Whatever you ask IN MY NAME, this I will do

[TonyChanYT]

Acts 3:

6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Earlier after the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples in John 14:

13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

Anything that can rightly be asked in His name will be granted; there is no other limit. By ‘in My name’ is not of course meant the mere using the formula ‘through Jesus Christ.’

It is not a formula.

Rather, it means praying and working as Christ’s representatives in the same spirit in which Christ prayed and worked,—‘Not My will, but Thine be done.’ Prayers for other ends than this are excluded; not that it is said that they will not be granted, but there is no promise that they will.

Merriam-Webster in someone's name:

something is done with the authority of a specified person

John affirmed this understanding in 1 John 5:

14 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Let's check the context, John 14:

The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

The Father dwells in the Son to enable the Son to speak with the authority of the Father.

12“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. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

i.e., if we ask with the authority of Jesus, it will be done.

15“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper [Paraclete], to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The Paraclete dwells in us to enable us to speak with the authority of the Holy Spirit.

Note that the asking in Jesus' name is sandwiched between the two mentions of indwelling.

For us, we need to pay attention to the Paraclete in us. Ask according to Him. Then whatever we ask will be done.

"In Jesus' name" is not some kind of magical formula. That's why there is no example of prayer in the NT that ends with "in Jesus' name", Acts 9:

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes and seeing Peter she sat up.

Peter prayed/commanded in Jesus' name without explicitly using the word "in Jesus' name", i.e., Peter prayed and acted as a representative of the authority of Jesus. Acting in Jesus' name is more important than mouthing the formula. Today, we Christians have gotten it the other way around and the formula has become meaningless.

Don't just mindlessly end a prayer with "in Jesus' name" as if it is a formula. Can you in clear conscience say that you have prayed as Christ's representative on earth? Do you have the authority of Jesus to pray that prayer? Have you prayed according to the will of God?

 

[Josef]

Hey All,
"Can you in clear conscience say that you have prayed as Christ's representative on earth? Do you have the authority of Jesus to pray that prayer? Have you prayed according to the will of God?" Quote from Tony ChanYT

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(I left this info in case you cut and pasted them from another source.)

Good questions. Let's get some answers.
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1. Because Jesus is the propitiation for my sins, I can go before the throne of God in prayer. He is my advocate when I do.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
2. Well Jesus is there. So yeah, His authority gives me mine.
3a. I don't really understand this question. God is exercising His will by being in our midst.

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
3b.This works for when I am alone. I ask in Jesus name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

I have never had to justify the way I pray. You made me think today.(So that's why my head hurts.) Keep walking everybody.

May God bless,
Taz

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