What does it mean "to pray in Jesus' name"?

[Deena]

Since coming to believe in God's inclusive victory in Christ, many things that I once believed no longer make sense, and so I have gratefully let them go.  On thing still on my mind is prayer.  I used to think that as believers we had to end every prayer with "in the name of Jesus, Amen."  I never really knew why, and kind of considered it like the abra-cadabra that must be said to produce the magic trick (sorry for the crass analogy).  What does it mean to pray in Jesus name, and is this what we are supposed to be doing today, or is it something we will use in the future, like a seal that an ambassador uses to act on behalf of another?

If you will allow me one more question on prayer... Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, but that was still when they were under the law.  Is this lesson/template (The Lord's Prayer) still the way we should pray today?

[lomarah]

Hey Deena. :) I've been wondering about this too, for quite some time. I remember Cardinal wrote somewhere on the forum that Father showed her that to do something in Jesus' name meant to do something in His nature. Well that makes a heck of a lot of sense to me. (Much more so than the "magic trick" type of deal and I agree, I think you are bang on with that analogy.) When the disciples healed the lame man and used the name of Jesus the Christ I get the inkling they did it not so much for the reason that it was necessary to produce the miracle but maybe more so that the man (and surrounding people) would know where it was that the power was coming from. To exalt His name because He is their Savior and the healing comes from His Spirit.  Remember the seven sons of Sceva who thought to use His name as a magic trick and ended up naked and bleeding.

Just my opinion of course, and what I feel He has been revealing to me as of late. I don't believe that my understanding of it is complete as of this point however.

:HeartThrob:

[onlytruth]

When we tap into the spirit(similar to word of knowledge).We begin to speak what we hear the spirit nudge us with, usually we think it might have no importance but for the receiver it is what they needed to hear or understand.
Jesus did this on a regular basis(only doing what the Father showed him)
So in essence we must do it the same way or the in the same nature Jesus did.
blessings

[lomarah]

 :thumbsup: Absolutely! Amen!  :HeartThrob:

[micah7:9]

Since coming to believe in God's inclusive victory in Christ, many things that I once believed no longer make sense, and so I have gratefully let them go.  On thing still on my mind is prayer.  I used to think that as believers we had to end every prayer with "in the name of Jesus, Amen."  I never really knew why, and kind of considered it like the abra-cadabra that must be said to produce the magic trick (sorry for the crass analogy).  What does it mean to pray in Jesus name, and is this what we are supposed to be doing today, or is it something we will use in the future, like a seal that an ambassador uses to act on behalf of another?

If you will allow me one more question on prayer... Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, but that was still when they were under the law.  Is this lesson/template (The Lord's Prayer) still the way we should pray today?

"I never really knew why, and kind of considered it like the abra-cadabra that must be said to produce the magic trick (sorry for the crass analogy). "

I believe you answered your own question. I believe to "pray in the Name of Jesus" to be a religious doctrine thing, a formula by man, a must in some denominations. When we/I pray,[supplication and worship] either we are praying in the Name of our Lord, or we are not, and if we are not, then I don't believe adding in the Name of Jesus means anything. When we/I pray I believe we are brought there by and in Spirit and for me......we/I are praying in His Name or we would not be praying at all. I believe this. :HeartThrob:

[ded2daworld]

Micah  :thumbsup: I have used the abracadabra analogy myself.
My wife asked me why I didn't finish our prayers together with "in Jesus name" like she had been taught.
I asked her if she thought God would refuse to listen to our prayers if we didn't tack the "magic words" on when we were finished.
Being ECT, she is still believing everything has to be done "right" (in the church's opinion) to be acceptable to God AFTER he has already saved us or we could lose our salvation. Sad, she is so afraid of God while maintaining she loves him (she really does) and He loves her. It's hard to change when one has believed Churchianity for 40 years, but, :Peace2: she is a proverbs 31 woman and loves me so what  more do I need?

[Deena]

Thanks for the input from all. Jesus tells the disciples to ask in His name and it will be done, so I can understand how the habit came about, but by invoking the name of Jesus, it doesn't seem to affect the outcome. I mean a lot of those prayers do not produce the desired result. Could this promise be for the saints in the next age? For me, my real question is how are we to pray? Does anyone know of some good UR literature that explains it? I sometimes think that since God works all things according to His will, what is the role of prayer?

