Asking in His Name…A Life

 

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:13 – 14.

 

Jesus encourages us to ask (see also John 15:7; 16:23 – 27). Early in His ministry Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).

 

“Why doesn’t God answer prayer?” is one of the questions we most often ask. I still wonder why my Mom died when I was 17 and my brothers were 15 and 12. Wasn’t I praying effectively? I wonder why Martha, a mother of young twins in our congregation, died after much intercessory prayer. I wonder why I have made such selfish and stupid and sinful decisions in my life; haven’t I been praying for God’s will? (Maybe not really.)

 

What I do know, and I am more deeply certain of this as I advance in years and as I continue to know Jesus, is that God’s character is perfect, His love is perfect, His desire for us is perfect. I know that God can be absolutely trusted. God is the core of our life, the ground of our being in Jesus Christ, our Alpha and Omega.

 

While there are prayers in my life and in our marriage that God does not seem to have answered, I believe that my Father has always heard them and I know that He has always been with us. I have seen many prayers answered, and it has taken years for some of them to be fulfilled. When I look back over my life, I see God’s lovingkindness and mercies, I see answered prayer, I see His kind and loving guidance, I see His forbearance – both when I have been wise and when I have been foolish.

 

When it comes to praying for others, we should never give up. Jesus did not give up on us, and He makes intercession for us always (Heb. 7:25), and so I think that we should not give up on others in prayer and intercession.

 

I suppose, for me, questions surrounding prayer are an element of the human condition – even the redeemed human condition as sons and daughters of the Living God.

 

While we will consider prayer again, the Lord willing, in John 15:7 and 16:23ff, for the present let’s note four things:

 

1.    Jesus wants us to ask, three times in the Upper Room He speaks to His disciples about asking so that they may receive.

2.    The context of prayer is relational – we are the friends of Jesus (15:12 – 17) and are called into the koinonia and unity of the Trinity (John 17). The Father loves us! (17:23).

3.    In relation to 14:13 – 14, it follows the “greater works” statement of verse 12, what might this indicate to us?

4.    Obedience to Jesus Christ is an element of prayer (14:15; 15:7, 10). The relational element of prayer contains the element of obedient discipleship (is there any other kind?) and filial obedience to our heavenly Father.

 

Here are two passages in the Valley of Vision which have caught my attention:

 

“Help me to be all prayer and never to cease praying.” (page 265).

 

“Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain, that if I seem not to obtain my petitions I shall have larger, richer answers, surpassing all that I ask or think.

 

“Unsought, thou hast given me the greatest gift, the person of thy Son, and in him thou wilt give me all I need.” (page 271).

 

Asking in His Name entails much more than simply verbalizing the name “Jesus.” Professing Christians can come pretty close to pagan thinking when it comes to the name Jesus – for His Name is not a code word, it is not magic – it is holy, it is sacred, and it is the Name of the One we worship and obey and who has purchased us with His blood – the Lamb of God.

 

Yes, there is power and authority in the name of Jesus – when we live under that power and authority, when we live under the lordship of Jesus Christ. We are to live in the name of Jesus in all that we do, Paul writes, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col, 3:17). When we come to prayer again in John 15, we will see that it is linked to abiding in the Vine, living in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Asking in His Name is to be our way of life; His Name, His Nature, is to be our Way of Life. Our days and our nights are to be lived in Him, our vocations are to be devoted to Him, our marriages and families are to be rooted in Him, our friendships are to be found in Him, our recreation is to be enjoyed in Him – He is to be our All in all.

 

Life in Christ is conversing with Him throughout the day, living each day in fellowship with Him – sharing each day with Him, enjoying each day with Him, learning from Him throughout each day. When we live in Him thusly, we naturally ask in His Name – being aware of His authority and power, and being aware of living in His Nature, drawing our life from the Vine.

 

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (John 15:11).

 

Again, here is a passage from The Valley of Vision:

 

“When thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokenness, it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised, for thy glory, as well as for my good.

 

“Help me not only to desire small things but with holy boldness to desire great things for thy people, for myself, that they and I might live to show thy glory.” (Page 267).