HH, Sir Godfrey Gregg D.Div
The Fifth Key: Come in Jesus’ name
Jesus said several times that we should make our requests―ask―in His name (John 14:13-14 and 15:16). What does it mean to end our prayers with “in Jesus’ name”?
The phrase “in the name of the LORD” is used 44 times in the Bible. It was used to express that something was being done by the authority of God.
In England when someone came in the name of the Queen, he came with his support and authority, having that privilege conferred upon him by the Queen himself. No one could take this privilege to himself. Favour, rights and privilege also generally accompanied the one who came in the name of the Queen.
So, likewise, when we close a prayer to our Father with the words “in the name of Jesus we pray,” we are exercising a privilege we have been granted by our Saviour and doing what Jesus commanded us to do.
Jesus wants us to come before the Father in His name. The Father deeply loves His firstborn Son. He also deeply loves us. When we come in Jesus’ name, we are obeying Jesus’ will and we are showing that we want to have the same relationship with our Father that He has.
The night that Jesus died as the perfect sacrificial lamb―sacrificed for our sins―He taught His disciples many truths. He told them, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” (John 16:23-27).
