AMEN?
This is a topic I am presently working through.
WHY AND HOW DO WE USE THE WORD “AMEN” (SO BE IT)?
THE WHY:
Most of us have been taught to say “Amen” at the end of our prayers, and I think it mostly comes from the end of “The Lord’s Prayer” at Matthew 6:5-13.
However, the last part of Matthew 6:13 which includes the “amen” is missing in the earlier (hence, presumably more reliable?) manuscripts, and translators do not include it in our modern Bible translations. Also, in the parallel “Lord’s Prayer” passage in Luke 11:2 et seq., Jesus does not close His teaching with “amen”.
If you do believe that the “amen” in Matthew 6:13 is valid, then I submit that it is used to affirm the immediately preceding exaltation, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever” with “so be it” – rather than as a device to close the entire prayer. This is consistent with the usage of "amen" in the rest of the Bible. (see analysis below)
So, I’ve found nothing to support thinking that we should end all our prayers with “amen” based on Jesus’ teaching models of The Lord’s Prayer.
However, as a matter of ritual and tradition most prayers said in most churches and other religious gatherings end with “Amen” regardless of the nature of the prayers, teaching us by example the "appropriate" way to talk with our God.
THE HOW:
I think most often we use "amen" to indicate “the end” -- “over and out”, a conclusion to our prayer.
Here is how “amen” is used in the Bible:
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OCCURRENCES OF THE WORD "AMEN" (SO BE IT) IN THE BIBLE (NASB)
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CONTEXT
MEN RESPONDING TO ANOTHER MAN'S INSTRUCTION
THE RESPONSE REQUIRED OF THE PEOPLE AS MOSES READ SPECIFIC PROVISIONS OF THE LAW HANDED DOWN BY GOD
JEREMIAH RESPONDING TO INSTRUCTION DIRECTLY FROM GOD
MEN RESPONDING TO ANOTHER MAN'S EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE TO GOD
THE CLOSING OF A MAN'S EXPRESSION OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE TO GOD (includes Matt. 6:13)
A MAN CLOSING HIS INSTRUCTION OR TEACHING TO OTHER MEN
VARIOUS CREATURES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATIONS AS THEY WORSHIP GOD
TOTAL (OT & NT)
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OCCURRENCES
3 TIMES
14 TIMES
1 TIMES
3 TIMES
22 TIMES
6 TIMES
4 TIMES
53 TIMES
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The analysis shows that in the Bible whenever a man said “amen” to God he was:
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1.
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Responding to a personal directive straight from God, and he affirmed it with “so be it”.
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1 time
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2.
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Ending worship and praise directly to God and affirming it with “so be it”.
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22 times
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Those are the only times in the Bible when men who were talking with God said, “amen".
We have (mis)understood that Jesus taught us to end all our prayers with “amen”; but He, in His conversations with His Father recorded in the Bible, never used the word “amen”.
Here’s the real issue of this message:
HOW we do use “amen” can be a problem.
When we use it to say “The end”, “Over and out”; we may be using it to compartmentalize and secularize our lives. In talking with our loving Father we’re not to have the same attitude as some who give tithes thinking, “I’ve given God His due and the rest is mine.” We know that’s wrong and, likewise, saying a prayer and ending it with “Amen”, meaning “The End”, and then going about our day without ongoing fellowship is contrary to our very salvation. Jesus has delivered us from that and provided the way for us to have a lifestyle of continual fellowship and constant communion with Him. I want to be dead in Christ, abiding in Him, praying without ceasing; there is no “Over and out”.
I think it would be presumptuous if I requested something of my heavenly Father and ended the petition with, “so be it”. That would make it more a directive rather than a request. Our Father knows our hearts and will receive our petitions accordingly; but shouldn’t we make every effort not to be rude to our loving Father?
Here’s another consideration: How do you close your correspondence with a loved one? Can you imagine coming to the close of a personal letter to your most loved one and saying, “So be it”?
I’m finding it helpful, when coming to a point of wanting to pray “amen”, to try substituting with some other more modern expression of final affirmation or devotion to see if it’s more appropriate.
Here’s a challenge:
Try praying without ending every prayer with “amen”. For me it continues to be awkward, especially when praying out loud with someone else. I am so used to closure, I really feel I am left hanging, wanting to say The End, and then be able to move on to something else. The degree of difficulty I have with not ending with “amen” tells me that this is a ritualistic habit rather than Spirit-led prayer. Recently, the Lord said to me regarding a different situation that it had “the stink of dead religion”. I think that evaluation also applies to the unthinking rote practice of ending all our prayers with “amen”.
