Jesus. Just five letters, two syllables. His name is so simple yet so powerful. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were unable to put words to a prayer, but in your pain could simply whisper the name “Jesus”? Take a moment to reflect on these Jesus prayer moments. Here are a few of mine:
When I faced rejection and was left out in High School…Jesus
When I was in the depths of an eating disorder…Jesus
When I was far away from family and dealing with the death of loved ones…Jesus
When panic attacks and anxiety were relentless…Jesus
When the depression threatened to overtake me…Jesus
When obsessive compulsive disorder overwhelmed me with intrusive thoughts…Jesus
When friends received devastating news…Jesus
When the reality of being almost 40, single, and childless hits hard…Jesus
When the pain from my dad’s death takes my breath away…Jesus
When my heart breaks for all the pain and suffering in the world…Jesus
Some of my most powerful moments with God and most meaningful prayer times have been on my knees, eking out that simple prayer “Jesus.”
Romans 8:26 says “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” We don’t always need elaborate, long, eloquent prayers. Sometimes it’s just a groan or the acknowledgement that we need Jesus. We might not even know what we need Him to do or what to ask for, we are just realizing our dependance on Him and calling out for help.
The song “Your Name” by Paul Bloche comes to mind when I think about this. Part of the chorus lyrics are:
“Your name is a strong and mighty tower
Your name is a shelter like no other”
Jesus is strong, a mighty tower, our shelter. All of that is in His name. And we have access to Him anytime.
I’m so grateful we can come with confidence before our High Priest in our weakness and He empathizes with us and provides us with mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16). All we have to do is call on Him using the simple yet powerful name of Jesus.
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Danielle (Dani) Rupp grew up in a small town in Ohio and is a true Buckeye fan, though she tries not to be obnoxious about it. In 2011 she came to PA to earn her Master of Social Work degree. After graduation Dani accepted a position as a mental health therapist for children and adolescents in Coatesville. She was a nanny for several years as well. During that time she lived in Kennett Square and attended Willowdale Chapel. She returned several years ago from South Asia where she learned to tolerate spicy food and cross the roads without being hit, as well as volunteered with International Justice Mission in their Aftercare Department. In her free time, Dani enjoys going on mission trips/traveling, running, reading, and connecting with loved ones—preferably over coffee and a sweet treat.
Women's Worship Night
August 21, 7:00 - 8:30pm
Join us for a fun night of worship, prayer and dessert to kick off our fall women's groups. Women and girls of all ages across all of our campuses are invited. Feel free to bring a friend!
Our Women’s Worship Night is also an opportunity to explore the new fall women's groups and learn about ways to get plugged in. This will take place on Wednesday, August 21 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kennett Campus. If you have questions, please reach out to Carole Hoy.