Prayer in Jesus' Name

Prayer fascinates me. I’m intrigued by its mystery, its form, and its function. I love learning about prayer: how to pray, why we pray, and how God uses our prayers. I love what prayer does in my heart and how it draws me into sweet communion with my Father in heaven.

Recently, I heard someone pray and noticed that they ended the prayer with a simple “Amen.” It felt like something was missing, like shutting a book closed with one paragraph left unread. Like leaving the movie theater five minutes before the end. Like pulling out the pie from the oven before the crust is golden brown.

And then I realized, the prayer was missing an ingredient: in Jesus’ name. That got me thinking, why do we pray in Jesus’ name? What happens if we don’t? Is it an essential part of our prayers?

Jesus taught the disciples in the Upper Room Discourse that when they ask for something in his name, he will provide it. "'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it'" (John 14:12-14). "'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you'" (John 15:16).

Some prosperity gospel advocates claim that if you don’t pray in Jesus’ name, you won’t get the blessings you ask for. It’s like having an all access pass or an invite to an invitation only event. If you don’t have it, you don’t get in. They use it as a stamp of approval for their prayers. It's the final number in a series of codes that opens the door to blessings and prosperity. It's more like a magic formula than coming to our Father in heaven and asking him to meet our needs.

That's not why we pray in Jesus' name.

We pray in Jesus’ name because he is the one who broke down the barrier between us and God. When he hung on the cross and cried out his last breath, the curtain in the temple was torn in two. That curtain symbolized the barrier between God and mankind. We couldn’t pass through it to be in his presence because he is holy and we are not. But because of Jesus’ perfect and complete sacrifice for us on the cross, that barrier was removed. The curtain was torn.

Through faith in what Christ has done for us in his perfect life, sacrificial death, triumphant resurrection, and ascension, we are united to him. We are now clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and have access to God’s presence. We can come to him in prayer through Jesus. “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12, NIV). Our Father is now our Abba; we come to him as children, as his children, seeking help for what we need. That’s why the author to the Hebrews encourages us to come to the throne with confidence, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

John Calvin said this about prayer in Jesus’ name: "Since no man is worthy to present himself to God and come into his sight, the Heavenly Father himself, to free us at once from shame and fear, which might well have thrown our hearts into despair, has give us his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to be our advocate and mediator with him, by whose guidance we may confidently come to him, and with such an intercessor, trusting nothing we ask in his name will be denied us, as nothing can be denied to him by the Father." (Institutes, XX.17).

Calvin also points out that those who call on God in any name other than Jesus Christ, have no promise of receiving anything. All of God's promises are confirmed and fulfilled in Christ alone. "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20). 

Praying in Jesus' name reminds us why we come to God in prayer. It reminds us of what Jesus did for us. It reminds us that all of the promises and blessings God has for us, comes to us through Christ alone.

Now, as to what we ought to pray for in Jesus' name, that's for another post, another day.

Remember Your God

Life is filled with questions: What should I do? How will I do ____? Why did ___ happen?

For the believer, it’s no different. We wonder why God allowed a particular hardship into our lives. We wonder how we will endure a season of suffering. When we stand at a crossroads, we wonder which way we should go. When we encounter obstacles, we desire wisdom to know how to get around them. When life is confusing and uncertain, we want direction, purpose, and certainty.

Jeremiah’s Uncertainty

The prophet Jeremiah found himself faced with uncertainty, questions, and a desire to know what to do. Jeremiah had been called to speak to God’s people about pending judgement for their sin. He prophesied that Babylon would conquer them and take them into captivity. As Babylon surrounded the city of Jerusalem and besieged it, Jeremiah was locked up in prison by the king, Zedekiah for prophesying about their pending capture. God then told Jeremiah to do a curious thing: purchase a piece of land.

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah…Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field…’” (Jeremiah 32:1-2,6-8).

Buy a field at a time when Jerusalem is under attack and will be taken away into captivity? Doesn’t that conflict with what God said would happen? Zedekiah was so offended by Jeremiah’s prophesy of captivity, he had him arrested. Wouldn’t buying a field say that Jeremiah didn’t believe his own prophecy?

