What Does It Really Mean to Pray in Jesus’ Name? Study #6:

[David]

Most Christians have heard prayers end with the words, “In Jesus’ name, amen.” There is nothing wrong with saying that. The problem comes when we start thinking those words are some kind of spiritual password that guarantees God has to give us what we asked for.

Jesus did tell His disciples to ask in His name. In John 14:13-14 He said, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

That sounds like a wide-open promise until we slow down and read the whole statement. Jesus did not simply say, “Ask anything and I will do it.” He said, “ask in my name,” and then He immediately gave the purpose: “that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

That changes the whole picture.

Think about someone who works for a business and has been given permission to make purchases in the company’s name. That employee may be authorized to buy equipment the company needs, but that does not mean he can go buy himself a new fishing boat and put it on the company account. He has authority, but that authority is connected to the purposes of the one whose name he is using.

Prayer in Jesus’ name works in a similar way. We are not attaching Jesus’ name to whatever we happen to want. We are coming before the Father because of Christ and asking for things that agree with His character, His Word, and His purposes.

That is why the phrase “in Jesus’ name” cannot simply mean saying those words at the end of a prayer. A person could pray the most selfish prayer imaginable, finish it with “in Jesus’ name,” and that would not suddenly make the request pleasing to God.

James dealt with exactly that kind of praying when he wrote, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:3). Those people were asking, but their motives were wrong. Putting Jesus’ name on a selfish prayer does not turn it into a godly prayer.

We can see this even more clearly when we look at another place where Jesus talked about asking. In John 15:7 He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Notice what comes before the asking. Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you.”

That is important because the closer our thinking comes into line with Christ’s Word, the more our desires begin to change. We stop praying only about what we want and start caring more about what God wants.

It is a little like adjusting a compass. If the compass is pointing the wrong direction, every mile you travel takes you farther away from where you ought to be. God’s Word keeps correcting the direction of our hearts.

That is one reason Bible reading and prayer belong together. If I spend very little time listening to what God has said in Scripture, but a lot of time telling God what I want Him to do, something is backwards.

Jesus said, “my words abide in you.” Prayer is not supposed to be a one-sided conversation where we do all the talking and ignore everything God has already said.

Jesus comes back to the same subject a few verses later. In John 15:16 He says, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”

Again, look at the context. Jesus is talking about bearing fruit. He is talking about His disciples living lives that accomplish His purposes. Then He speaks about asking the Father in His name.

That tells us something important. Prayer in Jesus’ name is connected to living for Jesus’ purposes.

Suppose someone says, “Lord, make me rich so everybody will see how successful I am. In Jesus’ name, amen.” The words may be there, but where is Christ’s glory in that? Where is His will? Where is His kingdom? Where is the desire to bear fruit?

Compare that with someone praying, “Lord, give me wisdom so I can handle this situation in a way that honors You. Help me speak truth without sinning with my tongue. Give me an opportunity to tell this person about Christ.”

Now we are moving much closer to the kinds of things Scripture tells us to desire.

First John 5:14 helps us understand this even more. John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.”

There it is again. Our confidence in prayer is not that God must follow our will. Our confidence is that we can come before Him according to His will.

This also means praying in Jesus’ name requires humility. Sometimes we know exactly what Scripture says God wants. We know He wants us to grow in wisdom. We know He wants the gospel preached. We know He wants believers to resist temptation. We know He wants us to forgive, love, obey, and walk in truth.

Those are things we can pray about with great confidence because God has already revealed His will in His Word.

But there are other things we simply do not know. We may pray for someone to recover from an illness. We may pray for a particular job. We may pray for a relationship to be restored. We may pray for some difficult circumstance to change.

We can ask God for those things, but we cannot claim that we know what His answer must be.

Jesus Himself showed us how to pray when our desire and the Father’s will are placed side by side. In Gethsemane He prayed, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

That was not a lack of faith. That was perfect submission.

Sometimes people talk as though saying “if it be Thy will” shows doubt. Jesus said it. The problem is not submitting our requests to God’s will. The problem would be thinking our will should overrule His.

There is another side to praying in Jesus’ name that we should not miss. We have no right to come before God because we are good enough. We come because of Christ.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Our boldness does not come from believing we deserve an answer. It comes from the fact that Christ has made the way for us to approach God. That should keep prayer from becoming arrogant.

We do not march into God’s presence saying, “You owe me this.” We come as people who depend completely upon His grace.

Here is another way to think about it. An ambassador does not walk into another country and speak in his own name. He represents the one who sent him. If he starts making promises his king never authorized, he has stopped representing the king and started representing himself.

Christians can do something similar in prayer. We can say Jesus’ name while really representing nothing but our own desires.

That is why the words themselves are not the important part. The question is whether the prayer actually reflects the One whose name we are using.

