365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 345: Giver of Salvation

Giver of Salvation

"But I pray to you, LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation." (Psalm 69:13 NIV)

Sometimes when I pray for people and don't know how else to pray, I ask God, "Save them in every way they need saving."

I love the power of praying Scripture, but being both memory challenged AND inordinately hung up on whether I'm getting the exact correct wording of the Bible verse I'm trying to recall, I tend to get distracted. I need very short verses, or, better yet, just a word or two.

With all this baggage as background, I've started praying a beautiful word we usually hear only once a year: "Hosanna."

Hosanna means "save now," and when the people shouted it as Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the young donkey that had been appointed for Him hundreds of years beforehand (Zechariah 9:9), they were asking for political salvation as citizens. But Jesus came to offer permanent saving for their souls.

Jesus only needs to save us once from sin-induced eternal separation from God—which He does when we confess our sins and trust Him as Savior—but how thankful I am that He saves us again and again from ourselves.

From our selfishness. From our natures. From temptation. From who we are in our own strength and power.

I know I need saving from myself "now" about every other minute. I suspect I'm not the only one. So I've started incorporating this one, glorious word into my prayers.

Hosanna. "Save now."

Sometimes, I shout it. Sometimes, I whisper it. Sometimes, I turn it over and over in my mind. Sometimes, I attach a specific name to it: "For __________, hosanna. FOR ________, HOSANNA!"

And for myself, hosanna.

This isn't some kind of magic spell. But if the most powerful prayer is the one we actually pray, then maybe this is another weapon to add to our arsenal.

"Hosanna!"

With your sure salvation, O God, save now.