Jeremiah’s Prayer

Jeremiah obeyed the Lord and purchased the field. After he purchased the land, he was still confused and concerned about it. So he prayed to the Lord.

“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:16-17).

Many times, we as believers find ourselves in a season of life, a crossroads, a trial, and don’t understand what is happening. We don’t know what God is doing or why. Like Jeremiah, we believe and trust God, but still feel confused and uncertain. Like Jeremiah, we obey and follow God’s word, but still have doubts. Jeremiah’s prayer here is helpful for us as we deal with our own uncertainties. We too ought to cry out to God, asking the tough questions.

Jeremiah began his prayer focusing on who God is and what he has done. He praised God for his power and sovereignty, for his love and faithfulness (see vv. 16-20). Then he rehearsed the history of redemption, of God’s salvific work in rescuing them from slavery and bringing them to the Promised Land.

“You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey” (vv. 21-22).

Jeremiah then moved to the present where Babylon was building siege ramps to attack Jerusalem. He prayed, “What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it” (v. 24). He ends his prayer, expressing his concern, confusion, and doubt, “Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’” (v. 25).

When We Have Doubts

In our own prayers, we too need to remember who God is and what he has done. We too can rehearse the story of redemption in our prayers. On this side of the cross, we rehearse the gospel. We remember that the promised Redeemer came and rescued us from slavery to sin. We remember that God wrapped himself in human flesh and incarnated himself among us. We dwell on Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection. We rejoice that we have a Savior who knows our sorrows and wept tears of his own. We look to our future hope in eternity.

As Jeremiah did, we also pray about God’s character, who he is in his sovereignty and power, his love and faithfulness, his wisdom and justice. We see all these traits meet in the person and work of Christ. All that God has promised has come to pass. His word is true and sure.

Like Jeremiah, we can present our questions, our concerns, our fears, and our doubts. We can ask, “why?” “how?” “what?” Because of Jesus, we can come to the throne of grace with confidence and find grace to help us in our time of need (Heb. 4:16).

Ultimately, we learn that God will bring the people back to the land. He will keep his covenant with them. The purpose in Jeremiah purchasing the land was to show that the land would still be there for their return. It was to point to a future hope (see vv. 36-44).

Life in this fallen world is hard. We have many questions. Sometimes life is so shrouded with the fog of uncertainty, it’s hard to know where to go next. We struggle with doubts. Yet, even when we don’t understand what is happening, we obey God’s word. And we cry out to him in prayer. We remind ourselves that though we don’t know or understand the future, God does. We remember all he has done for us in Christ. It’s not the strength of our faith that sustains us during confusing times. It’s who our faith is in. It’s the object of our faith which carries us through: Jesus Christ. Turn to him and remember your God today.  

3 Things to Do in Your Waiting

I spend much of my life waiting for something: for the light to change, for a response to my text or email, for the nurse to call my name. I wait for hard things, like answers to blood tests and for good things, like a vacation to start. I wait for dreams to come true and for answered prayers. 

In many ways, the Christian life is one of waiting. We live in the in-between, a time between Christ's ascension and his promised return. We wait for Christ to come and make all things new. We wait for his glory to be revealed and his promises fulfilled. We wait for eternity where we will live forever worshiping our Savior.

Waiting is hard because we are impatient by nature. We want to speed things up and make things happen. We want things to take place on our time table. We look at waiting as wasted time—time we could be using for other things. We can't see waiting as productive and important in and of itself.  We treat it like a no-man's land, a purgatory of sorts between where we've been and where we want to go. 

Yet the Bible encourages waiting and sees it as a good thing, particularly a specific kind of waiting: waiting on the Lord. "The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD" (Lamentations 3:25-26). "From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:4).

Waiting doesn't mean not doing anything. It doesn't necessarily entail idleness or sitting still. In the Bible, waiting is a posture of the heart. It's a humble reliance upon the One who rules all things and holds all things together. It's living out the knowledge that God is good and faithful and will always be so. Biblical waiting requires hope and trust in our steadfast God.