Does what I am asking agree with Scripture? Am I seeking God’s glory or mainly my own comfort? Am I willing to accept God’s answer if it is different from the answer I want? Are Christ’s words shaping what I desire?

Those are much better questions than simply asking whether we remembered to say “in Jesus’ name” before saying amen.

There is nothing wrong with ending a prayer that way. In fact, those words can be a good reminder of why we are able to pray at all. But they should mean something.

When we say, “in Jesus’ name,” we are not giving God a password. We are saying that we come because of Christ, we belong to Christ, and we want our request to be consistent with Christ.

The more His Word abides in us, the more that starts happening. Our prayers begin to change because our hearts begin to change.

Instead of always asking, “Lord, how can You make my life easier?” we begin asking, “Lord, how can my life glorify You?” Instead of saying, “Lord, give me what I want,” we learn to say, “Lord, here is what I want, but Your will is better than mine.”

That is a very different kind of prayer.

So maybe the question to think about before our next study is this: When we say “in Jesus’ name,” are we simply adding words to the end of our prayer, or are we really asking in a way that represents Jesus Christ, His Word, His will, and His glory?

 

[bobinfaith]

Hello David;

You wrote a good topic and it's important we pay attention to what we're saying in our prayers. As I was reading your OP it reminded me that in our prayers we have to be careful "not to allow our minds to wander," or "go through the motion" or ending our prayers with "in Jesus Name without thinking about it."

There was a time when I was guilty of praying with my schedule on my mind or other things (of more importance?)

Our prayers are a high priority especially when God is the receiver, recipient, responder and communicator.

On the flip side of our prayers we are also to spend time listening in silence (using our hearts to listen.)

King David was very attentive in his prayers and listening to God.

Psalm 65:2, 2 All humanity will come to You, the One who hears prayer. Verse 5, 5 You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, - HCSB

John 10:27, 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. - HCSB

David, I get asked, how do we know God is speaking to us when we listen? I'd like to know your thoughts on that?

God bless you, brother, and thank you for sharing in this lesson.

 

[David]

David, I get asked, how do we know God is speaking to us when we listen? I'd like to know your thoughts on that?

Wow, that question really hit home and sparked a lot of thoughts.

Bob, that is a very good question, and to be honest, it is something I have wondered about myself. It is actually one of the reasons I wanted us to do these prayer studies. I do not want to just repeat something I have always heard Christians say. I want to know what the Bible actually teaches about it.

There have been times when I have sat quietly after praying and waited to see if God would speak to me. Most of the time, nothing happens. I do not hear a voice, and I do not receive some clear message. That has made me wonder whether sitting quietly and waiting for God to speak is even something Scripture tells us to do.

There are other times, though, when I am dealing with something, making a decision, or about to do something, and suddenly a thought or an idea comes into my mind that seems different from what I was already thinking. Sometimes it may be a Scripture, sometimes a warning, or sometimes simply a strong thought about what I should or should not do. At times I have wondered, “Was that the Holy Spirit, or was that just me thinking?” I don't know if this happens to you or anyone else, but it does to me. Give me your thoughts on it if you would.

That is where I think we need to be careful.

The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit works in believers. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” So I certainly do not want to deny that God works in our minds, desires, convictions, and decisions.

At the same time, I do not think we should automatically call every thought that pops into our head “God speaking to me.” Our own minds produce thoughts, our own desires can influence us, and Scripture even shows that Satan can tempt and influence people. John 13:2 says that the devil had “put into the heart of Judas Iscariot” to betray Jesus. James 1:14 also reminds us that temptation can arise from within us when a man is “drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

So sometimes the source may simply be us. Sometimes temptation may be involved. And sometimes I believe the Holy Spirit may be bringing biblical truth to our attention or convicting us about something.

The question is, how do we know?

I think Scripture gives us a much safer test than simply asking whether the thought felt like it came from God. First Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.”

For me, that means whatever comes into my mind has to be tested by the Word of God. If it contradicts Scripture, I already know it is not from God. If it agrees with Scripture, I can follow the truth of Scripture without necessarily claiming that God gave me a private message.

For example, if I am angry with someone and the thought comes to mind that I need to forgive them, I do not really have to decide whether that thought was an inner voice from God. God has already said, “forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). The Word settles it.

I also think this is not an easy subject to discuss, especially on some Christian forums. There are so many different teachings out there, and people will tell you all kinds of things about hearing from God that I simply cannot find in the Bible. That makes me a little wary of even bringing the subject up in places where Scripture is not treated as the final authority.

That is one reason I think this is a great subject for us to discuss here on BTF. We can slow down, look at what the Bible actually says, and hear each other out without building the discussion on feelings, experiences, or somebody’s private revelation.

