Teach Me To PrayMuestra

Characteristics of Powerful Prayer: In Jesus’ Name

Just before he was arrested, tortured, and murdered, and knowing that all this was about to happen, Jesus spent some intense hours with his disciples. He gave them important information about carrying on with their lives and ministry when they would no longer have his physical presence in their midst.

He especially wanted them to know that their close relationship with the Father would continue, because their Savior would still be their personal link to his throne. “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:23,24).

When you listen to Christians pray, you will often hear them end their prayers with “in Jesus’ name,” or the more formal, “through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” Mentioning the proper name of Christ is a sweet custom. But that’s not all Jesus meant--just to attach his proper name like a mattress tag to your heavenly communications.

Praying in Jesus’ name means believing that he is your Savior, that your designation in heaven has been changed from “damned” to “saved,” that you are now considered God’s child, and all this only because of Jesus.

It also means that you pray according to his name in the sense of his self-revelation, that is, that you are following his charge to put God’s agenda first.