In the passage above from Lamentations, waiting is described as "the soul who seeks him." This means there is work to be done in our waiting, important work.

What can we do in our waiting?

Wait in Prayer: As we wait on the Lord to move in our lives and in those around us, we seek him in prayer. Whatever we are waiting for—healing, restoration, provision, rescue—we cry out to the Lord in prayer. The Psalms of Lament are prayers of waiting for God to come to the rescue, whether for an individual or for God's people as a whole. These prayers are one's we can model and pray ourselves. And we don't just pray once, we pray repeatedly, telling the Lord our troubles, seeking his help, and responding to him with trust and praise. 

Watch with Hope: We also watch for God to move. We wait with expectation. While God may not answer our prayers in the exact way we request, we know he is faithful. We know he loves us in Christ and he will do all for his glory and our good. So we wait with anticipatory hope. We look for his glory in our life. We look for his providential hand at work in all things. We trace his grace in all the details of our days, from the littlest things to the biggest. Like a child on Christmas Eve who can't fall asleep, excited for Christmas morning, we wait for our Father with hope.  

Wonder with Joy: As we pray and watch for God's work, we wonder and marvel at his grace. We are his children, chosen in Christ before the creation of world. Through the blood of the Son, we are made holy, set apart for good works. We have a Father who cares about all the details of our lives, down to the number of hairs on our head. He knows what we need before we ask it. We have the down payment of our inheritance through the Spirit living within us, who comforts, guides, teaches, and exhorts us in righteousness. For all this and more, we wait in joy, because we know the One for whom we wait. 

Waiting is hard. But good things happen in our hearts when we wait on the Lord. As we draw near to him in prayer, seeking him as our refuge, and watching for him to move, we can't help but wonder at his generous grace for us. As you wait on the Lord today, know that your waiting is not wasted time. It's not in vain. For you wait on the God who rules the universe and the One who has proven his faithfulness to you in Christ. So pray. Watch. And wonder. 

The Privilege of Prayer

A quick glance at my home library and I see that I own at least a dozen books on prayer. It's not surprising. Prayer, while a simple thing in many ways, is also at the same time challenging for us.

Consider the disciples who grew up praying in the synagogue. Even though they had likely prayed their whole life and probably knew certain prayers in the Bible by heart (such as those in the Psalms), they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Perhaps they saw how he withdrew from them on a regular basis to seek his Father in prayer. Perhaps they heard him pray, not in rote memorization, but in belief, trust, and confidence. Perhaps they witnessed firsthand the results of his prayers. Whatever their reasons for asking, Jesus did teach them to pray by giving them what we call the The Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.a
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:9-13)

For many believers, The Lord's Prayer is something we can recite in our sleep. Many of us learned it as child in Sunday School. Some of us say it in church every Sunday. It's also a prayer that forms and shapes our personal prayers—using it as a model to help us include the important elements of prayer such as praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. 

Sometimes, when we know something so well, we take it for granted. We recite it without paying attention to the words. We overlook its meaning and significance. When that happens, we need a fresh reminder of why we say it to begin with.

In the case of The Lord's Prayer, do we know how significant it is that we get to pray that first line, Our Father in Heaven? Do we understand the privilege of coming before God as our Father and laying our requests before him?

God Our Father

Through faith in Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection, we are saved from sin. We are justified. God looks at what Christ has done for us and declares us righteous. This is a legal act. Upon our salvation, we are also brought into right relationship with God. We are adopted into his family, the church. This adoption concerns our relationship with God. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

When Jesus referred to God as Father in this prayer, it is translated as Abba. It was the name Jewish children used to refer to their fathers. Some compare it to our own children referring to their father as "Daddy." Because of our adoption as God's children, we get to pray Our Father. Just as our children can run to their own Daddy when they are hurt, curl in his lap and find rest and comfort, praying Our Father means the same for us. It is an intimate, familiar, and familial reference. It denotes trust, security, and love. In praying, Our Father, it reminds us of God's great love for us. "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1). 

