How to Define Amen: What You Need to Know About Faith

Have you ever wondered why we say amen at the end of a prayer? How do we define amen, and why does it matter?

I admit I’ve added an amen to many prayers as an automatic end-cap, without thinking much about it. But this morning, a verse in 2 Corinthians stops me. Perhaps I’ve flattened something deeply imbued with meaning, made trite a word that reverberates with the very nature of Christ.

With Him the answer is always “yes.” In Jesus we hear a resounding “yes” to all of God’s many promises. This is the reason we say “Amen” to and through Jesus when giving glory to God.

2 Corinthians 1:19-20, The Voice

Amen isn’t an ending, but an acknowledgement that God can be counted on. It’s agreement with what already beats in the heart of our Lord. It’s coming alongside God’s already, willingly-spoken “yes.”

YES, you may have Me. All of Me. The whole of My beating heart for humanity. The essence of My presence. The strength I supply. The hope I breath into you when you come to Me in prayer.

YES to every promise I’ve ever spoken, every promise tucked into My Word, every promise that pulls you towards Me.

YES to you. Because I love you, always.

“Amen” is reminiscent of My yes-heart. Evidence of My nature. Reassurance that I’m as faithful today, in this moment, as I’ve ever been.

What Does Amen Mean?

When I ask Oxford to define amen, I get the dictionary definition: “so be it.” What weighty words! I think of Mary, whose humble amen opened heaven’s door wide open to the whole of humanity. You might remember her response to the angel when told that she’ll bear the very son of God: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 ESV).

When we say amen at the end of a prayer, we too step into reverence, trust, and surrender. It’s like slipping your hand into God’s great one as we survey what’s impossible without Him. Declaring that God is aware of every detail. Trusting Him to unfold the plan at the perfect pace.

“So be it” slays our will and chooses His.

“So be it” trades our smallness for God’s greatness.

“So be it” bends in reverence to a holy and worthy God.

“To and Through” Christ

Paul says our amen is both “to and through” Christ. This couples presence with power.

Only through Christ is there endless strength when ours wanes, forever love when ours is feeble, a reservoir of wisdom when we reach the end of our own.

But an amen is more than what God can do for us. It’s Him with us. Him locking eyes with us. His presence bringing peace to our souls.

Take note of the tenderness in this interaction as Jesus reminds of both His power and presence.

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26 NKJV

We grasp onto Jesus’s words, as we should, but don’t miss where Jesus’s eyes rest as He speaks this timeless promise. He’s looking right at them! Holding their gaze. Assuring them that He who holds this power is also right in front of them.

When Paul suggests we direct our amen to Jesus, I picture this scene. Our eyes meet Jesus’s as we say back to Him, “So be it. Amen and amen.”

Utter an amen in empty air and you forget that Jesus comforts us with His presence all the while that He listens to our breaking hearts and hopeful petitions.

But lock eyes with Christ and say amen straight TO Him, and you remember He’s in the room with you. 

Giving God the Glory

An amen at the end of a prayer reminds us that faith isn’t up to us. It’s a gift–undeserved and immeasurably costly–from Him to us.

Our piety, our scrappy self-worth, our boot-strapped perfectionism, our humanitarian heart earn us nothing in the eyes of God because He already, absolutely adores us. 

He loves us because that’s who He is. 

He listens to us because that’s who He is.

No matter how pitiful our plea or minuscule our faith, God always picks up the slack, meets us in our lack, and has our back. He offers a “Yes!” layered with promises, power, and presence when we say “amen.”

Our amen says, Lord, I trust you. And our trust, as tentative as it might be, honors God. Our “so be it” is a way to glorify Him in the middle of what we don’t understand yet, in the middle of what we’re learning to forgive or let go, in the middle of our everyday conversations.

What if we said amen out loud as we directed our trust to Jesus, while talking to someone else? Imagine the ripple effect of weaving your conversation with God into your conversations at work, at home, as you walk your neighborhood!

Here’s a blessing to take with you this week:

May the tender cries of your heart and your tentative trust meet the gracious love of God.

May you know, deep in your soul, that the God with matchless power is present with you.

May you say your amens straight to Jesus and trust Him to do the rest, at the right time, all for His glory.

In the name of our Lord, I pray. So be it. Amen and amen.

Just a friend over here in your corner,

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What if you gave your faith the chance to ripple right into your neighborhood? These quick tips provide a wide variety of baby steps to help you begin to build friendships with your neighbors. When we get close to God and let others get close to us, the things God is working out in us can show.

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