In Jesus’ Name We Pray
When most evangelicals end their prayers, they typically use phrases like, “in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.” But what does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name? Some time ago, I asked myself that question. To be honest, I didn’t know precisely why I did it. This was just something I had learned, and I figured that was how good Christians closed out their requests to God. I decided this wasn’t a good enough reason. So, I embarked on a biblical search to determine why I should hold this tradition.
I found a reference for this practice in John 14:14, in which Jesus says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”[1] Here is a great reason to use Jesus’ name in my prayers; it is a promise to get them answered. If we ask Jesus for something in His name, he will do it. Awesome, case closed. Or was it? Is ending my prayers with this phrase the intent of Jesus’ promise? Could I get anything I desired by invoking the name of Jesus?
As I read these words, I pondered their true meaning. Getting anything I wanted by using Jesus’ name was alluring, but it didn’t quite make sense to me. There were many things I could think to pray for; some were selfish, some more altruistic. Life is complicated, and any help I could get would be welcome. I knew Jesus could do anything, but I also had a feeling he wouldn’t grant me everything I asked. I needed to dig deeper. Asking God to help me understand this promise, I searched the New Testament to see how Jesus’ name was used and, in some cases, misused.
The apostles and disciples of Jesus used his name to perform miraculous deeds. We see them healing, raising the dead, and casting out demons throughout the Gospel narratives. While they invoked Jesus’ name, there was also the notion that using his name is not just about saying the word “Jesus.” We cannot use the Lord’s name as a magic phrase, like abracadabra or open sesame, that will grant any wish we desire. It is not that the practice of saying Jesus’ name at the end of a prayer is wrong. Still, if we do it without understanding the true meaning, we miss out on the richness of what God intends for us.
God’s word is clear that there is power in Jesus’ name. The apostle Paul wrote, “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”[2] However, when we look at the context of the verse, we see why people bow to Jesus. “God also highly exalted Him, and gave him the name that is above every name.”[3] Also, the following verse says, “and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”[4] These verses are eschatological in nature. That is, they point to a future day when everyone will bow at the name of Jesus. This has not happened yet, and we cannot make people bow by using Jesus’ name. At some point, all of us will realize that Jesus is Lord. We either do it in this life or when we meet Him face to face after we die. If the latter is the first time someone bows to Jesus, it may be too late.[5]
There are also stories in the Bible that show not everyone who uses the name of Jesus will get what they want and may even get something they don’t expect. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”[6] This passage confused me and, to be completely honest, scared me. These people ostensibly used Jesus’ name to perform powerful deeds, but he rejected them. How could this be the case? It scared me because it made me ponder my relationship to Jesus and what it means to be known by him. Obviously, there is more to our relationship with Jesus than using his name in our prayers or activities. As Jesus stated, using his name is not synonymous with being known by Him.
Acts chapter 19 contains another story that had an interesting outcome. Some Jewish exorcists, the seven sons of Sceva, tried to use Jesus’ name to cast out a demon that possessed a man. The evil spirit said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”[7] The evil spirit then leaped on them and subdued them, and they fled the house naked and wounded. These exorcists were trying to do something good, something Jesus and his disciples had done many times. What was the difference for these men that Jesus’ name was not helpful to them? Then what on earth is meant by “ask me for anything in my name?”
As I continued to study the Bible, I found another verse that promised answered prayer. For some reason, it reminded me of something I learned in high school algebra class. Before you break into a cold sweat, I promise this will be relatively painless, and there will not be a quiz. A concept came to mind called the “transitive property of equality.” It sounds daunting, but it is actually rather easy. This concept is simply expressed: “if A = B and B = C, then A = C.” In other words, if two things are equal to the same third thing, they are also equal to each other. You might be thinking: What does this have to do with prayer?
Earlier I referenced the Scripture in John 14 that says asking for something in Jesus’ name means answered prayer. In John chapter 15, we see another description of answered prayer. Jesus says, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”[8] As you see, both actions lead to having our wishes granted. By the transitive property of equality, perhaps “asking for something in Jesus’ name” is equivalent to abiding in Him and having His words abide in us.
The word abide is not one we use much in modern English. Abide is one translation of the Greek word, meno. In the New Testament, meno is also translated as dwell, stay, remain, live, and endure. It is a rich word that describes a connection that lasts. The term is used 118 times in the New Testament. As we try to understand the relation to answered prayer, we will look at what it means to abide in Jesus and have Jesus’ words abide in us.
I was hoping to complete the discussion in this article. However, I could not do justice to what it means to abide in Jesus and why it is essential to our prayer without making this article too long. I apologize for leaving you hanging. I will plan to discuss abiding in the next article. Until then, I have a suggestion.
Please read John chapters 14 and 15. They contain the verses about answered prayer mentioned above. The context is Jesus’ encouragement to his disciples at the last supper. However, we will see how abiding in Jesus and having his words abide in us relate to the prayer of the saints today. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at gtdavisblog@gmail.com or use the Contact page on this website. May God bless you as you commune with Him in prayer.
[1] John 14:14, NIV
[2] Philippians 2:10, NET
[3] Philippians 2:9, NRSV
[4] Philippians 2:11, NRSV
[5] For example, Matthew 5:19-29, Hebrews 9:23-28, 10:26-31, 2 Peter 3:1-7, Revelation 20:11-15
[6] Matthew 7:22-23, NASB1995
[7] Acts 19:15, NASB1995
[8] John 15:7, NASB