Why Do We Say "Amen"?

I had been wondering what to write about next when my oldest son, Simon asked "Why do we say 'amen' after we pray?" I was blessed because I had just researched this very same topic.

Christian or non-Christian, we all say "amen" at junctures in our lives. We're familiar with it, but few know why we say it. It's not saying "Peace out, God" or "I'm good here." No sir. It is saying, "I lay aside my request, my will and submit it to your will, God."

This realization is so important because it removes us from the assumption that prayer is purely an opportunity get goodies from God. Rather it is a chance to communicate, listen and ultimately submit to God's will. 

Remember, Jesus taught us how to pray:

     Our Father who is in heaven,
     Hallowed be Your name.
10      ‘Your kingdom come.
     Your will be done,
     On earth as it is in heaven.
11      ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
12      ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13      ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 NASB)

His prayer is more about God, and not about Him. Yes, he puts forth requests for His needs, but in essence He bows His knee to God's glory and will.

Remember John's letter "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14) Or the Psalmist in regards to our desires "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4 NASB). Yes, this is not wholly about prayer, but it is about our heart's desire, which should focus on fulfilling God's will. 

Ultimately, in all our prayers our mission should be to fulfilling His will. Therefore if you hear "amen" in a prayer or conversation, take the time to remove the generality of the word and focus on the ultimate sovereign nature of God and submit to His will. AMEN.

**Updated**
Since posting I've been asked by several of you the origin of the word "amen." I went back and found the word "amen" 23 times in the Old Testament and 30 times in the New Testament. The Old Testament transliterated word is 'amen. It means "truly" or "so be it." In the New Testament, it comes from the transliterated Greek word amēn. Used at the end it was a "so be it" or "may it be fulfilled." 

Traditionally it was custom to say it in the synagogues and the tradition carried to the Christian gatherings. By a congregation of believers stating "amen" at the end of a prayer, they made the prayer their own. Matthew Henry comments on the word amen, "God's Amen is a grant; it shall be so: our Amen is only a summary desire; let it be so: it is in token of our desire and assurance to be heard, that we say Amen" (1229). Again, Henry puts forth we are putting our trust that our prayer has been heard, and we rest in knowing God's outcome is best.