Amen, Brother! by Pastor James Jackson

2 Corinthians 1:20 (Weymouth New Testament). "For all the promises of God, whatever their number, have their confirmation in Him; and for this reason through Him also our Amen acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through our faith." 

Amen: to be or become; so be it, truth, sure; may it be so; faithfulness; it is written. Its primary use is to indicate that the speaker adopts for his own what has already been said by another. A form of affirmation or confirmation of the speaker's own thought.

Amen is making a vow, a covenant that is sealed. It is aligning yourself, in agreement, to a statement and a commitment to follow through according to the original terms.

When we say “amen” in a prayer of agreement, we are saying that what was said is truth and then we align ourselves with that truth. We are declaring “may it be so; may what we have just agreed to come to pass”. Hmmm. Some things spoken in a sermon or prayer are not in accordance with the Word of God and, therefore, we can not and must not declare our agreement or alignment with that which was spoken. Some things we don't want to come to pass. We must, therefore, withhold our “amen”.

1. First, come into alignment (agreement) with the Word of God.
2. Second, listen closely to what is spoken in a sermon or prayer.
3. Third, give your “amen” only to that which aligns itself with the Word of God.

If the truth of God's Word is absent, then so must be our “amen”. Too often, we say “amen” without understanding or believing what was said (in a sermon, prayer or statement). It is used as a religious phrase by rote (mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition).

Once we understand the will of the Lord and put into practice His Word, our “amen” can and will be spoken with confidence and assurance. 

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)

Amen?