What It Means to Pray in Jesus’ Name

After yesterday’s email listing Scriptures in which Jesus asked us to pray in His Name, readers asked me to define what that phrase means. Jesus seemed eager for us to go to the Father using His name. In fact, the Apostle John recorded Jesus’ promise: “You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy” (John 16:24 NLT). I will share what it means to me.

To ask presenting our request to the Father in Jesus’ name is to present our request with the same motive Jesus had when He said, “ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father” (14:13). It is being able to say, “Answer my request as you choose just so the Father is glorified.” When we can lift that request to God, He hears as though we wrote our prayer and Jesus signed His name to it.

Late one night I began to write a prayer for our son and especially prayed for his business. At the end of the prayer, I wrote, “I am satisfied if You are glorified.”

The idea came to me to sign Jesus’ name to my prayer, and it seemed to be a very powerful, awesome thing to do. I realized I had really prayed in Jesus’ name and that He was pleased to have His name below my request. 

The next morning the song “God Will Take Care of You” came to me. I knew it was the Lord’s word to me concerning the prayer I had written with His name signed to it. 

Just then my son called with the news that during the night a tornado had barely missed his office.

Jesus said if we ask in His name our joy will be full and complete. Satan says, if God has His way, bad things will happen. He tries to convince us that God’s will is not what we really want. 

But Satan lies. Jesus said if you pray in His name, praying just as He would, although it might mean death to our selfish desires, our joy will be full and complete.

So God searches our motives asking. “Can I trust her to want only what I want? If she does, I will give her My best.”

I encourage you to write your request and see if you feel Jesus would be pleased for you to sign His Name. 

“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).