In the Name of Jesus
“ ‘If you ask anything in My name, I will do it’ ” (John 14:14, NKJV).
Jesus was not going to be with the disciples much longer. The One
who had been their support and encouragement was going to heaven,
and the disciples were beginning to feel confused and powerless. But
though the disciples would not be able to see Him physically any lon-
ger, Jesus gave them a remarkable promise.
Read John 14:1–14. According to verses 13 and 14, Jesus promises
to do for us “anything” that we ask in His name. Because of this, we
almost always add on to the end of our prayers, “In Jesus’ name, amen.”
When we say this, what do we normally think it means? What does
Jesus mean when He encourages us to pray like this? What clues
are there in these verses that help us to understand the point He’s
making?
When our request is “in the name of Jesus,” we can be certain that the
whole machinery of heaven is at work on our behalf. We may not see
the angels working all around us. But they are—sent from the throne of
heaven in the name of Jesus, to fulfill our requests.
Sometimes when we pray in the name of Jesus, we open our eyes and
expect everything to be different around us—but it all looks the same.
However, while the power of God may come with dramatic effect, as
when Jesus calmed the storm, it also may come in quietness, unnoticed,
as when the power of God sustained Jesus in Gethsemane. Something
dramatic may not suddenly happen, but that doesn’t mean that God is
not at work for us.
Read John 14:1–14 again. As you read, imagine that Jesus is
talking directly to you, face-to-face. What hope and encourage-
ment can you draw from these promises? At the same time, ask
yourself, “What things in my life could be standing in the way
of having these promises fulfilled for me? What changes must I
purpose in my heart to make?”
