In Jesus Name

Not A Magic Phrase

Many people take Jesus statement “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” to mean that they can ask God for anything and if they add “In Jesus name” he is obligated to answer the request. Some people will say all you have to do is believe and Jesus will make it happen.

This seems like a very easy way to get people to believe in Jesus. All you have to do is ask him for what you want and He will give it to you.

This is the draw of the name it and claim it prosperity gospel. It is so attractive that desperate people buy into the lie. When you tell a person that cannot provide for his family, that all you have to do is ask in Jesus name and He will provide for you, it is real easy to believe the lie. If you tell a person that has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness that all they have to do is ask Jesus to heal them and claim it in Jesus name and he will do it, it is real easy for someone to believe the lie. If you tell someone that has not prepared for a test that all they have to do is ask Jesus to help them pass the test and add “in Jesus name”, it is easy to believe this lie.

I am not saying that you should not ask Jesus for provision or healing, but that He is not obligated to do it because you claim it in Jesus name.

Not a Requirement To Make It A Legitimate Prayer

Many of us end our prayer with the phrase “in Jesus name”. We don’t feel like we have completed the prayer until we tag this phrase on the end. This is not what the Bible teaches. I am not saying that it is wrong to end your prayer with this phrase. We just need to be sure our prayer lines up with what the phrase means.

To be sure, to do any of these aforementioned things “in his name” means that we do them in a manner that is consistent with who Christ is, what he taught, and all that he stands for (his kingdom purposes). It is to do them in accordance with God’s will, and ultimately for his glory. This is very important for us to remember as we approach the text where Jesus spoke about asking for anything “in my name.”

Bargerhuff, Eric J.. The Most Misused Verses in the Bible,Surprising Ways God's Word Is Misunderstood (pp. 57-58). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

We must know that what we are praying for lacks selfishness and elevates Christ’s purposes in such a way that it glorifies God

Pray For The Works Of Christ To Be Accomplished!

Jesus was telling His disciples that the work of the Lord was going to continue. He was going to the Father, but going to empower them to do the work of the Lord through the Holy Spirit.

One thing that we must understand is that the disciples did not know God’s redemptive plan. They believed Jesus to be the Messiah that was going to overthrow Rome and establish His own world power. This is why they were always jockeying for position to find favor with him.

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”

They didn’t know Jesus was going to bring salvation to the world. He had not risen. Even though he told them multiple times, they just could not understand the purpose of God through His son Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that they would do greater works than what He did. Jesus was not saying that they would be more powerful than He was and able to do the same kind of miracles, but that the breadth of God’s plan would be much broader than what He was doing. Jesus saved thousands during His life on earth. Through the disciples millions have come to salvation in Christ.

If we look at the life of Christ, He started out with thousands of followers.

Jesus Feeds 19 Ordering the [d]people to [e]sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

Jesus Heals 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and [a]carried away our diseases.”

Only a Few stayed to the end 15 [a]At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty [b]persons was there together), and said,

Jesus had about 120 people that followed him to the end. He used these 120 people to lead millions to salvation.

The disciples could not see in hindsight until the Holy Spirit came to them at pentecost. When He came, their eyes were opened and they began to share the gospel and make disciples. This is the plan and purpose of God.

share the gospel and make disciples. This is the plan and purpose of God.

Application of “In Jesus Name”

When we pray for Jesus plan and purpose to continue, He will always answer that prayer.

In essence, it is to pray in accordance with God’s will—ultimately for God’s glory—“that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Then as the disciples pray “in Jesus’ name,” with those motives in mind, they can rest assured that their prayers will be answered and that Jesus himself (“I will do it”) will be assisting them from heaven in their ministry efforts. When people learn to pray like this, with these motives and with this perspective, it is amazing to see how God answers their prayers. Prayers turn from a selfish focus to a more God-centered, God-glorifying focus, and the results are dramatic. In fact, this is the clear promise of : And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 that we have asked of him.

Our first inclination usually is to pray in a way that fits with what we think is best, or according to the results we desire. For example, if we are in pain, or receive an unfavorable diagnosis, we will usually immediately pray for God to take away the pain or completely heal whatever is ailing us. We pray for our circumstances to change. It is not wrong to pray for these things, but it would be better to pray something like this: Lord, I know you have a purpose for everything you bring into my life, and my prayer is that you would be glorified in whatever way seems best. Please teach me what you want me to learn from this so that my faith will grow. Please help me to see what your sovereign purposes might be, so that I may rejoice in your plan and rely upon your grace. But Lord, if it would be pleasing to you, I do ask that you would bring relief from this pain and healing from this hurt, for this is my desire. Either way, I trust you and I pray that your will be done. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This teaches us to rely on God. It also seeks to humbly accept his sovereign plan, whatever that may be. At the same time, there is no hesitation to ask God for the desire of your heart, knowing that if God’s answer is no, or not yet, God will give sufficient grace to meet the challenge. Our goal in prayer is to see God glorified no matter what. Our goal is to see things his way, so that our will aligns with his. And once this happens, our prayers are filled with power. They will be answered, and with confidence we can say, “We know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (). This, my friend, is what it means to ask “in his name.”

. It also seeks to humbly accept his sovereign plan, whatever that may be. At the same time, there is no hesitation to ask God for the desire of your heart, knowing that if God’s answer is no, or not yet, God will give sufficient grace to meet the challenge. Our goal in prayer is to see God glorified no matter what. Our goal is to see things his way, so that our will aligns with his. And once this happens, our prayers are filled with power. They will be answered, and with confidence we can say, “We know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (). This, my friend, is what it means to ask “in his name.”

Bargerhuff, Eric J.. The Most Misused Verses in the Bible,Surprising God's Word Is Misunderstood (pp. 59-62). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

We must understand that God desires His will to be done above ours. We find true contentment and power when our will lines up with His.

We must also understand that God allows things to come into our lives for certain purposes. Sometimes they are to strengthen us. Sometimes they are meant to allow us to be a testimony to someone else.

We must find the will of God and pray and ask in Jesus Name and experience the power of a living God.

Conclusion

Maybe this morning you have something you need to pray about. Maybe you realize that you have been praying for the wrong thing. I want to invite you to come to the alter this morning and seek God’s will in your situation and begin the process of discernment. When you discern, then ask in Jesus name and watch what He does!

Maybe you are hear this morning and you need forgiveness of sin. Come and

confess your sin and see how he forgives your sin.

Maybe you are hear this morning and you need to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Come this morning and experience salvation!