In Whose Name?

In Whose Name?

[Jesus said,] “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” John 14:13

SOMETHING INSIDE PULLS AT THE REINS of our prayers. You don’t deserve this, a voice might whisper. You haven’t prayed intensely enough. You fell into sin just yesterday. This isn’t really a need. Your agenda and God’s are totally different. Who do you think you are, praying for such a request? These objections make for a long internal conversation, and they limit our expectations of God. We ask for something small because we don’t want to assume anything too great of him. We bargain, vow, or offer up some self-imposed conditions. We even try to do our own part because we just aren’t convinced God gives as freely as our theology says he does.

All of those nagging suggestions of our own unworthiness, apathy, and irresponsibility would matter very much—if we were praying in our own name. But we’re not, are we? We’re praying in Jesus’ name. As much as we insert our own histories and insufficiencies into our prayers, they really aren’t relevant. After all, we aren’t coming to the throne of grace clothed in our own identity. We’re coming to it clothed in Jesus’ identity. And that changes everything.

When you pray in Jesus’ name—with his identity, righteousness, track record, and esteem—you can pray with extreme security and confidence. If he stands to inherit everything (Hebrews 1:2) and you are a coheir with him (Romans 8:16-17), then you can ask anything within his and your inheritance. Scripture never says you are partially identified with him. You are wholly, completely in him and never have to present your own ID when writing checks on his account. You’ll need to do that responsibly, of course, and within the outlines of his will—but never by your own merits. That’s why he tells you to pray in his name.

That’s really good news. It undoes all our insufficiencies in prayer. Whether we measure up no longer matters because we are praying in the name of someone who does. Knowing that, we have every reason to pray boldly in keeping with God’s purposes—as long as we are clothed in Jesus’ identity and praying in his name.

A Christian has a union with Jesus Christ more noble, more intimate, and more perfect than the members of a human body have with their head.