"1,000 Names" by contemporary artist Phil Wickham is a stirring worship anthem that will bring you back to the heart of worship. Several other versions of the song have already been released by co-writer Sean Curran, as well as Passion. Let's look at how this song teaches us to reflect on God's character and respond to Him through worship.
I know You by a thousand names/And You deserve every single one/You've given me a million ways/To be amazed at what You've done/And I am lost in wonder/At all You do
Grow in the knowledge of who God is
I call You "maker"/You give life an eternal spark/I call You "healer"/You can mend any broken heart/I call You "faithful Father"/You finish everything You start/My soul was made to respond
I like to read the prayers in the Bible, especially the ones the apostle Paul prayed for the believers in the New Testament. A repeated theme you'll notice is how often Paul prayed for the believers to grow in the knowledge of God. Here are two of them.
Ephesians 1:17 (NLT): "...asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God."
Colossians 1:10 (NLT): "...All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better."
I believe the desire and prayer of Paul's heart for the early believers reflects God's desire for them and for you and me. We should desire to grow in the knowledge of God, and we should pray for God to do this work in our lives in an ever-increasing way.
Phil sings about knowing God by His names, and the lyrics highlight so many of God's names revealed in Scripture. God's names reveal His nature: His attributes, character, and actions. God reveals His nature to us first and foremost through His written Word. But He allows us to personally experience the truth of what His Word says about Him. He reveals Himself in tangible ways in our lives.
So if you want to know God better, the first step is reading His Word. Read the Bible and pay attention to how God is described. The Bible has some great descriptions of God. If you need a place to start, the Psalms, the New Testament letters and the Gospels have so many straightforward phrases and statements describing who God is.
As you read and learn, ask God to help you understand the attributes you're learning about Him and to open your eyes to see Him at work in your life.
Worship God for who He is
I know You by a thousand names/And I'll sing them back to You, yeah/Sing them back, sing them back to You
Growing in the knowledge of God isn't just about gaining head knowledge. It's about building a relationship with Him and growing our love for Him. Like Phil sings in the first verse, our souls were made to respond to who God is through worship. Worship is declaring God's worth and praising Him for His attributes. I once heard a Bible teacher describe worship as giving God a compliment.
As you learn God's names and attributes, you can say them and sing them back to Him in the form of worship songs and prayers of praise. You can literally say to Him in your own words things like: "God, You are merciful. You are forgiving." "God, You comforted me when my heart was broken and healed my pain. Thank You." It's that simple. Don't hold back. Don't be intimidated. Don't stay silent. Engage your heart, use your voice and express your worship to God.
Final Thoughts
The pursuit of the knowledge of God will be the greatest pursuit of your life. No wonder King David treasured it above everything else. His response was to sing joyfully to God, as shown in Psalm 27:4-6. As you get to know God more, boldly bring your offering of worship to Him with your words, your songs, and your life. Honor Him with your praise. Your worship pleases the heart of God.
Find "1,000 Names" on Phil Wickham's latest album, Hymn of Heaven. Buy the album on Apple Music or stream it on Spotify. Read the full lyrics to "1,000 Names" here.
NRT contributor Jasmin Patterson is a lifelong fan of Christian music who is passionate about helping others connect with Christ. She lives in Kansas City where she serves in college ministry and runs a blog to help seekers and believers discover and live biblical Christianity.
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