I’ve been thinking about how to appropriately pray in general. First, I need to ask the Lord to show me how and what to pray, as the disciples did in Matthew 6. Also, praying in the Spirit in my private times is always a blessing. Next, according to the Bible examples, it’s always appropriate to conclude expressions of worship, adoration, praise, and exaltation thoughtfully with “so be it”, and mean it.
I’m becoming more comfortable with saying, “I love you, Lord”, when concluding other conversations with Him, and then, hopefully, seeking to continue in fellowship with Him.
It’s crucial to have honest conversations with our living loving God. With this communion we can know His great love, and we can truly come to know Him and His wonderful plans for our lives. And in these days it is imperative that we walk as closely with our Lord as we can. It may come to be a matter of life and death.
And, incredibly, He greatly desires for us to come to Him unhindered by religious superficiality, and He is exceedingly glad for our prayers. I want to eliminate any ritualistic pitfalls of dead religion in my conversations with Him.
I’ll close this with:
“I love you, Lord. I am very truly yours”.
Duncan
Appreciation to Ginger, my wife, for her invaluable help and support.
APRIL 15, 2018
We have (mis)understood that Jesus taught us to end all our prayers with “amen”; but He, in His conversations with His Father recorded in the Bible, never used the word “amen”.
Here’s the real issue of this message:
HOW we do use “amen” can be a problem.
When we use it to say “The end”, “Over and out”; we may be using it to compartmentalize and secularize our lives. In talking with our loving Father we’re not to have the same attitude as some who give tithes thinking, “I’ve given God His due and the rest is mine.” We know that’s wrong and, likewise, saying a prayer and ending it with “Amen”, meaning “The End”, and then going about our day without ongoing fellowship is contrary to our very salvation. Jesus has delivered us from that and provided the way for us to have a lifestyle of continual fellowship and constant communion with Him. I want to be dead in Christ, abiding in Him, praying without ceasing; there is no “Over and out”.
I think it would be presumptuous if I requested something of my heavenly Father and ended the petition with, “so be it”. That would make it more a directive rather than a request. Our Father knows our hearts and will receive our petitions accordingly; but shouldn’t we make every effort not to be rude to our loving Father?
Here’s another consideration: How do you close your correspondence with a loved one? Can you imagine coming to the close of a personal letter to your most loved one and saying, “So be it”?
I’m finding it helpful, when coming to a point of wanting to pray “amen”, to try substituting with some other more modern expression of final affirmation or devotion to see if it’s more appropriate.
Here’s a challenge:
Try praying without ending every prayer with “amen”. For me it continues to be awkward, especially when praying out loud with someone else. I am so used to closure, I really feel I am left hanging, wanting to say The End, and then be able to move on to something else. The degree of difficulty I have with not ending with “amen” tells me that this is a ritualistic habit rather than Spirit-led prayer. Recently, the Lord said to me regarding a different situation that it had “the stink of dead religion”. I think that evaluation also applies to the unthinking rote practice of ending all our prayers with “amen”.
I’ve been thinking about how to appropriately pray in general. First, I need to ask the Lord to show me how and what to pray, as the disciples did in Matthew 6. Also, praying in the Spirit in my private times is always a blessing. Next, according to the Bible examples, it’s always appropriate to conclude expressions of worship, adoration, praise, and exaltation thoughtfully with “so be it”, and mean it.
I’m becoming more comfortable with saying, “I love you, Lord”, when concluding other conversations with Him, and then, hopefully, seeking to continue in fellowship with Him.
It’s crucial to have honest conversations with our living loving God. With this communion we can know His great love, and we can truly come to know Him and His wonderful plans for our lives. And in these days it is imperative that we walk as closely with our Lord as we can. It may come to be a matter of life and death.
And, incredibly, He greatly desires for us to come to Him unhindered by religious superficiality, and He is exceedingly glad for our prayers. I want to eliminate any ritualistic pitfalls of dead religion in my conversations with Him.
I’ll close this with:
“I love you, Lord. I am very truly yours”.
Duncan
Appreciation to Ginger, my wife, for her invaluable help and support.
APRIL 15, 2018