Wednesday June 19, 2024
Yes and Amen!
By Jenny Pfister
Amen! Such a small word. Such a powerful agreement! “Amen” is a Hebrew word that stems from the word “aman,” which means “to be faithful, support, confirm.” The word “amen” literally means, “so be it,” or “truly.”
So often, we throw this word around for all sorts of things…the end of a prayer…an agreement with a preacher, an emphatic response to situations…and on and on. We should never say “amen” just because others are saying it either. Instead, we should only say it if we are in personal agreement with what was just said. We are acknowledging what was spoken is absolutely true.
Jesus frequently used this word, but He would sometimes put it at the beginning of His sentences like when He said, “Truly, truly (amen, amen) I say to you,” or “Most assuredly” (amen) like in John 5.
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (Jn.5:24 NKJV)
What Jesus is emphasizing is “most certainly” or “truthfully, I say to you….” Since Jesus says it twice and repeats it, He is giving the greatest emphasis possible to whatever He has said so that we can know for certainty that what He has said is absolute truth. The repeating of the word is like an underlined statement or one that is in bold print. We might even put the sentence in italics or put an exclamation point at the end!
We should never say “amen” to anything that we are not certain about or not in complete agreement with because to do so would be speaking with hypocrisy. Paul use the word as an affirmation when he says,
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (2 Cor.1:20 NKJV)
Not only are all of His promises “yes, and amen,” Jesus is given the very name of “The Amen!”
And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God… (Rev.3:14 NKJV)
When we pray and put the amen at the end of it, we are believing that what we prayed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will come to pass. Why pray if we don’t believe in that prayer?
And when we walk together with Jesus, our Amen, we have His assurance. That is what is so amazing about the power of one little word. So before you say “amen,” make sure you believe in the “amen.”
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? (Amos 3:3 NKJV)
I agree, Jesus! (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of agree)
