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What Does It Mean To Pray In Jesus’s Name?
It is common to hear many Christians pray in the name of Jesus. However, there are some who pray without acknowledging Jesus’s name. So, as we attempt to learn how to pray effectively, it is important to consider what God teaches about this matter. For, if you do pray in Jesus’s name, you should understand whether this is a practice from God and what it even means to do so. Then, if you do not pray in Jesus’s name, you should consider whether you are missing something in your prayers God identifies as being important.
1) God teaches us to pray in Jesus’s name. There are many Scriptures that teach the importance of praying in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14; John 15:16; John 16:23-24; Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17). From these Scriptures, then, we must conclude that this is a vitally important element of praying in a way that is acceptable and pleasing to God. Without this practice, our prayers lack something God expects us to do.
2) Jesus is our only way to the Father. Once we have sinned, we have no way to approach God and be reconciled to Him by ourselves. Even the best things we could do would not be enough to make ourselves holy in His sight so as to be reconciled to Him (John 14:6; Colossians 1:19-23; Titus 3:3-7). This is why God sent Jesus into this world, so that He would be the sacrifice through whom we can be holy. Consider three specific ways Jesus is identified that have a direct impact on our prayers.
First, Jesus is the Mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Through His perfect sacrifice, He has bridged the gap our sin had caused and brought about reconciliation. Second, Jesus is our Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1-2). Jesus pleads our case before God from the honored position of being at the right hand of the Father. Third, Jesus is the great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Through Jesus (who has made the perfect sacrifice and passed through the heavens), we can approach the throne of God in our prayers with boldness (confidence) and find grace.
3) Verbalizing that the prayer is in Jesus’s name. Having considered Scripture that teaches us to approach the throne of God in prayer through the name of Jesus and how Jesus makes doing so even a possibility, we should also consider whether God wants us to actually express the words themselves (i.e. that we are praying in Jesus’s name). I believe it is possible to pray in Jesus’s name without directly expressing the phrase in that it is our frame of mind. However, I know of no better way to make sure that we pray in Jesus’s name than to actually express it in our prayers. Plus, if we are saying a prayer before others, verbalizing that we are praying in Jesus’s name also ensures that everyone hearing the prayer also realizes this – and encourages them to do the same.
4) More than an empty phrase. Recognizing how Jesus makes it possible for us to approach the throne of God in prayer is crucial to praying in Jesus’s name. For it is only possible for us to come before the throne of God by Jesus’s name and authority! As we have seen, nothing done by your own authority makes you worthy to approach the throne of God! Therefore, as you pray in Jesus’s name, do not allow it to become some empty and habitual phrase you say at the end of a prayer (“in Jesus’s name, amen”). Rather, recognize the great weight of these words and the opportunity Jesus provides you in prayer to approach the throne of the awesome and holy God, coming into His presence (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)! Read passages like Revelation 4 to see a picture of being before the throne of this God.
Praying in Jesus’s name involves praying with His authority, in recognition of how He has provided the opportunity for us to approach the throne of God in prayer. God now requires us to pray in this way. Verbalizing this as we pray is a good practice that serves as a reminder and emphasizes this important element of prayer. However, you must not let this element of prayer become an empty expression of words that have no significant meaning. For, thanks be to God that we can now approach Him in prayer through the name of Jesus Christ!
