“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”-{John 16:23-14}
“In Jesus Name.” We often end prayers like that, but why? Is it some sort of “magical” formula, that guarantees if we say it we can get what we ask God for, and if we leave it out then God won’t answer our prayers or give us what we ask for? Is it like God hears your request but says “No, you can’t get what you asked because you didn’t say, “in Jesus Name.” We “believe” if we ask “In Jesus Name,” then God is obligated to give us what we ask like the magician saying “open sesame,” is “the formula” that does the trick to guarantee access or remove whatever is blocking, and we likewise believe asking “In Jesus Name,” is the “magic formula,” to get us what we want from God!
What do you think of when you think of “In Jesus Name?” Some people at the end of their payer may raise their voices and loudly say “IN JESUS NAME” as though somehow their intensity, emphasis, sincerity, and on these grounds they feel should convince God they are worthy to receive the demands that God hear and do their “will,” based on their “merits!”
But what does, “In Jesus Name”mean?
We pray “IN JESUS NAME” because Through Him alone is our
1. ACCESS – TO GOD.
OUR DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE ON JESUS ALONE FOR ACCESS TO GOD.
It means we come to God in total dependence in the Name of Jesus, His character, His Work, His merit, not in our own name our own “works” or “merit,” but exclusively in the LORD Jesus, “in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.“- {Eph 3:12}.
“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand,“-{Romans 5:2 NLT}
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. “-{John 14:6}. There is no other access to God except through the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. We declare our dependence upon The LORD Jesus and Him alone for access to God. You or I do not have access which is permanent with God based on our performance but on the perfect performance of the LORD Jesus!
We pray “IN JESUS NAME” because Through Him alone is our
2. ACCEPTANCE- WITH GOD.
“He has made us ACCEPTED in the Beloved.”-{Ephesians 1:6}. We cannot find acceptance with God through our own means. Cain tried this and as his own efforts were rejected so is every self righteous person and their works rejected.-{Gen 4:3-5}. This is hard for the ego to swallow because of the absence of awareness to the thorough bankruptcy of our hearts through sin to satisfy God. Our acceptance with God is through Jesus Christ alone. Our acceptance is not based on our performance, merit but His work exclusively. Accepted, totally, irrevocably, lovingly, eternally “in the Beloved.” Jesus is the Beloved of the Father. “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”-{Matthew 3:17}. The Son of My Love is whom Jesus is to the Father and we through The LORD Jesus are “the Beloved of God.”-{Romans 1:7}. Beloved Son, Beloved… you! You are His “Beloved!” And your acceptance is in Christ. As The Father accepts the Son, so He accepts you, “In Christ.” In His Name, is your Acceptance BEFORE and with God!
We pray “IN JESUS NAME” because Through Him alone is our…
3. ADVOCATE – JESUS IS OUR ADVOCATE
OUR DECLARATION JESUS IS OUR MEDIATOR.
Our sin had separated us from God and it was not through our own works could we satisfy God’s perfect standing but Jesus did. “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.“-{Isaiah 53:6}.”But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”-{Romans 5:8}
“For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”-{1 Tim 2:5}. “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;“- {1 John 2:1-2}
We pray “IN JESUS NAME” and only what is in
4. ALIGNMENT – WITH HIS WILL
“IN MY NAME” refers to His Person, what is true of His character, who He is. When we pray we can ask, does it reflect who He is, His character? His will as revealed in His Word?
We read, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. “-{1 John 5:14-15}. Asking “In Jesus Name” is not a free for all but has the boundary “according to His will.” So asking Him to bless a robbery is not “according to His will,” asking Him to bless bitterness and gossip or other sins is not “according to His will.” These and others such are not in accordance with His character, will, Person. It is the opposite of ” according to His will.”
How do we know what is “…according to His will?” It is revealed in His Word. “…the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” -{Deut 29:29}. He has revealed His will for us in His Word. This is why we must study His Word to know Him, His Word and His will. “…And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”-{Rom 12:2-3}. His Word is to dominate, permeate, influence our thinking so it can enable us to discern His will from His Word as we pray, “… according to HIS will.” “Let the Word Of Christ dwell richly in you…”-{Read Col 3:16}. “Whatever is true…dwell on theses things…”- {Phil 4:8}. ” How Blessed is the one…But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”-{Psalm 1;1-2}. Truth is what is to shape our thinking, and as His Word forms our view of Him, ourselves, others, this world and life we can pray from His perspective through the lens of Scripture as it were, “…according to His Will.”
