamonds, gold and/or silver.

Explain that sometimes it is not obvious – even to an expert – if precious metals and stones are authentic (real), or merely imitations of the real thing (fake). Tell your children that when you buy the real thing, the jeweller gives you a “certificate of authenticity” to prove the article is genuine. (If you request it, the store’s assistant may be willing to show you a certificate of authenticity.)

Questions for discussion

Review these questions to further the discussion on real (God-made) versus synthetic (man-made) jewels and metals:

  • Sometimes people cannot tell the difference between real and artificial jewellery. Who always knows the difference? (Psalm 90:8, Ecclesiastes 12:14)
  • When we use our mouths to speak truth or falsehood we can sometimes fool people, but who can we never fool? (Psalm 139:4)
  • Can we say the same thing about your words that God says about His own words? (Isaiah 45:19)
Relevant Scripture

Psalm 90:8 “You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.”

Psalm 139:4 “Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord.”

Ecclesiastes 12:14 “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Isaiah 45:19 “…I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.”

Travelling tales and tails

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While you are driving in the car, tell your kids something false, such as “Hey, look at that horse running down the road.” Do it again a few blocks later, and yet again another few blocks down the road.

Questions for discussion

When the kids begin to comment on your dishonesty, use the following questions as a guideline to initiate discussion:

  • Did you think it was funny when I mentioned the horse?
  • Would it be funny the second time?
  • What if I told you untrue things like that all the time?
  • Did you stop believing me about the horse?
  • If you tell stories that are not true, even just to be funny, will other people trust what you say?
  • Can you think of a dangerous situation that might arise if people realized that they can’t trust what you say?
Relevant Scripture

Proverbs 26:18-19 “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!’ ”

Real versus make believe exercise

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Whenever you read your children a story, ask them if it was “real” or “make believe.” Children can be very perceptive, but it is good to give them an opportunity to confirm their judgement. While driving, tell your children stories and have them practice discerning whether the stories are factual or fictional.

Complimenting God

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The goal of this “complimenting God” exercise is to help your children practice honouring God when they are given a compliment. Here are some example responses you can practice over dinner or while travelling in a vehicle. Also take time to read your choice of the Bible verses listed below and review the discussion questions.

  • “Susie, you are a great soccer player.”
    “Thank you. God gave me a talent for playing the game.”
  • “Jeff, you sure are a bright boy.”
    “Thanks. I give God the honour. He is the one who made me.”
  • “What a great runner you are, Jen!”
    “Thank you. God gave me quick feet.”
  • “You swim so well, Tyler!”
    “Thank you. God made me kind of like a fish.”
  • “Andrew, what an amazing drawing you have done!”
    “Thank you. God gave me the gift of being creative. I’m glad He made me this way.”
  • “You are such a pretty girl, Isabelle!”
    “Thank you. God is the one who made me this way.”
    Or, “Thank you. I like to think of myself as one of God’s many neat creations.”
  • “You play the piano so well, James!”
    “I practice a lot, but it is God who gave me a natural talent for music.”
Questions for discussion
  • What gifts and talents do you have that others compliment you on?
  • Who made you and gives you talents and abilities?
  • Who placed you in the position of honour over the animals on the earth?
  • If you are going to boast, what should you boast about? (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Key concepts

When we forget who God is and who we are, it is easy to become proud. God made us and deserves thanks and praise for all that we are and all that we have (Isaiah 66:2). He is the Creator of the whole earth, and all that is in it, including us. God is the one who placed people in the position of honour over the animals on the earth (Psalm 8:6).

Any honour we receive from others should be reflected back to God. He made us! When someone compliments us, pride will tempt us to say or think, “Yeah, I’m great!” A humble person, however, will remember that God deserves the honour for making him/her as He did.

Relevant Scripture

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”

Psalm 8:3-9 “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

Isaiah 66:1-2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house you will build for Me? Where will My resting place be? Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the Lord. ‘This is the one who I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.”