To pray Our Father means that we have a familial relationship with the God of the universe. The One who flung the stars across the sky, who holds the earth in the palm of his hand, who controls the wind and mighty oceans, is our Abba. He cares about every detail of our lives, down to the number of hairs on our head. He hears our every cry and knows our every need—before we even speak it.

J.I. Packer asserts that adoption "is the highest privilege that the gospel offers." He wrote in Knowing God, "Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship—he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship." 

Our Father in Heaven

Jesus didn't simply pray, Our Father, he qualified it with, "in heaven." This phrase tells us that our Father is in heaven. It reminds us that God isn't just any father, he is also the Sovereign God who rules and reigns from his throne above. "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). This means he is far above and beyond any earthly father. He is a father who is holy, perfect, right, and true.

For those who can't help but think of their fallen relationships with their earthly father, this prayer reminds us that our Father is in heaven. He is nothing like our human fathers. He will never forsake us. He will never leave us, fail us, or reject us. So as we pray to our Heavenly Father, we can trust that he hears us, he loves us, and he is for us. "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-14)

Because our Father is in Heaven, it also means he owns all things. He is the source of all we have. He determines our length of days and gives us life, breath, and health. All of creation is dependent upon him. "He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry" (Psalm 147:8-9). Each and every day, we wake up sustained by God's power and grace. When we pray Our Father in Heaven, we ought to respond in wonder and praise that the God of the universe hears our prayers.  

Prayer is a privilege. How amazing it is that we get to come into our Father's presence! When we pray the The Lord's Prayer, may we take time to dwell on what it means to pray Our Father. May it remind us of our adoption into God's family and cause us to rejoice at God's generous and daily provision of grace. 

Ten Prayers for the New Year

As I prepare to turn the page and begin a new chapter in my life, I wonder, what will this new year hold? What new joys await me this next year? What challenges? What trials and heartaches? What new lessons? What dreams will come true and what new ones will be birthed?

Perhaps your own heart is filled with similar thoughts and questions. Do you look ahead with anticipation? Or is it more like dread? Does the unknown future paralyze you with fear? Or are you expectant of the good things God will do? Instead of looking forward to the next year, would you rather turn around and go back the way you came? Or maybe you are feeling some of both?

The great news is that God is the author of 2018. He knows each and every twist and turn that lay ahead both for you and for me. He has planned 2018 down to the minutest detail, all with the goal of his glory and our good. So when it comes to facing the new and unexpected, when the future seems frightening and uncertain, and when we come to a new and unfamiliar junction in the road of life, the best and greatest thing we can do is pray. Through Christ, we can come to the throne of grace with confidence, casting our cares and anxieties upon the Lord, and know that we will find grace and help in our time of need. God hears our prayers, he uses our prayers, and he desires that we come before him in prayer.

While the list of things we could pray for this year is endless, I've created a list to get us started. Will you join me in praying these things for ourselves and others?

1. That we would know the love of Christ: This is one of Paul's prayers for the Ephesians. It is a prayer that opens our eyes to seeing Christ's love in new and fresh ways. "That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God" (3:17-19). We will spend an eternity plumbing the depths of Christ's love for us, but don't you want to get started now?

2. That we would love God's word: It was God's word that started this blue marble that we call Earth spinning and twirling in the dark void. It is his word that brings life and sustains life. It is his word that accomplished our redemption when Christ cried out at the cross, "It is finished!" And it is his written word which shows us the path of life. Scripture tells us all we need to know about who God is and what he has done for us in Christ. It also his word that changes us and sanctifies us. "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Let us pray this year for hearts that love God's word.

3. That we would desire Christ above all else: We cannot love God on our own. Left to our own devices, we would only love ourselves. Only God can bring our dead hearts to life, giving us hearts that love him and desire to obey him. "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:36). Let us pray this year for hearts that love Christ above all else. Let us pray for hearts that are dissatisfied with the fast food offerings of this world and that we would develop the taste for the rich and deeply satisfying love of Christ.

