Praying in the Name of Jesus

Very truly I Jesus tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 16:23

Something happened in an office where I used to work a few years ago. A junior staff has been trying to get a few management staff into a room to present his wonderful idea to them and get them all to reach a compromise because the implementation cuts across their various businesses. He tried for months but they all kept declining his meeting invitation citing their busy schedule. 

One day, a senior management staff gave him a very interesting idea. ‘Send an Invitation to all these people for a session with the MD. When they get there, tell them the MD is joining soon but while everybody is waiting you will like to share this idea with them. By the time you’re done and they like the idea, apologise to them that the MD can no longer make it down and turn the rest of the meeting into question and answer. 

The young man took the advice and sent the invite, in five minutes everyone confirmed their attendance. All the managers were in the room without being one minute late. What happened to their busy schedule? Well, let’s just the mention of the name of the MD carries such a weight that everyone however powerful will simply respect themselves and fall in line. 

If the name of my MD was that powerful, what do you think will happen when you call upon the name of Jesus in prayer? “… For God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are ^[a]safe. Proverbs 18:10

In ancient times, a person’s name was much more than a random identifier or title. A name expressed the person’s nature and individual attributes. Thus, God’s name represents His essential character and authority. The person of God and the name of God cannot be separated.

The Lord’s name is a strong tower because the infinite heights and depths of His person, presence, and power are apprehended in that name. The righteous—those who are made right with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ—can run to Him in all His revealed perfection, faithfulness, power, authority, mercy, and love, and be set on high, barricaded inside His tower of protection, safe from all harm.

The name of the Lord is equivalent to the Lord Himself. It speaks of the revealed essence of God or the revelation of Himself in the history of salvation. The Lord shows Himself faithful and trustworthy to all who confide in Him: “From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me” (Psalm 61:2–3, NLT). The ESV renders the phrase “for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy” (verse 3). The name of the Lord is a strong tower because He is our defence. As we discover what God has revealed about His character, we can trust in Him (Psalm 91:2).

There is the completeness of joy that comes from praying in Christ’s name. As we pray in Jesus’ name, we trust in the Lord to move hearts to accomplish His will. We rest in peace and joy knowing He will handle whatever comes our way. Thus, our sorrow becomes superficial where Jesus’ joy deeply abides. Our heart can be heavy with sadness while our soul is lightened by our heavenly Father’s love. Above all, we focus on God’s fame when we pray in Jesus’ name. We are not the same when we pray in His name.

Bow down your head today and pray in the name of Jesus. Rebuke everything that is troubling your life and bring them under subjection to the will of the father in Jesus name.