Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13
Often when we pray, we will finish the prayer with 6 words by which we really mean that the prayer is now concluded. These 6 words are “in the name of Jesus, Amen”. We use these words because Jesus said to pray in his name! Honestly, how could we go wrong with that?He also promised to answer all these prayers, yet, if we’re honest with ourselves, many of them remain unanswered. Why is that? Well to put it simply – formulas don’t work with God. When we try and put God in a box, we treat him as though he is a genie and not the Almighty God that He is. Can I remind us, God is Spelt G O D and not D O G. He does not have to do our bidding.
Unfortunately, sometimes when we pray, we use the name of Jesus in the same way that people might use the word abracadabra. That’s not what prayer is for. Prayer is and always will be about relationship. Praying in the name of Jesus was never meant to be a phrase that we add to the end of our prayer just to make sure that God does what we want. Our prayers need to be about glorifying God!
A better way to understand praying in the name of Jesus is praying as his representative. The old-time police shows would often have a policeman standing with his hand outstretched while saying “Stop in the name of the law”. Whether the policeman uses the words “In the name of the Law” or not. His actions were always in the name of the law! The same is true when we pray in the name of Jesus. Whether you say it at the end or during your prayer it won’t really make any difference. Praying in the name of Jesus is praying as though Jesus was praying this prayer. Praying for things that Glorify Him
