September 1 Devotion - Praying in The Name of Jesus

 

God's name is so often exalted in scripture. God’s name is a declaration of the greatness of His person. Consider these verses:

O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

 

Psalm 8:1

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psalm 103:1

 

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Hallowed be thy name" Name in scripture represents the very essence of the person. Doing something in someone else's name has two implications:

First, you come by the authority of the other person.

Second, when you come in someone’s name, you come in his stead, as if the person who sent you was there himself.  

Now, let's apply this to praying in the name of Jesus. What is the significance of this? First, it means that when we come to the Father, we come because Jesus sent us. We come to The Father in the authority of Jesus, and we come in Jesus’ stead. It is not simply our own idea to speak to the God of heaven and earth.

Jesus said:

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

وَمَهْمَا سَأَلْتُمْ بِاسْمِي فَذلِكَ أَفْعَلُهُ لِيَتَمَجَّدَ الآبُ بِالابْنِ. ¹⁴إِنْ سَأَلْتُمْ شَيْئًا بِاسْمِي فَإِنِّي أَفْعَلُهُ.

 

John 14:13-14

 

Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ²⁴ Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

وَفِي ذلِكَ الْيَوْمِ لاَ تَسْأَلُونَنِي شَيْئًا. اَلْحَقَّ الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّ كُلَّ مَا طَلَبْتُمْ مِنَ الآبِ بِاسْمِي يُعْطِيكُمْ. ²⁴إِلَى الآنَ لَمْ تَطْلُبُوا شَيْئًا بِاسْمِي. اُطْلُبُوا تَأْخُذُوا، لِيَكُونَ فَرَحُكُمْ كَامِلاً.

John 16:23-24

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

لَيْسَ أَنْتُمُ اخْتَرْتُمُونِي بَلْ أَنَا اخْتَرْتُكُمْ، وَأَقَمْتُكُمْ لِتَذْهَبُوا وَتَأْتُوا بِثَمَرٍ، وَيَدُومَ ثَمَرُكُمْ، لِكَيْ يُعْطِيَكُمُ الآبُ كُلَّ مَا طَلَبْتُمْ بِاسْمِي.

John 15:16

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

أَنَا هُوَ الطَّرِيقُ وَالْحَقُّ وَالْحَيَاةُ. لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَأْتِي إِلَى الآبِ إِلاَّ بِي.

John 14:6

 

The right we have to approach God is through the redeeming shed blood of Jesus Christ. The authority we have to ask requests from God, is in the favour of the resurrected Christ.

 For there is [only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and mankind, the Man Christ Jesus,

 ⁵لأَنَّهُ يُوجَدُ إِلهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَوَسِيطٌ وَاحِدٌ بَيْنَ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ: الإِنْسَانُ يَسُوعُ الْمَسِيحُ

1 Timothy 2:5

The Bible is very clear, we need to pray in the name of Jesus, and Jesus is the ONLY mediator/ intercessor between mankind and God. Jesus never said we need an intercessor between us and Jesus, on the contrary He said, “Come to Me”. When we come to God in the name of Jesus, He said it glorifies the Father in The Son.

Are you praying to God in the name of the living Christ as He instructed us or are you praying to a ‘saint’? Why are you not following what Jesus instructed us to do. No one comes to The Father except through Jesus.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, hallowed be Your name. I thank You because You have given me a mediator/intercessor between You and me, Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ and through Him I can come boldly to Your throne of grace, that I may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. Thank You Lord that when I pray for anything (that is in accordance with Your will and character) in the name of Jesus You will give it to me. Thank You God that Your deep steadfast love for me endures forever, thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. God, I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, and glorify Your holy name. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour and in His name I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the dominion before all time, now, and forevermore. Amen.  

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein