I used to be afraid to trust God. And it bothered me.
I wanted to slip my hand in His and let Him lead.
I wanted to put my concerns in His capable arms
and believe He could take better care of them than I could.
I wanted to have more faith.
But I didn’t. And one day I realized why.
It’s hard to trust someone we don’t really know.
Therein was the reason for my hearts hesitancy to fully rely on God.
You see, I knew a lot about God but I didn’t really know God.
So I decided to start spending time with Him like a friend, getting to know Him.
Talking to Him with simple-sentence and conversational prayers
listening to Him through promises in His Word
depending on Him in different circumstances
relying on Him in faith as I struggled with different fears.
Over time my “knowing” and trusting God got stronger and stronger.
And my depth of dependence grew as I depended on Him and found He is dependable.
What about you? Do you ever struggle with trusting God, like really trusting Him and fully relying on Him to meet your needs like I have? One thing that has really helped me get to know God and push through my fear of dependence is remembering the names of God and giving Him a chance to show me the faithfulness of His character through the power of His names.
The truth is we can’t know God as Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, if we aren’t in need. And when we are, we can learn to trust Him as we depend on Him to meet ours needs. The more we do this, the more our trust will deepen and our relationship with Christ with be strengthened.
Our confidence in Him will grow as we live in the powerful promise of this beautiful verse: “Those who know your name trust you, O LORD, because you have never deserted those who seek your help” (Psalm 9:10). Let’s pray: Lord, I want to know You for who You really are. I desire to trust and follow You more and more each day.
Knowing God By Name – printable
I’d love to send you a FREE “Knowing God By Name” printable. Simply enter your email below ( I promise not to share it with anyone.)
ENTER TO WIN: I Know His Name by Wendy Blight
My friend, Wendy Blight, has written a five-session Bible study about discovering power in the names of God. This study is for any woman who wants to move beyond simply knowing about God to really knowing God in a very personal way. This study will help women to:
- Realize their infinite worth as they explore the nature of the God who created and formed them.
- Live with bold assurance that their God is a personal God who sees them, hears them, and knows them by name.
- Walk confidently in knowing both who they are and Whose they are.
- Arm themselves with seven tools to pray more confidently and effectively in any situation or circumstance.
- Transform their walk with Jesus as they discover how He fulfills the Old Testament names of God.
ENTER TO WIN by sharing why you’d like to study this topic and have a copy of Wendy’s new book. Simply click SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS below. One winner will be randomly selected on Friday and notified via email.
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I want to have a copy on the study of the Names of God. There will be so much joy like anyone else to understand and deepen my relationship with Him for His Name is above every Name.
It’s my deep desire to continue to learn all I can about our wonderful glorious savior! My word for the year is TRUST and I think going through this bible study with book in hand will teach me to trust even more in God and His goodness.
I want to know know God deeper. I desire to trust and follow Him more each and everyday! I want to put my life in his hands completely and be obedient in what he asks of me in my life. I know he has plans for me and I can’t control them only he can. I want the fulfillment of ease and peace in my heart that only God can provide us with!
God bless
The best way to know someone is to spend time with them learning all you can about them. I would love to spend more time getting to know our AWESOME God, Father, Friend, Lord, Savior, on a more personal level.
Thank you and God bless you!
As Renee said I want to really know God not just know about him, I believe this book will help me draw closer to him.
I have been leading a bible study at our church and think this would be a great study to include!
Janice, what a gift to your church that you have the passion and giftedness to lead Bible study! Thanks for sharing. This book is a great study for churches and neighborhood Bible studies because it is short (5 weeks) and has DVD teachings to compliment the teachings each week (15-18 minutes). I would be honored for you to use it!
Blessings,
Wendy Blight
Im so grateful for this ministry & I seek help in walking out my faith!
I would like this study because I am tried of saying that I know and trust God but not truly Believing it myself… I really want to believe and live what I say I believe and know!!!
i would love this book. i truly never knew that god has so many names. i know of maybe 3 and that about it. please i hope i win and would love to get more personal with my lord . thank u and god bless so much.
I am really enjoying learning more about the Names Of God. I would love to share a copy with a Friend!
Hi Wendy, right before this study I purchased a daily devotional by Christopher D. Hudson titled 100 Names of God. When I saw you were offering this Bible study my heart leaped. God had led during the month of February to get to know Him better, up close and personal. I bought the devotion but I’m even more excited about an instructional Bible study. One guiding me to his very heart and character. I’m looking forward to what He is going to with me & our relationship through my obedience of continuing my journey by participating in this study. Knowing Him all the more means everything to me.
I’m so excited that you are joining us Georgetta!! I love that you have a devotional with 100 names of God. Wow!! Be sure to share along the way. Thanks for stopping by today.
Blessings,
Wendy
One of my prayers has been to know God in a more personal way I love my Pastor – but I want to know God like he knows God. I want to know the God that Renee Swope knows.
I believe along the way we get messed up by life – the distractions – the losses – the illnesses – and sometimes God feels so far away – or maybe we have moved farther away because we don’t understand Him like we think we should.
For me it’s been a struggle to know Him better. I didn’t know that grieving for my son’s murder 11 years ago – would take so much out of me – mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. But more importantly spiritually. I was told by ministers that my negative thoughts caused his murder, that I didn’t pray right when I asked the Lord to save him and keep watch over him – that had I prayed right it wouldn’t have happened. I know it’s been 11 years but I still struggle at times with wondering how a loving God could allow this to happen. I haven’t been to find how God is going to work this for good.
I’ve asked the Lord more times than I can count – why – and is this my payback for what I did when I was younger. I thought when God saved you and delivered you from drugs and alcohol (that was almost 20 years ago that He set me free) – that I wouldn’t have to pay for things I should have done that I didn’t. But as I’ve been told you reap what you sow – and maybe, just maybe if I understood God better, I could find some peace with my son.
Be blessed.
Oh, sweet friend, you do need to study and know the names of God!! God does NOT “pay us back” for things we do or don’t do. And as you meet God in His Word and in His names, you’ll come to know him intimately and personally and we see His great love for you and how the bad that comes into our lives is not sent by Him, but He is there to help us, equip us and carry us through it. We live in a world where people make bad choices and bad things happen, but God is good. I’m sorry your pastor said those things to you. They are not biblical, my friend.
We know that bad happens in this world because we have a God who says that but then promises He will work it for good. I was raped at knifepoint by a man hiding in my apartment at age 21. For over a decade, I did not see how God could ever work it for good. But he did!!! He opened the door to a ministry for me to help others and equip others to walk through these hard times. The book is Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner.
We are thankful you stopped by to share your story and your heart. May God touch you in a very real and personal way so that you will know that He deeply loves you and cares about you. I promise if you get into His Word every day, He will minister healing to your heart.
Blessings,
Wendy
I so long to know God in such a way that My first thought in any situation is His. I want to Trust Him and not allow my feelings to dictate my life. I’m excited to get into the Names of God Study!
I would love to know God more. Sometimes I think I just know about Him.
I like to show God’s other names… I learned a few before.. I enjoy reading
what Wendy writes..
I want to understand all of God. That includes His names that he goes by.
This book sounds like it is something God wants me to read. Like it will meet me where I am at right now. Thank you!
I need to really see and absorb God in different lights. So often I forget His intimate love as a daddy and feel that He is angry and disappointed with me.
I’ve always wanted to study the Names of God. Wendy’s book sounds fantastic.
Thanks for this!
I agree with your opening statement… We can’t really begin to know God until we begin to trust Him with our lives. It’s then that we find Him dependable to meet our every need. Interesting that His names match our needs… Cant wait to begin the study.