Topic: Prayer in Jesus’ Name [Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 2 January 2021]
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Prayer in Jesus’ Name
John 14:11-14
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve probably heard people close their prayers with the phrase “In Jesus’ name, amen.” In fact, you may conclude your own prayers this way, but do you know what praying in Jesus’ name really means?
Some believers think any request that concludes with these words will automatically be fulfilled, but praying in Jesus’ name is not some kind of spiritual guarantee for our wishes. It’s true that Jesus promised to do whatever we ask in His name (John 14:14). However, we cannot base our concept of prayer on this one verse without considering the context and other teachings on the subject throughout Scripture. Doing so leads to confusion and disappointment when God doesn’t answer as we expect.
Praying in Jesus’ name means asking according to His will so the Father will be glorified in the Son (John 14:13). In other words, our requests must be consistent with Christ’s desires and purposes—which are revealed to us in the Bible. And our motive should be to glorify God, not simply to please ourselves. When we pray in this way, we can confidently say, “In Jesus’ name” and have faith that God will answer.
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