October Encounter Week
Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova
Welcome to October Encounter Week!
An encounter is a special time when—in some way, big or small—we come face to face with God. These times can be fairly simple and private, or they can be extreme and mind-blowing.
Every time we encounter the Lord, we have the opportunity to be changed forever. He is lovely, and as His children, He invites us to become more and more like Him. We can do this in our dating life, in our marriage, and in all our hopes for the future.
For the next seven days, be “on the lookout” for God. Expect Him to speak to you, and write down whatever you sense He says.
How Does the Bible Describe God?
This week, let’s look at seven names of God found in Scripture and some simple prayers we can pray to see God in a new light.
Every day this week, set aside some time, and meditate on one of the names in the following list. (You don’t need to do them in order.) Ponder the name in your spirit, and ask the Lord to teach you more about it. Invite Him to show your heart what is real about Him, about you, and about what He’s doing in your life.
Note: If you have trouble sitting still with the Lord, it might help to set a timer for fifteen minutes. (Choose whatever time works for you.) This can help you press into Him when it’s hard to focus.
Name #1: The God Who Sees Me
Hagar named Yahweh, who had been speaking to her, “You Are El Roi.” She said, “This is the place where I watched the one who watches over me.” (Gen. 16:13 NOG)
Hagar asked herself, “Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?” So she called the Lord, who had spoken to her, “A God Who Sees.” (Gen. 16:13 GNT)
Do you feel unseen? Has the enemy tried to tell your heart that no one knows the real you and you are invisible to God?
The truth is, God is El Roi—the One who sees you. You are seen in ways that are bigger than your hopes and better than your dreams.
Ask God to show you how much He sees you.
Name #2: The Lord My Rock
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Ps. 18:2 NIV)
This name of God is what we need when we can’t think straight or when we’re overwhelmed and filled with anxiety. He is God the Rock—the Unmovable One. We need the Rock when we’re shaking.
We have access to the divine attribute of holy steadiness because He is our Father; we get to be rocklike because He is rocklike.
Do you feel anxious today? Overwhelmed? Confused? Ask God to show you how to grab hold of His rock-ness and walk in it.
Name #3: The One Who Goes Ahead of Me
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. (Deut. 31:8 NLT)
Have you asked God to help you in your dating life? Are you asking Him to lead you in your relationship? If so…maybe it is time to set aside doubt and step into faith, believing that He has answered your prayer.
Ask God to reveal how He is “going ahead of you” in your relationship.
Name #4: The Father of Heavenly Lights
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (Jas. 1:17 NIV)
The Lord loves you dearly, and one way He communicates His love is by giving gifts. He speaks the language of your heart, and He knows what will make you smile.
Ask the Father of Heavenly Lights to show you a gift He has given you that you haven’t fully noticed yet.
Name #5: God the Creator
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Gen. 1:1–2 NIV)
In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. (Gen. 1:1 AMP)
God is the Creator today, in your life, just as much as He was the Creator at the beginning of the world. If He knows everything there is to know about creation, even to the point of starting time itself and making it function according to His will, then He certainly knows what you need in your life today. He is being creative with you, because He is the Creator.
Ask God to show you how He is using His beautiful creativity in your life.
Name #6: God My Healer
He is the one who heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds. (Ps. 147:3 LEB)
He is the Rophe of the brokenhearted.
He is the one who bandages their wounds. (Ps. 147:3 NOG)
Where your heart is concerned, do you feel “broken” (damaged, not good enough, wounded, scarred, incapable)? Do you feel like having a great relationship is impossible or unlikely in your case?
If any of the descriptions of “broken” connect with your heart, bring your heart before the Lord, and ask Him to show you how He truly is your Healer.
Name #7: God Is Peace
And Gideon built there an altar to Yahweh, and he called it “Yahweh is peace.” (Judg. 6:24 LEB)
God will give a son to us.
He will be responsible for leading the people.
His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God,
Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6 ICB)
Many people live with a lack of peace in their hearts. They know more about chaos and fear than they do the peace of God, when Peace is one of His names. He is peace, and you get to live in His peace. All that peace, every bit of it, is for you.
Ask God to show you a creative way you can live in His peace.
The Comfort of Knowing God’s Names
Precious child of God, you are not alone. He is with you as you date, as you work, as you clean your house, as you drive different places—everywhere and everything.
Whether or not you are aware of this, you are His delight, and all His names are available to you. He is the God Who Sees you, the God Who Goes Ahead of You, God the Healer, the God of Peace, and so many other amazing, incredible things you can find in Scripture. May His names be a source of great comfort and hope for you this week.
Do you long for God to be a part of your dating life? Check out these other devotions:
Your heavenly Father loves you more than you realize! For more about His amazing, unending love, check out Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.