Pray in Jesus' Name

1986

Number 2: We need to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. We must pray in the name of Jesus Christ, but I’m NOT talking about saying, "In Jesus’ name. Amen,” at the end of a prayer. That’s really not what Jesus was talking about, and in fact, there’s not a single example in the Bible—at least that I’ve been able to find or anybody’s been able to show me where anybody's ended a prayer, “In Jesus Christ. Amen.” Now they prayed in the name of Jesus every time they prayed in the New Testament. But they didn’t ever say at the end, “In Jesus’ name. Amen.” So that must not be what He meant —either that or they’re disobeying Him by not doing it.

I’d like to suggest this—that really what Jesus is saying is that we are recognizing before Him that we have no claims on God. God doesn’t owe us anything at all. When we pray in Jesus’ name what we are saying is that our spiritual bank account is empty. We don’t have anything to draw on. But if we go in His name, His bank account in heaven is infinite. His treasures are beyond imagination. What Christ has done is He has given us His anytime banker access card and His secret code number. He is saying, “My bank account is large. Yours is empty. I’ll give you my card. I’ll give you my number. You pray in my name.” Now it’s His money. We're drawing on that because we are coming in His name. That’s what we do—we come before the Father, and we say, “Father, I’ve got nothing to offer you. I have no righteousness of my own,” as Hal said. And yet, “I can come boldly before the throne of grace because of the blood of Christ,” (Hebrews 10:19-23) Because of what Jesus did, I can come before the throne of grace. I can know that my Father hears my prayer as surely as He hears the prayers of His own son, Jesus. Because I’m coming together in His name.

You can think of it in terms of the Bride of Christ—the Church. The Bride wears the name of Jesus. Now if your life is sold out to Jesus, IF and only IF your life belongs wholly to Jesus, then you’ve become united—you’ve become one with Christ. You wear His name, and therefore you have the same rights and privileges with the Father that He does. You have the same access, that same authority. All of those things that Jesus had belong to you. So essentially what I’m saying is that to pray in the name of Jesus means that your life is being lived with Christ as the supreme factor. Your life belongs to Him without compromise. Your decisions, your time, your money—all those things belong to Jesus. Then if you are living in the power of His name, you’ll be able to pray in the power of His name because you are one with Him. You’ve been united with Him.

I’d like to make this suggestion that you not fool around saying, “In Jesus’ name. Amen,” at the end of a prayer if your life isn’t dedicated to Christ because it’s blasphemy. The men in Acts 19 that used Jesus’ name to try to cast out demons were destroyed. That’s at least prophetic of what’s going to happen to those who cry, “‘Lord, Lord,’ but never knew Him.” He’s going to say, “Depart from me, you wicked people. I never knew you.” And yet they were crying, ”Lord, Lord.” They were crying in Jesus’ name, and yet their life was not obedient to the Father. Therefore it was repulsive to God. So when you pray in Jesus’ name recognize that you’re drawing on the righteousness of Christ to come before the Father. And that you’re praying in His name because you are doing all for the glory of God. You are living for Him. You need to pray in the name of Jesus or your prayers will have no value at all.