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Question Title Posted By Question Date
praying the names of God Linda Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Question:

Brother Ignatius; There is a book written by a protestant lady, Ann Spangler, called "Praying the names of God". Below is a summary of her book.

I could only find a litany in Honor of the Eternal Father but it didn't use the names of God from the bible.

Is this idea about praying the names of God from the bible only a protestant one? Would it be alright for a Catholic to pray this way using these names?

Hebrew Names of God

In response to frequent questions from our readers about the Hebrew Names of God, we are pleased to provide the following list derived from the devotional book Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide by Ann Spangler. Spangler is also the coauthor of the bestselling Women of the Bible.

Praying the Names of God takes the reader through the primary Names and Titles of God in the Tanakh (Old Testament) to reveal the deeper meanings behind them. This book may be purchased through our online store.

The following list is by no means comprehensive, but lists 26 of the most prominent Names of God. (the list follows but I didn't include it here)



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Linda:

Praying the Names of God is an excellent idea and an old one. Some Catholic litanies do mention several names of Jesus, for example.

There is an old black baptist preacher that is famous for a sermon in which he gives a litany of name after name after name after name of Jesus Christ. He is so dynamic about it that by the time he finishes the litany (which takes some time) the whole congregation is on their feet praising God.

I have tried doing that myself in some of my sermons, but I cannot duplicate the charism of this great preacher.

To pray the names of God in one big litany will get your juices going.

Just think of it Jesus is our God, his is

our Advocate (1 John 2:1)
the Almighty (Rev. 1:8; Mt. 28:18)
the  Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8; 22:13)
the Great Amen (Rev. 3:14)
the Apostle of our Profession (Heb. 3:1)
the Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (1 John 2:2)
the Author of Life (Acts 3:15)
the Author and Perfecter of our Faith (Heb. 12:2)
the Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10)
the Beginning and End (Rev. 22:13)
the Blessed and only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15)
the Bread of God (John 6:33)
the Bread of Life (John 6:35; 6:48)
the Bridegroom (Mt. 9:15)
the Capstone (Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7)
and Chief Cornerstone (Eph. 2:20)
our  Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4)
the Christ (1 John 2:22)
and our Creator (John 1:3)
our blessed Deliverer (Rom. 11:26)
he is Eternal Life (1 John 1:2; 5:20)
the Gate (John 10:9)
the Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11)
the Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:5)
the Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14)
the First and Last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13)
the Firstborn From the Dead (Rev. 1:5)
the Firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15)
the Gate (John 10:9) of eternal life
He is God (John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; 2 Pet. 1:1;1 John 5:20; etc.)
the  Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)
the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20)
the Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14)
the Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; 5:23)
the Heir of all things (Heb. 1:2)
our High Priest (Heb. 2:17)
the Holy and True (Rev. 3:7)
the Holy One (Acts 3:14)
our Hope (1 Tim. 1:1)
our Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27)
the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)
the I Am (John 8:58)
the Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
the Immanuel (Mt. 1:23)
the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42)
the King Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17)
the King of Israel (John 1:49)
the King of the Jews (Mt. 27:11)
the King of kings (1 Tim 6:15; Rev. 19:16)
the King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3)
the Lamb (Rev. 13:8)
the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
the Lamb Without Blemish (1 Pet. 1:19)
the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45)
the Life (John 14:6; Col. 3:4)
and the Light of the World (John 8:12)
the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5)
the Living One (Rev. 1:18)
and the Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4)
the Lord (2 Pet. 2:20)
Lord of All (Acts 10:36)
Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8)
and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)
the Man from Heaven (1 Cor. 15:48)
the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15)
the Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)
the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
the Offspring of David (Rev. 22:16)
the Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:9)
Our Great God and Savior (Titus 2:13)
Our Holiness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Husband (2 Cor. 11:2)
Our Protection (2 Thess. 3:3)
Our Redemption (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)
Our Sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)
the Power of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
the Precious Cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:6)
the Prophet (Acts 3:22)
and Rabbi (Mt. 26:25)
the Resurrection and Life (John 11:25)
the Righteous Branch (Jer. 23:5)
the Righteous One (Acts 7:52; 1 John 2:1)
the Rock (1 Cor. 10:4)
and the Root of David (Rev. 5:5; 22:16)
the Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14)
the Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Rev. 1:5)
the Savior (Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:4; 3:6; 2 Pet. 2:20)
the Son of David (Lk. 18:39)
Son of God (John 1:49; Heb. 4:14)
Son of Man (Mt. 8:20)
Son of the Most High God (Lk. 1:32)
the Source of Eternal Salvation for all who obey him (Heb. 5:9)
The One Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5)
The Stone the builders rejected (Acts 4:11)
True Bread (John 6:32)
the True Light (John 1:9)
and True Vine (John 15:1)
the Truth (John 1:14; 14:6)
and the Way (John 14:6)
the  Wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)
the Word (John 1:1)
the Word of God (Rev. 19:13).

Praise God. Our Lord and God is all in all. God of Heaven, God of earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou are the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of Whose reign there shall be no end, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy glorious majesty.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

 


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