I would really like to hear more from you about this, Bob. How does this actually work for you? When you say we should spend time listening in silence, what do you believe you are listening for? Have there been times when you believed God was speaking to you, and if so, how did you know it was Him and not simply your own thoughts?

I am still studying this myself, and I do not want to pretend I have every part of it figured out yet because I do not. But I think one thing is certain: our feelings and impressions are not the final authority. Scripture is.

You have actually raised a question that deserves its own study, so I am making it the next one in our prayer series: “Does God Speak to Us When We Pray, and How Can We Know It Is Him?”

When we get to that study, I want to dig much deeper into what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit leading us, thoughts and impressions, Satan’s influence, and whether Scripture teaches us to sit silently and wait for God to speak.

I think it will be a good one because I am also looking for the answer.

 

[Yesua888]

Hi David,

This is so amazing ... I feel like you are me talking to myself and asking those questions : )

Wow, that question really hit home and sparked a lot of thoughts.

Bob, that is a very good question, and to be honest, it is something I have wondered about myself. It is actually one of the reasons I wanted us to do these prayer studies. I do not want to just repeat something I have always heard Christians say. I want to know what the Bible actually teaches about it.

There have been times when I have sat quietly after praying and waited to see if God would speak to me. Most of the time, nothing happens. I do not hear a voice, and I do not receive some clear message. That has made me wonder whether sitting quietly and waiting for God to speak is even something Scripture tells us to do.

I have done the same and wondered the same thing ... for me when I sit quietly and wait, everything just seems to be still ... I can wait a very long time ... and just stillness?

There are other times, though, when I am dealing with something, making a decision, or about to do something, and suddenly a thought or an idea comes into my mind that seems different from what I was already thinking. Sometimes it may be a Scripture, sometimes a warning, or sometimes simply a strong thought about what I should or should not do. At times I have wondered, “Was that the Holy Spirit, or was that just me thinking?” I don't know if this happens to you or anyone else, but it does to me. Give me your thoughts on it if you would.

This is how I believe that I hear Father or Holy Spirit (I am not sure which?) This is such a good discussion, and your thought reflect my own, it is quite surreal : )
Father (or H S) speaks to me through sudden thoughts (which could be my own, yet often the thoughts overtake my own thought or question at the time, or the thoughts/words are not words that I would use. This happens when I am not expecting it, or even sometimes when I am reflecting on something Spiritually important; but never when I am "waiting for an answer" : ) : ) : ) The "thoughts" come suddenly, randomly and unexpectedly. I wish they would come more often : ) : ) : )

That is where I think we need to be careful.

The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit works in believers. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” So I certainly do not want to deny that God works in our minds, desires, convictions, and decisions.

This is something that I grapple with so much ... if it is God who worketh in me, is it Father, Jesus or Holy Spirit ... does it matter. It does matter to me, and I keep reminding myself that Jesus said to "pray to the Father". I also know that Holy Spirit intercepts and guides us, so He would also "speak" to us through our thoughts ...

At the same time, I do not think we should automatically call every thought that pops into our head “God speaking to me.” Our own minds produce thoughts, our own desires can influence us, and Scripture even shows that Satan can tempt and influence people. John 13:2 says that the devil had “put into the heart of Judas Iscariot” to betray Jesus. James 1:14 also reminds us that temptation can arise from within us when a man is “drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

As soon as I notice "negative" thoughts enter my mind whilst praying (eg. doubts about whether Father is listening to me, or past conditioned thoughts creep in), I say to Father "excuse me Father, I have do get rid of this" ... I then command "scorpions, snakes and devils to leave in the name of Jesus Christ, and also pray Psalm 91 over me and my loved ones. I then return to my pray to Father, feeling at peace, and undisturbed.

So sometimes the source may simply be us. Sometimes temptation may be involved. And sometimes I believe the Holy Spirit may be bringing biblical truth to our attention or convicting us about something.

The question is, how do we know?

I think Scripture gives us a much safer test than simply asking whether the thought felt like it came from God. First Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.”

I really love this part, because David, you always bring some certainty into the equation, something to hang onto (Scripture which backs up everything).

For me, that means whatever comes into my mind has to be tested by the Word of God. If it contradicts Scripture, I already know it is not from God. If it agrees with Scripture, I can follow the truth of Scripture without necessarily claiming that God gave me a private message.

For example, if I am angry with someone and the thought comes to mind that I need to forgive them, I do not really have to decide whether that thought was an inner voice from God. God has already said, “forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). The Word settles it.

Yes, I relate to what you are saying, and for me when I think is this me or God speaking, I let it go because I do not need to prove anything really; I choose to believe most times those thoughts are not from me (right or wrong?). Unless knowing whose thoughts they are, is important to you David and others reading? When in doubt about the origin of these "thoughts", does it really matter whether we think the "thoughts" are our own or that they could be coming from God?
In cases like this I just let it go ... perhaps you can add to this?