His will is revealed through His Word!
Note, “HIS will,” not mine nor yours but “HIS” which speaks of our highest goal is His will come in the matter and for this to be true of us we must be in submission to HIM, HIS will, as the priority of our life and prayers. Jesus put it this way,
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.”-{Matthew 6:9-10}. Note the order, The Father’s Name be Honored. His glory is to be preeminent. His Reign in the life, situation, His will be done on earth as in Heaven! Pray for His glory as the purpose of the prayer. His Rule be done in the matter. His will be reflected in the circumstance as it is in Heaven. He shows us the purpose of prayer is The Father’s Glory ultimately, which is seen in the coming of His Kingdom and His will being done in the person, circumstance! So we see clearly when we pray that we submit ourselves, desires, to His Glory, Kingdom rule and will as the priority in our asking! It is all about Him. Note the word, “YOUR Name… YOUR KINGDOM…YOUR Will…” though we may not say it we often truly mean the opposite, “MY Name… MY Kingdom… MY will…” be done. And when we think this way we are not in alignment with His Name or will. What to do? Repent and thank God for the provision of the Blood of Jesus who cleanses us from all unrighteousness and then begin afresh with His Word governing and guiding our thinking and doing!
We pray “In Jesus Name” as The LORD JESUS is God’s Means to
5. ANSWERED PRAYERS
” Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.”-{John 16:23-24}. It is His will we pray. It is His delight to answer our prayers when they are in alignment with His will. He promises “ask and you shall receive.” And then this wonderful reason “SO THAT your joy will be made full.” God’s delight is to answer our prayers and fill us with Joy,satisfaction, delight through seeing Him answer our prayers. Every answered prayer I have is because and only through Jesus Christ. He answers prayers in alignment with His will as revealed in His Word.
We pray “IN JESUS NAME” because Through Him alone is our…
6. ADOPTION INTO HE FAMILY OF GOD;
“He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”-{Eph 1:5}. As much as you hear people wrongly say, “We are all children of God,” there is two spiritual families in the Scriptures, there are those who are “Children of the devil,” – “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”-{1 John 3:10}. Two spiritual families, and what characterizes each one, what identifies them is revealed. Also note Jesus said, “ You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. “-{John 8:34} and those who are children of God! “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.”-{1 John 3:1}. God has created us all, but not everyone is a child of God! “But God…” through our LORD Jesus Christ has adopted us into His family, and all who repent, turn from sin to God and place their faith in Jesus Christ and His Work alone to save deliver them from the power, penalty of sin, the dominion of satan and the wrath of God, into right relationship with Jesus Christ as LORD to rule over them and Savior to Rescue, save them They become His children. Jesus put it this way, “Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—”-{John 1:12} And With the adoption into His family we have all the rights of being His child-{Read Eph 1:3-14}
TO ASK IN JESUS NAME IS OUR DECLARATION THROUGH HIM ...
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have…
ACCESS TO GOD; We ask “In Jesus Name” is our declaration of dependence upon His Merit before the Father for our Access to God.
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have…
ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD;Our identification with Him and because of Him do we find we are fully accepted, favored through the LORD Jesus
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have an…
ADVOCATE WITH GOD; We ask “In Jesus Name” as our Advocate, Mediator with our Heavenly Father.
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have…
ALIGNMENT WITH THE WILL OF GOD; We ask “In Jesus Name” and all and only what is in Alignment with His will, which is revealed in His Word.
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have…
ANSWERED PRAYERS; He promises answers to our prayers “SO THAT your joy may be made full.”
It’s only Through the Name of Jesus do we have…
ADOPTION INTO HE FAMILY OF GOD;
“He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,”-{Eph 1:5}
What a wonderful, Powerful, personal Name is JESUS… TIME TO PRAISE HIM, SUBMIT to HIM and PRAY THROUGH HIM!