[lomarah]

Maybe the role of prayer is to line ourselves up with His will, thus allowing Him to work wonders through us.  :HeartThrob:

[micah7:9]

This may not have anything to do with the main post but I had written it to post, I hope I said it correctly. And most certainly open for correction and reproof. :HeartThrob:

I am sure we all put much stock and faith in healing through prayer. I have noticed that after Peter and John in Acts not a whole lot is mentioned on the subject,
nor do we read a lot about the Apostles or Paul doing a a lot of healing, and other than  but the 3 mentions of laying on of hands and that by apostles and presbytery.
Yet, at least from my view healing through prayer is a strong Christian doctrine. 
What Paul does say, 1Co 12:9  and to another faith in the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings in the same Spirit;
1Co 12:29   are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all powers?
1Co 12:30 have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31  and desire earnestly the better gifts; and yet a far excelling way do I shew to you:
1Co 13:1  If with the tongues of men and of messengers I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling;
1Co 13:2  and if I have prophecy, and know all the secrets, and all the knowledge, and if I have all the faith, so as to remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing;
1Co 13:3  and if I give away to feed others all my goods, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing. (Jo. 6:63)
I have in no way have stopped praying for the sick and I have in no way stopped having faith that my prayer will be answered. And I have had prayers answered, I believe in the power of prayer, but I have had prayers not answered and that includes healing.
My thought is, am I or we, within our selves, trying to be something we are not? I know I've said this and maybe others, "Maybe His answer is no."
I don't believe that any longer.  Jesus said, Joh 14:14  if ye ask anything in my name I will do it .
So, where am I or who am I when I pray for healing in His Name?  Jesus also said, Joh 6:63  the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life;

So if I pray for a healing and it does not happen it must mean that I am still very much in the flesh?"...the flesh doth not profit anything; ..." or
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Am I not in His Will? I know that His will is to do Good, so I must come to the  conclusion, that I am being born of the Spirit and I am being saved(made whole), I am being converted. I am not in the position for my prayers of healing to be answered.
I know some will say that they have prayed for healing and it happened. But how do we know that the healing was not already in His plan without our prayer.
I love Jesus and I want to be able to pray for the sick and they be healed, it just saddens me that it does not happen.  :HeartThrob: :dsunny:

[rosered]

 
I believe when you call on the name of the Lord is sincere  prayer  , He  is always with you , but    He awakens within you  , as the Spirit rest in you , lots of times for me
  I do not keep  connected    continally to the Spirit  consciensly ,  but subconsciensly always , its raising HIM up within yourself , that  oneness and  ,

I call it vibration of flowing love within  that the Lord is so near and dear  , I want to be that way all the time and continually ,  but it does not  stay like that , I ask for it more and more  now ,

   but start asking  Him for help and counsel , give  me the right heart   how to pray for this  and others  , i do pray for enemies often   when  contention arises   and His peace  comes and  just know its going to work out  as He is dealing with it  too now and not just me  but all  involved  our minds change from self to others  , mind of Christ  and everyone benefits  , you know it , but they may not know God is working in their hearts too .

  I take this very personally   and  always know the blessings are in it for everyone  involved
  I believe this is how the conviction of the Holy Spirit  , of God and Christ Spirit connect us all 
  the Lord is about everyone and not just a few  to me  :HeartThrob:
I have asked for    the ones struggling to pray in  harmony  [ask  for the same  help from Him ]  with His Spirit too
  where two or 3 are gathered in His Name He is in the midst of them  , its the connection that is never broken , but gets stronger  as His faith is increased  among believers

[rosered]

 

  good verse    to ask   in Jesus name   

1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

:HeartThrob:

[Deena]

Micah, you are touching on something I did not have the boldness to say--why does my prayer seem to get lost in the mail, apparently unread. I read and pray every morning (because I NEED God), but if I went off of results, it appears that I must be doing something wrong.  I feel like the disciples--Jesus, teach me how to pray.

[lomarah]

Maybe He needs to cleanse our desires and our intentions first? This morning I was meditating on it a bit more and it seemed to me that prayer should definitely be getting to know the heart of our Father and being changed into His image and then the Spirit will be able to give us what to pray and when (in regards to healing, etc).

[Deena]

Very true, lo. The prayer to be made like Jesus, to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God, to understand the grand expanse of His love, are at the top of the prayer list. I get discouraged that I still resemble sinful me. Ok, that's enough whining out of me.

[rosered]

Very true, lo. The prayer to be made like Jesus, to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God, to understand the grand expanse of His love, are at the top of the prayer list. I get discouraged that I still resemble sinful me. Ok, that's enough whining out of me.

Hi  girls  :girlheart:
   all we can do is share our own experiences Deena ,  great answer Holly !!
   you done well  :HeartThrob:

[ded2daworld]

Doesn't asking in Jesus name imply asking that God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven? :dontknow:

[micah7:9]

It may imply, as we see it, but I feel we or me as men have not been really in touch as to what the will of the Father is?
We have examples of Jesus... am I there in that place of spirit?
We have read how Peter and John healed and prayers answered in and through the power of His spirit, have I reached that intimacy with the Father?
We all believe, we all pray, we all expect answers to our prayers, but is my expectation the will of the Father?
I am not giving up on prayer, I am not quitting my expectation of an answer, I just know that until I am matured to that position of,  "ask anything in my name I will do it ."
I will believe my prayers and supplications are most certainly heard, but are my prayers of a truth, in His Will, that is how I understand it.
I may be all wet, but it is my hope in my walk to reach that place. :HeartThrob:

