In my 20+ years of professional ministry, I’ve had the occasion to pray publicly quite a bit. I tack this phrase onto the end of nearly all my prayers, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” Maybe you pray that way too. Maybe you’ve heard other’s do so. Why do we pray that way? Do we need to? Will it help our prayer be more effective?
Jesus says in John 14, verses 13-14, that if we ask in his name, he do whatever we ask. Yes! Now this is the teaching we want to hear. “In Jesus’ name I ask for a million dollars.” Wait…let me get a bit more spiritual. “In Jesus’ name I ask for cancer to disappear across the planet.” What do you want to ask for? We’re about to solve all the world’s problems, get rich, and have perfect bodies.
Or will we? You’d think that would have happened long ago.
As much as you and I might have a desire for at least some of those answers to prayer, you probably already knew that’s not what Jesus meant when he gave us this astounding promise. What does asking in Jesus’ name mean?
Asking in Jesus’ name means asking in such a way that is aligned with who he is. It is asking for Jesus to empower us to do his will, advance his kingdom, and serve his mission, which is precisely what we should be asking for. Too often we ask for lesser things, believing money or some new gadget or friendship will fill the emptiness in our hearts. Jesus says we should be asking in his name. It is desiring more of him and his ways, more of his Father and the Spirit in our lives. Then doing our part to advance the mission of their Kingdom.
Jesus is not saying, “When you pray, please add the phrase ‘In Jesus’ name’ at the end of all your prayers, and then I will grant you what you prayed for.”
That sounds a lot more like I Dream of Jeannie or Harry Potter. Instead Jesus wants us to be so familiar with him, his heart and his mission that we pray for the things that he loves. “Jesus help me serve the poor,” without tacking on some phrase, we already know that prayer is in his name. “Jesus, help we get rid of my anger and be kind.” Don’t need to tack on a phrase to that one either. “Jesus, help me to go without luxury so I can be more generous.” “Jesus, help me to grow a loving relationship to my neighbor whose ethnicity and culture and language is very different from my own.” All of these are prayers that are in Jesus’ name.
Followers of Jesus, then, are people who are at home with God, people whom God has made his home with, people who practice a faith now, in line with Jesus.
As we follow Jesus, as we get to know him more, we will see why people flocked to him and followed him. Then we will want to partner with him to bring more of his Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.
We will look more and more like him. Then we will do greater things as we live his abundant life now. This is not always easy. But it is the good stuff of life, as we give of ourselves sacrificially, making changes, giving of our time and energy and resources to his Kingdom. Let’s follow him into that kind of flourishing life. What we will find is that he makes his home with us.
Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 