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182. What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

  1. We pray in the name of Jesus when we pray with His authority as children sent to the Father on behalf of the Son of God.
  2. We pray in the name of Jesus when we refer to His act of reconciliation and trust in His intercession as the saints and beloved of God.
  3. We pray in the name of Jesus when we pray according to His mind and will, that is, according to the will of God, His and our Father.
    • Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
    • If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)
    • Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)
    • Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
    • Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14.16)

As common as prayer is, proper prayer is rare. The child and friend ask differently from the labourer and the servant, and the penitent tax collector asks differently from the self-righteous Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). Proper prayer is in the name of Jesus. It is the prayer to the Father. The promise is made to the one who prays properly: “You will ask what you will and it will happen to you.”