In Jesus’ Name

From the first day you walked into a church, or maybe from the day you were born, you have probably heard people end their prayers with the words “. . . in Jesus’ name, amen,” or similar wording. I write out my prayers during devotions, and I usually end with those words. On His last night on earth, Jesus told us six times to pray in His name: John 14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26. But what does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?

What’s in a name?

Your name identifies you. It distinguishes you from others. But it goes deeper. In Scripture, your name represents who you are—your personality, character, reputation, and authority—your very essence. That is why a good name is to be valued above all (cf. Proverbs 22:1).

And that explains why God’s name is exalted so much in Scripture. His name is excellent (Ps. 148:13). That’s the reason we start the Lord’s Prayer with “Hallowed be Your name” (Matt. 6:9, NASB). His name leads us to worship and praise.

What does it mean to come in the name of another?

First, it means to come in the authority of that person. When David fought Goliath, he came “in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted” (I Sam. 17:45). He did not come in his own strength and authority, but in God’s. That’s why he could beat the giant.

Second, it means to come in someone’s stead. When you go to someone “in the name” of another, they are to respond to you, not based on who you are, but as if you were the person who sent you. It’s like an ambassador who is not there on his own, but in the place of the leader of his country. It is also like someone who has the power of attorney. They can make decisions in place of the one who sent them.

Praying in Jesus’ name

First, we come to God in prayer because Jesus sent us. We don’t just decide to come to God, the Creator of heaven and earth. God’s Son sends us. That is why we come before Him with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). Isn’t that wonderful? Jesus has sent us to come to His Father!

Second, we come to God in Jesus’ stead. That sounds like a bold statement, but it’s true. Look at Ephesians 1:5, 6. God accepts us as He does His own Son because we have been adopted into His family! We are in the Beloved! Not only that, we are joint-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:16-17). When God looks at us, He sees His Son, Jesus Christ. It’s amazing, but it’s true!

But does praying in Jesus’ name mean just tacking the right words to the end of our prayers? No, it’s much more. It means that by praying in Jesus’ name, you are acknowledging that your only right to come to the Father is because Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and has sent you personally to His Father. The only reason you can come to God is that you come in Jesus’ name, in His authority and in His stead. It’s not a magic formula, but an attitude of the heart. We can even go further and tell God exactly what we feel—that we are unworthy, but that we come in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.

But this is not a blank check. By praying in His name, we need to make sure to pray in a way that is consistent with His character and according to His will (I John 5:14, 15). We need to ask for and desire what Jesus delights in. How do we do that? By delighting in Him, making Him the center of our lives—our joy (Ps. 37:4). In doing so, we know that He will give us what we ask, because we will only ask for what He wants.