I also think this is not an easy subject to discuss, especially on some Christian forums. There are so many different teachings out there, and people will tell you all kinds of things about hearing from God that I simply cannot find in the Bible. That makes me a little wary of even bringing the subject up in places where Scripture is not treated as the final authority.

That is one reason I think this is a great subject for us to discuss here on BTF. We can slow down, look at what the Bible actually says, and hear each other out without building the discussion on feelings, experiences, or somebody’s private revelation.

Agreed!

I would really like to hear more from you about this, Bob. How does this actually work for you? When you say we should spend time listening in silence, what do you believe you are listening for? Have there been times when you believed God was speaking to you, and if so, how did you know it was Him and not simply your own thoughts?

I am still studying this myself, and I do not want to pretend I have every part of it figured out yet because I do not. But I think one thing is certain: our feelings and impressions are not the final authority. Scripture is.

You have actually raised a question that deserves its own study, so I am making it the next one in our prayer series: “Does God Speak to Us When We Pray, and How Can We Know It Is Him?”

Awesome, cannot wait : )

When we get to that study, I want to dig much deeper into what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit leading us, thoughts and impressions, Satan’s influence, and whether Scripture teaches us to sit silently and wait for God to speak.

Thank you David for caring so much and "digging deeper" for us : )

I think it will be a good one because I am also looking for the answer.

 

[David]

Yes, I relate to what you are saying, and for me when I think is this me or God speaking, I let it go because I do not need to prove anything really; I choose to believe most times those thoughts are not from me (right or wrong?). Unless knowing whose thoughts they are, is important to you David and others reading? When in doubt about the origin of these "thoughts", does it really matter whether we think the "thoughts" are our own or that they could be coming from God?
In cases like this I just let it go ... perhaps you can add to this?

I don’t think we need to figure out where every thought comes from before we can act on something Scripture already tells us to do. If I think about forgiving someone or helping a person in need, I can do that without first settling whether the thought was mine or whether the Holy Spirit brought that truth to mind.

But here is something we can know for sure: if a thought comes into our minds that goes against what the Bible teaches, it is not guidance from the Holy Spirit. He will never tell us to do something contrary to God’s Word. Jesus said, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). We may not always know where a thought came from, but we can know the Holy Spirit does not contradict the truth He inspired.

We don’t have to know where every thought comes from, but we still need to check whether it agrees with God’s Word. “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). A thought agreeing with Scripture does not prove it was a private message from God, but we don’t need that certainty to obey what He has already made clear in His Word.

 

[Yesua888]

But here is something we can know for sure: if a thought comes into our minds that goes against what the Bible teaches, it is not guidance from the Holy Spirit. He will never tell us to do something contrary to God’s Word. Jesus said, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). We may not always know where a thought came from, but we can know the Holy Spirit does not contradict the truth He inspired.

Yes, for me when I realise that the "thoughts" (during prayer) are questioning God's authority or His reasoning, that is when I "excuse myself" from prayer, and carry out the command for "it" to leave. I do this sincerely, and go back to my prayer, praying that Father (Jesus and HS) will continue to teach, guide and protect me from evil. I have to confess that I work from the heart, and not from knowing all of Scripture. I am learning so much about Scripture here because the environment is so good, the support is beautiful; what better way to go through Scripture together. For me, as a fairly new Christian, to randomly open my bible each day (trying to catch up), just did not come to "life" as it does for me here on BTF. A Huge thank you David and Bob for all your support and biblical teachings : )

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[David]

Yes, for me when I realise that the "thoughts" (during prayer) are questioning God's authority or His reasoning, that is when I "excuse myself" from prayer, and carry out the command for "it" to leave. I do this sincerely, and go back to my prayer, praying that Father (Jesus and HS) will continue to teach, guide and protect me from evil. I have to confess that I work from the heart, and not from knowing all of Scripture. I am learning so much about Scripture here because the environment is so good, the support is beautiful; what better way to go through Scripture together. For me, as a fairly new Christian, to randomly open my bible each day (trying to catch up), just did not come to "life" as it does for me here on BTF. A Huge thank you David and Bob for all your support and biblical teachings : )

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I really appreciate what you said. The main thing is to keep testing those thoughts by Scripture. If a thought goes against what God has already said, then you know it is not from the Holy Spirit.

I would just be careful about assuming every troubling thought is a spirit that needs to be commanded to leave. Sometimes thoughts come from our own fears, confusion, or flesh. Scripture tells us to “submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil” (James 4:7) and to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The good thing is we do not have to know where every thought came from. If it contradicts Scripture, reject it. God's Word is the measuring stick.

And I am glad BTF is helping you learn Scripture. That is what I want this forum to be about. Keep asking questions, keep learning, and keep checking everything Bob or I say against the Bible. God's Word gets the final say.