"…Amen!"

       We're all familiar with the practice of saying "amen" at the end of a prayer. The word Jesus used is the Greek version of the Hebrew word, amen, which comes from a root word, aman, meaning "to build up or support: to foster, as a parent or a nurse: to render, be firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; to be true or certain. " It connotes steadfastness, surety, verity, trust.

        The word means "so be it," or "so let it be done." The first place the word is used in the Bible is Numbers 5:22, in connection with an oath administered by a priest to determine infidelity in marriage.

        In Deuteronomy 27, the word is found 13 times in connection with a series of curses, or condemnations, recited by the Levites. An example: "And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice, 'Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Eternal, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen!' " (Deuteronomy 27:14-15).

        This was solemn public acknowledgment and agreement. They were answering, "We agree, so let it be done—let it be accomplished exactly as stated."

        David wrote, "Blessed be the Eternal God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen, and Amen" (Psalm 41:13).

        There are three uses of the word: (1) Initial amen, referring to the words of another speaker. See I Kings 1:36, where Benaiah said, "Amen: the Eternal God of my lord the king say so too." (2) Secondary or detached Amen, the complimentary sentence being suppressed, as in Nehemiah 5:13: "Also I shook my lap, and said, 'So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.' And all the congregation said, 'Amen' and praised the Eternal. And the people did according to this promise." (3) Final amen, the most common usage, as in the " Lord's Prayer," illustrated by the Apostle Paul when he wrote "…I will pray with the understanding ... else ... how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say 'Amen' at thy giving of thanks..." (I Corinthians 14:15-16).

        There is a further, deeper meaning. "Amen" is used as a name, or a description of Christ, and God. "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness; the Beginning [Beginner] of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14). Since God has self-inherent eternal life the Perpetual, Eternal, Ever-living God—and since "amen" means "So be it," and God introduced Himself to Moses as "I AM," meaning the One Who was, and is, and is to come, it is natural that the Hebrew expression which connotes steadfastness, truth, positiveness, endurance, absoluteness, finality, surety, should be applied to the divine family.

        Men have incorporated the names of God into their own names from time immemorial. My own middle name is a shortened form, or "nick name" for "Theodore" (although "Ted" is my legal name), which means "Gift of God." A translator's error in Genesis obscures the true meaning of the verse, which should read, "…then began men to call themselves by the name of the Eternal" (Genesis 4:26). This is said at the birth and naming of Enos, the first letter connoting El, or God. From that time forward, hundreds were named after the divine names and titles. "Elijah" means, "El, He is "Jah," or, "God, He is God." Names like Elishiba, Elisha, Joel (Jah-El), Enoch, Jared, Joshua, and so many others include one of the names of God.

        The concept of an "omen," meaning a supernatural indication of some sort, whether evil or good, stems from ancient usages of the Hebrew word aman, from which "amen" derives. Ancient Pharaohs included this name in their titles. "Amenhotep" is one example.

        Paul uses the word in expressing the truthfulness, verity, surety of the gospel and of Christ's teachings. He wrote, "But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay [or, vacillating, hesitant, ambiguous, unsure]. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus [notice the Greek name for God, Theus, in the name], was as yea. For all the promises of God not yea and nay, but in Him was glory of God by us" in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (II Corinthians 1:18-20).

        What should go through your mind when you conclude a prayer with the expression, "Amen"?

        Let me draw upon an analogy. The difference between many amateur golfers and professionals is that the professionals have a "grooved swing." Through constant practice, careful attention to the fundamentals like grip, stance, takeaway, movement of their hips and legs in coordination with the upper body, keeping the head still, they learned long ago to make their swing constant, almost automatic. The amateur golfer, on the other hand, is continually "picking his swing apart." He may stand over the ball, saying to himself "Keep your head down; check your grip, look at your stance, take away by, ‘curling under’ with the three fingers of the left hand, move the right elbow closer to the body," and a host of other things. The result is a tad, erratic, sometimes wildly off-center shot. Millions of amateur golfers are continually looking for the "secret" to a better golf game.

        This continual search for perfection is why golf clubs and clothing and all associated paraphernalia are a multi-billion dollar business. It is why so many read the many golfing magazines, or purchase video tapes and recordings, and buy books and manuals hoping to improve their swing.

        What they are doing is picking their swing apart. They stand over the ball, thinking anxiously of the things they should have long since committed to memory; long since made apart of them, until it became habit, automatic!

        The professional doesn't "pick his swing apart" any more. It's a "natural" swing, because he has grooved it into his mind indelibly, with a tremendous amount of practice, not to say natural ability and athletic coordination.

        What should occur to your mind when you conclude your prayer with "Amen" is that it is finished. It is accomplished. God has heard. It will be done. He has promised. It is conclusive, final. Once you have spent twenty or thirty minutes or even an hour on your knees with your heavenly Father, it finally comes time to give the prayer to God; to leave the results with Him. That's when it's time to say, "Amen," which means, "So let it be done." It means, "It is finished." And it means something else! It should mean to you—In faith—that you are saying to God, "Father I know you have heard and I know you will answer."

        When you say "amen" you let go of your prayer. You don't continue to "pick it apart," worry over it, repeat it over and over again. Now, it's time to leave the result with God.

        Study the context in which Jesus gave the sample outline for prayer. You will be shocked! Do you know Jesus was condemning the practice of monotonous repetition? Do you know He was condemning the Pharisees for their "oft-speaking" and their repetitious prayers in public places, saying they "think they shall be heard through their much speaking"? Actually, the famous "Lord's Prayer" is not a prayer at all, but an outline for meaningful prayer. Christ specifically forbade monotonous repetition! But what have many sincere but misinformed religious people done? They have memorized the outline and endlessly repeated it in public places; reciting it as if a talisman, believing this is somehow pleasing to God. Not so. Christ specifically condemned the practice of repeated, public prayers.

        So now you know. Now, you know how to pray. Now, you know the conditions to answered prayer, as we saw them in Acts 2:38. It is my own fervent prayer that the writing of this book has proved to be inspiring, informative, encouraging, deeply rewarding to those who read it. I dare to hope, and make it my prayer to God in concluding these words, that this small book may change human lives for the better. If such occurs in only one instance, it will have been well worth the effort. For of what value, after all, is only one human being, inducted into the very family of God—glorified with Christ in His Kingdom? I would encourage you to read this book more than once, to look up, and read for yourself each scriptural reference. Most of all, I would encourage you to pray. As you have seen, we could spend an hour or more praying about each word or phrase of the so-called "Lord's Prayer," and even then, we would have just begun. As I related at the beginning, I know God answers prayers. I have seen miraculous answers within only moments; I have seen answers delayed for years; I have come to understand that sometimes the answer is either "no," or, "not yet." Paul besought God thrice, and knew the answer had been delivered—but the answer was "no." No one has some magical formula which makes the Great, Awesome Creator of the whole universe jump to our whims, or hasten to satisfy every need. Certainly, I do not. I have known of those who have prayed for years for specific requests which have been denied them. Why? is the answer somewhere hidden within the beautiful thing God is shaping of each of our lives? Does it have to do with faith, and with character?

        On the other hand, I have known of those who have cried out to God in time of need, and have received dramatic, almost instantaneous answers. As a witness to miracles, I can say with Job, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth" (Job 19:25).

        Amen.

-End-