In Christ’s Name

     The disciples, in the beginning stage of their Christian development, had asked Jesus, “Teach us to pray. ”  Jesus’ purpose in responding the way He did was to give them essential guidelines necessary to build the framework in which their prayers would be developed.  This education process enabled them to understand the Father’s priorities over their own wants.  Each phrase that Jesus gave them painted a portion of the mosaic that makes up the complete picture of fellowship with the Father.

     If what Christ had just taught them had been meant to be a complete prayer in itself, it would have contained elements of “thanks,” “praise,” “healing,” “asking in Christ’s name,” and many other important topics.  It does not contain these because it was not meant as a prayer to be memorized and recited.  Its purpose is to help Christians know the Father and His plan so that we can conform our lives accordingly.

     Later, Christ also taught His apostles to pray  “In His Name. ”  We do not pray by our own authority or to establish our own agendas.  We are subject to Christ’s authority, so we must ask by His permission and approval.  We have the scriptural examples to show us that we should pray by Christ’s authority.

     “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”  (John 14:13)

     “…whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ”  (John 15:16)

     As Christians, our purpose is the same as Christ’s purpose was when He came to this earth – the establishment of the Kingdom of God.  Today, Jesus is working through us!  With this wisdom, we are able to have the faith that our prayers will be answered when we obey His rules and ask according to God’s will.  When those two requirements are met, the Father answers prayer.  Notice!

     “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [answer] from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  (2 Chronicles 7:14)

     We are members of the Body of Christ – The church of God.  We are “God’s People” called, “By God’s Name!”  To have our prayers answered, He says we must “humble ourselves” and “turn from our wicked ways.”  Obedience is necessary.  He says it is also obligatory to “pray and seek His face” –  which means to seek God’s will.

     The Apostle John calls for the same exact two requirements for prayers to be answered.

     “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments… Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, That if we ask anything according to His will, He hears [answers] us.”  (1 John 5:3,14)

     “Anything!”  That means answered prayer!  When we are obedient and ask “according to His will,” God actually responds in a positive way to fulfill those requests that are compatible with His overall plan.  God answers the prayers of those whose lives comply with His perfect way.  Righteous means commandment keeping.  James 5:16 attests to the benefits of petitioning God in this manner.

     “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ”

     Our Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).  What an incredible thing it is that God would even care what puny man thinks!  David expressed this thought so poetically in Psalms 8:4:

     “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

     When we grasp our insignificance in relation to the Almighty and Eternal God, we can not help but come before Him with a thankful, humble and contrite spirit - not only toward God, but toward our fellow man as well.  Jesus said He would back us up in our requests to His Father.  He designed these words that He taught His apostles to pray just for that purpose – “ask the Father in My name.”

     God is aware of every prayer, right or wrong, that has ever been said.   He hears, that is, He answers, He responds, only when they are properly prayed.  That is why requests like those in Janis Joplin’s song and the football coach’s Friday night prayer - mentioned in the second section of this booklet, Teach Us to Pray - are not answered.

     So that we do not become discouraged, one last point needs to be made.   We cannot know the intricacies of the working of God’s will.  So often we do not know what to ask or how to pray.  Paul realized this and addressed this question.  Our own words fail us in our prayers because our best efforts are insufficient – we come short – our prayers are inadequate.  In the flesh, we are too weak to put into words the spiritual requirements of our lives. 

     Our responsibilities often overwhelm us.  When that happens, we are insufficient of ourselves to even know how to frame our prayers. Thankfully, our heavenly Father knows our hearts better than we know them ourselves.  He also knows our needs better than we can describe them.  He willingly makes up for the shortfalls of our prayers when we come humbly before Him in a thankful and contrite attitude of prayer.

     “The Spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

     After Pentecost, with God’s Holy Spirit, the apostles grew rapidly in spiritual Godly character.  Daily in prayer, they were able to evaluate their efforts to conform to the perfect will of God.  It is the same with us today.  After our baptism and having received God’s Holy Spirit, we are able to go daily to the throne of the Father and converse with Him.  In that way we grow in grace and knowledge.

Chapter 13 - Pray