I AM
Several years ago, when I was attending a large Charismatic church, the pastor asked me to bring a message to the congregation. As I sought the Lord, He gave me something which changed my own prayer and faith life forever. Many in that church, including the pastor and his three assistant pastors, said it was a blessing to them. I present it here the way the Lord gave it to me!
When one of us has a problem, a need, a situation, our first tendency is to seek “an anointed man of God” such as a pastor or evangelist or other minister. Or we might turn to a born-again brother or sister in the faith and seek their counsel. However, when all is said and done, it matters not what any of them would say! All that matters is one thing:
WHAT WOULD GOD SAY?
So then, what would God say? We know His Word is forever established, never changes, so whatever God says in His Word, the Bible, will never change. Jesus said heaven and earth would pass away, but His words would not pass away. In Exodus 3:14 God says something very important, “…say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent you.’” God tells Moses that His Name is I AM, or in the Hebrew “Yahweh,” and He also instructs Moses that “This is My Name forever” in verse 15. The Old Testament people went on to believe that the sacred Name of God was too holy to utter, and began to identify the name Yahweh only as YHWH. The early English translators picked up on that and substituted LORD for the holy Name of the Most High.
From this the Lord spoke to my heart saying, “When you pray ‘hallowed be your name’ what do you think My Name is? When you pray Psalm 103, ‘Bless the LORD, O my soul and all this is within me, bless His Holy Name,’ what do you think My Name is?” “Obviously,” He said, “it is I AM.” That’s the written Word of God, forever established and never subject to change.
This was followed by the giving of a series of questions and answers which I still employ regularly in my devotional life. The revelation contained in this dialogue is a real faith builder!
When I have a problem or a need, I go to God the Father, in the name of Jesus, and ask, “Father, are you able to deal with this?” He says, “I AM.”
Then I go back to Him again saying, “I know you are able. You are Almighty God, Creator of the universe. You can do anything. But are you willing?” Again, He says, “I AM.”
Then I go once more to my Father in heaven and say, “I know you are able. I can even believe that You are willing. But…” (here’s where the rubber meets the road!) “are You going to?” And, yet again, he says, “I AM.”