There is Power in His Name
by Tracy Gordon
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” –Proverbs 18:10
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” –Romans 10:13
For a while now, the Lord has been nudging me to write a devotion on a very personal matter. I wanted to be obedient, but just didn’t feel I was ready to write it until He made it very clear on a recent Sunday in church.
During communion, the worship team began to sing the song, “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me.” The words pierced my heart and soul in a profound way as though the Lord was saying, “Get to writing, the time is now.” The following lyrics were what made it crystal clear…
He is my joy, my righteousness and freedom
My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace
The night is dark but I am not forsaken
For by my side, the Savior He will stay
To this I hold my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won and I shall overcome
Yet not I but through Christ in me
Oh the chains are released, I can sing I am free
Yet not I but through Christ in me.
So here goes. I pray the truths in this devotion will be of encouragement to you and that the Lord will use it to equip you to break free from any anxiety that may be gripping you.
Five years ago, I lost my dear brother, Larry. He fought a courageous battle with brain cancer. The thing was, after surgery, weeks of radiation, months of chemo and rehabilitation, his prognosis was good and we thought he was going to make an excellent recovery. One night, I was helping to care for him. We helped him to bed and were excited that the next day, lots of family were coming over. The next morning, he was unresponsive when we went in to get him up. I performed CPR but it was too late. The Lord had called him home. We were devastated as this was so unexpected.
A couple years later, I began experiencing severe anxiety at night although I didn’t know it was anxiety at first. I would go to bed afraid to go to sleep. I would lay there and my heart would start to race. Sometimes my lower legs and feet would start to tingle and then the shaking would start as though I was freezing. I felt like something was severely wrong with me. Did I need to go to the ER? Should I wake my husband? I began to realize that this was anxiety but couldn’t figure out why it was happening. After fervent prayer, the Lord soon revealed what the trigger was. I was having PTSD from my brother passing in his sleep and then not being able to revive him. It was making me fear sleep and suffer through nightly anxiety and panic attacks. I was so thankful to have figured out the trigger; but now, what should I do about it?
I eventually developed a routine that I would do every time the anxiety reared its ugly head. I would get out of bed, go out to the living room, and gently sway back and forth; doing some repetitive stretching motions and saying, “Lord, please clear my mind and calm my heart. Thank You, Jesus.” I would repeat this over and over and over. This might go on for 30 minutes or more, but eventually a sense of peace and calm would come over me. Then I would go back to bed.
Although I was so grateful to the Lord for bringing me through this every time, I was so mentally and physically exhausted from dealing with it. I just wanted it to end. One morning, I was reading a devotion and the scripture from 1 Peter 5:7 jumped out at me. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” I wanted to do that, but how, Lord? That week, it seemed like every Christian song I heard on the radio as well as the theme of the Sunday sermon all had to do with calling on the name of Jesus. My daily Bible reading program highlighted the scripture Proverbs 18:10 and Romans 10:13 which read, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” and “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” My heavenly Father was definitely trying to tell me something…there is power in His name! Friends, God has given us everything we need for victory against the enemy’s schemes (which includes anxiety). All we have to do is stand on His Word.
I had been praying and asking the Lord to help me with my anxiety, but had I called upon His Holy Name? The next time night fell and the anxiety took hold, I jumped out of bed, put my hands in the air and said, “I call upon your Holy Name, Jesus. You are the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. I rebuke this anxiety because I know it’s not from You, and I ask You to take it from me in Jesus’ Name. Please clear my mind and calm my heart. Thank You, Jesus.” This time, I had a different feeling of peace come over me. Not only did I feel calm, but like there was a protective shield covering me. I was safe.
What I realized was that when you call upon the Holy Name of Jesus, you are uniting yourself to the person of Christ. His name serves as a shield against spiritual warfare and temptation. It provides comfort, allowing you to find peace and refuge during moments of anxiety or suffering, and brings strength to rely on His power rather than your own.
It was evident that my help came from the Lord and I don’t need to carry this anymore. I finally let go, giving it to the One who is in control. Anxiety magnifies our problems and minimizes our view of God. It prevents us from seeing God’s power and sovereignty in the midst of our circumstances. There may be times in your life when fear seems overwhelming, but don’t be overcome by fear. Instead, overcome your fear with Jesus.
For me, actually “calling on the Holy Name of Jesus” has been life-changing. I now do it every morning when I wake up. I am thankful to report and give all glory to God that my nighttime anxiety has stopped. I am free! Thank You, Jesus! Oh the night has been won and I shall overcome. Yet not I but through Christ in me.
Lord Jesus, You are the Name above all Names. When anxiety, worry, or fear rise within us, help us to call upon Your Holy Name before we are overwhelmed. We know that You are near, that You care for us, and that Your peace is stronger than our fears. Teach us to bring every worry to You and to rest in Your faithful love. Thank You for being our strong tower. In Your mighty Name we pray. Amen.