4. That God would show us the idols of our heart: All the things we bow down to in our heart, the things that we love more than Christ are idols. Success, affection, affirmation, money, possessions, family, jobs—these are all idols of the heart. Pray that God would reveal to you what idols stand tall on the altar of your heart. Pray that he would help you to remove them and put greater love for Christ in their place.

5. That we would be quick to repent: Martin Luther described the Christian life as one of repentance. As long as we live in this sin-stained world, we will continue to sin. Let us pray for hearts that are quick to repent. May we readily turn to the cross and apply what Christ has done for us, washing ourselves anew in his forgiving grace.

6. That we would think less about ourselves: Tim Keller describes humility as "the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less." This year, let us pray that we would spend less time consumed with ourselves and more time thinking about loving God and loving others.

7. That we would have gospel joy: Gospel joy is the joy that anchors us in the midst of the ferocious storms of life. It is the constant steady horizon in the swells of life. It stays with us no matter our circumstances. This is something I pray for quite often because I tend to notice the storm clouds and forget the sun shining above them. Gospel joy comes from knowing what Christ has done for us, what he accomplished for us, who we are because of him, and the eternal hope we have through him.

8. That we would love like Christ: Just as we can't love God on our own, we can't love others on our own either. We need to pray that we would have a love like Christ, the kind of love that seeks the best in others, that takes the last place, that serves and sacrifices. The Apostle John said that we love because God first loved us. This year, may we focus on the love Christ has for us and may it propel us to love others as he loves.

9. That we would number our days: In Psalm 39, David prayed, "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!" (vs.4). Let this be our prayer as well. May we realize how fleeting our life is and how important it is that we not waste our brief time. May we use every moment for God's great glory and praise.

10. That God's will would be done: In the fictional Mitford book series, Father Tim would tell others that he was "praying the prayer that never fails." Praying that God's will would be done is the prayer that never fails. May we submit all our prayers and desires to God's will, trusting that his will is perfect, holy, righteous, and good.

That's my prayer list to start off this year. What's on your prayer list?

A Prayer for When You Don't Know What to Do

If you read my post last week on seeking God's will in making decisions, you may remember that one of the steps to making a decision is to seek God in prayer. 

Perhaps you are in the midst of a difficult decision right now. If so, this prayer is for you.

Father in Heaven,

I come before you today with my mind swirling with different thoughts and feelings. I have a hard decision make and I just don't know what to do. I feel helpless and confused. I'm worried about the consequences to my decision. I worry about the impact my decision will have not only on myself but on others as well. To be honest, I fear making the wrong decision.

Your word tells me that if I seek after wisdom you will provide it. So I am seeking you, the source and fountain of wisdom. You've written everything you want me to know if the pages of your book, The Bible. I pray that as I read your word, it would shape my wants and desires and longings. I pray that it would impress on me what matters most to you. I pray that as I consider the decision before me, that I would remember what your word teaches about your sovereignty and control over all things. 

You know this problem before me. You know how it turns out. That's because you are the Alpha and the Omega. You know the end from the beginning. Nothing happens apart from your will and plan. Not only are you sovereign, but you are good. All your plans are holy, righteous, and good. I can trust that you know what is best for me. When I move forward with this decision, I know that it is your will and that you will use it for my good and your glory. 

Forgive me for getting caught up in wanting to know the future and how everything turns out. Forgive me for treating you like a "magic 8 ball." Forgive me for fearing the future and for waiting around in the hopes that the answer will be written on the wall. Help me to rest and trust in who you are. Help me to look to Jesus, knowing that if you gave of your own Son to save me from sin, how will you not also be with me in all the challenges and decisions of my life? There is nothing and no one that can separate me from you; I have nothing to fear.

You are my Rock, my Savior, and my Deliverer. Be with me as I move forward in this time of confusion and difficulty. Above all, may your will be done on earth, and in my life, as it is in heaven.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.