Seeking God Together

By Bud Seymour

WSBC Prayer Coordinator

   Praying is coming into the presence of the Creator of the world. How can we prepare ourselves to approach God? In the model prayer given to us by Jesus, He tells us to begin our prayer by praising the Father - "Hallowed be thy name". This means that God is holy and worthy of praise. We should thank God and praise Him for all of our blessings.

  We must have the greatest respect for our God but the Bible tells us not to be timid when we pray. "Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time." (Hebrews 4:16)

   When we read the promises Jesus gave us concerning prayer, we are astounded by the power available to Christians. "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it 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) And again Jesus told his disciples. "I assure you: anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete." (John 16:23b-24)

  If we look closely at what Jesus said, we will note that each time we are given a promise we are told to ask in Jesus' name. Does this mean that we have to add the magic words "in Jesus' name"? Surely that this is not what Jesus meant. There are many empty and selfish prayers offered that attach "in Jesus' name" or in "His name" or "in the name of Jesus". But the words are just repeated because someone thinks that is what is supposed to be said.

  What did Christ mean when He said to pray in His name? We know there must be something much more meaningful and important to this phrase. There is something about His name that is special to God.

  In John 14:13-14, Christ gives us the reason for praying "whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Lord may be glorified in the Son." We pray in Jesus' name so that God will be glorified. God is not glorified by just saying "in Jesus' name". Adding Christ's name does not justify a prayer. James tells us in 4:3 "you ask and don't receive because you ask wrongly, so that you may spend it on your desires for pleasure."

     As we think of Christ's name, what does it mean to us and to God's activity? In I John 5:14-15 we read these words: "This is the confidence we have in approaching Him: that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we ask of Him."

The most important phrase in this verse is "according to His will." In His name means according to His will. St. Augustine saw the importance of this when he said, "O Lord, grant that I may do Thy will as if it were my will, so that Thou mayest do my will as if it were Thy will." This is what John is saying in John 15:7-8. "If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples." And in 1 John 3:22 we read: "whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things which are also pleasing in His sight."

   So we see that to pray in Christ's name means to pray what Christ would pray. It means to pray for the same things Christ would pray for because, just as Christ, you want to glorify the Father, and glorifying the Father means enlarging and strengthening His kingdom on earth. It is not the words we use - "in Jesus' name"- it is why we say them. It is not what we ask for but why we ask for it. God see our hearts. He already knows what we are going to ask of Him. God sent the Holy Spirit. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit - the Father will send in my name - will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.' John 14:26. The Spirit God sent to us helps us talk to God. "In the same way the Spirit also joins to help our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings." (Romans 8:26)

  How should we pray? Pray to glorify the Father and to do His will. Pray sincerely in the name of His Son. The Father will listen and answer.