by Joyce Meyer - posted February 04, 2013

You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
—Exodus 20:7

Malachi 1:14 says, “For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and My name is terrible and to be [reverently] feared among the nations.” As a Christian, you need to have such reverence for the Lord that you are afraid to speak any of His holy names without purpose. But we often say things like, “Oh God,” “My God,” and “Dear God” as casual terms of expression.

According to the Bible, we have been given authority to cast out demons, pray for the sick, and preach the gospel in the name of Jesus. How can we expect to see God’s power manifested if we use His name seriously one time and frivolously another? If we mix positives with negatives, we will operate with zero power.