What does someone who holds the position of police officer mean when he says, “Stop in the name of the law”? Does he think that he is the law? Does he think that a person should “stop” because he said so? No, of course not. What the officer means is that he represents the law, speaks for the law, and is operating in the authority of the law. He has been duly sworn in as someone who is trusted with acting on behalf of and consistent with the law of the land. When the officer commands someone to stop, he is engaged in the rightful use of an authority that has been granted to him. The officer is the voice of the law.
What do we mean when we end our prayer by saying “In the name of Jesus, Amen”? Does adding that phrase to the end of our prayer make it more powerful? Is a prayer that ends with those words more likely to be heard and answered? When I looked for an example of a prayer that ended that way from the New Testament, I couldn’t find one. However, I think we should pray in Jesus’ name.
The question is: What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
I think praying in the name of Jesus is a lot like the police officer acting in the name of the law. It’s not about the words themselves. It’s about my position in Christ. It’s not that we have been asked to end all of our prayers with that phrase. Rather, we are to pray as one who has been given authority to do so. Our prayer is to be consistent with His will, His desires and His character. Maybe, instead of ending the prayer with, “In the name of Jesus, Amen,” a better idea could be to start off by saying “Father, I come before you, not in my own power, not in my own righteousness, not in my own capability. I come before you in the authority of Jesus, your Son, who gave me access by faith into this grace in which I now stand because of His blood. I come on the merits of Jesus, not on my own merits.”
I think this point is especially significant and thought provoking as I read through the New Testament and see all of the occasions when we are taught to do or act “in Jesus’ name.”
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
(John 14:14)
I’m probably violating some rule of blogging etiquette that has to do with making a comment on your own blog post but that’s ok.
ReplyDeleteThis post has to do with praying in Jesus’ name. I’m sure you noticed that I wrote that I couldn’t find an example of a prayer that ended with those words in the New Testament.
However, I think the New Testament writers (Paul, Peter, John, etc.) did pray in the name of Jesus.
That made me think of a new question:
Assuming that Paul did pray in Jesus’ name, what do we learn from reading his prayers that helps us understand what it means to pray in Jesus’ name? Or, put another way; If Paul’s prayers in his epistles were the only examples we had for what it meant to pray in Jesus’ name, how then, would we pray?
What would we pray about?
Who would we pray for?
Hey Mike,
ReplyDeleteI thought your comments on this subject were informative and helpful, I plan to use them in my Small Group.
Thanks!