[eaglesway]

I think there is a balance somewhere between faith in the name (the name of Jesus, by faith in that name has made this man whole) and "in the nature"- because apparently God answers many prayers of faith and commands of faith "in the name "from folks who are not walking in the nature(didnt we do mighty works in your name.....depart from me I never knew(has intimate fellowship with) you)

I think the grace of God and the power in the name of Jesus combine to hav effect at times EVEN OUTSIDE THE NATURE- it is the name above every name that is named, not cuz of how you spell it(Yehsha or Yehashua or Jesus or whatever) but because it is HIM-HIS NAME who is GLORIOUS, BEAUTIFUL, MIGHTY IN POWER etc.

But faith in the name is required, just ask the seven sons of Sceva, "Come out in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches"(Acts somewhere)..... Boy did they get a beatin :o)

[ded2daworld]

My point is, there are probably many christians (I've known a few) that play the lotto and sincerely ask "in the name of Jesus" to win it with all sorts of promises of all the good that they (when they win) will do with the money.
...and not just that but how many times do Christians pray "in the name of Jesus" asking for things like new car, new church building, a love life, new clothes, new shoes, in short, for things that are WANTED rather than NEEDED.
The Father supplies ALL our needs. IMO, you can ask for more than your needs all you want "in the name of Jesus" and tacking on "in the name of Jesus" will not effect the outcome.
Unselfish Prayer for others is always heard regardless of tacking on "in the name of Jesus" at the end.
and no - praying unselfishly for others does not mean something like help my favorite grandfather or (or some close relative) to win the lotto. :laughing7:

[micah7:9]

My point is, there are probably many christians (I've known a few) that play the lotto and sincerely ask "in the name of Jesus" to win it with all sorts of promises of all the good that they (when they win) will do with the money.
...and not just that but how many times do Christians pray "in the name of Jesus" asking for things like new car, new church building, a love life, new clothes, new shoes, in short, for things that are WANTED rather than NEEDED.
The Father supplies ALL our needs. IMO, you can ask for more than your needs all you want "in the name of Jesus" and tacking on "in the name of Jesus" will not effect the outcome.
Unselfish Prayer for others is always heard regardless of tacking on "in the name of Jesus" at the end.
and no - praying unselfishly for others does not mean something like help my favorite grandfather or (or some close relative) to win the lotto. :laughing7:

Name only christians. :2c:

[micah7:9]

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice;
Php 4:5  let your forbearance be known to all men; the Lord is near;
Php 4:6  for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God;
Eph 6:18  through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and in regard to this same, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Should a soul be drawn by the Father, that soul will find prayer as a solace, communicating in Spirit is a sweet nectar reviving the knowledge that it is by His Faith we move in His Life.
Prayer for what men consider a need is usually just want(imo) they turn to God when there is a life threat to a loved one, God may intercede, but then I believe that is His choice for that
soul in deaths sway. I believe a true believers prayer is constant, for it on Him we lean. When a true believer prays, that soul is In the Name of Jesus.
Yes, that is just my thought. :HeartThrob:

[lomarah]

Very true, lo. The prayer to be made like Jesus, to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God, to understand the grand expanse of His love, are at the top of the prayer list. I get discouraged that I still resemble sinful me. Ok, that's enough whining out of me.

Deena, Father does not see you as "sinful" Deena. He sees you as made in His image and taken advantage of by evil spirits. He is jealous for you and is going to destroy all of those things that are hurting you.  :HeartThrob: (He showed me this once as I was crying to Him about the sin in me, ashamed and grieved over the whole thing. He showed me who we really are and what is actually causing the sin. It's not us.) You are nothing but precious to Him!


14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  :dsunny:

:girlheart:

[Deena]

Micah, what does it mean to "pray in the spirit"-- how do I know if I am doing so? Lomarah, thanks for the reminder in Romans. Is Romans 8 a future promise? We (I) certainly do not experience the freedom from sin in this life. Like the movie Groundhog's Day, I seem to be stuck in Romans 7. Thanks also for the beautiful way you explained how God sees us. In the end, our destiny is glorious, but I sure get tired of the journey through the trash dump (vanity/futility).

[micah7:9]

Micah, what does it mean to "pray in the spirit"-- how do I know if I am doing so? Lomarah, thanks for the reminder in Romans. Is Romans 8 a future promise? We (I) certainly do not experience the freedom from sin in this life. Like the movie Groundhog's Day, I seem to be stuck in Romans 7. Thanks also for the beautiful way you explained how God sees us. In the end, our destiny is glorious, but I sure get tired of the journey through the trash dump (vanity/futility).

"Micah, what does it mean to "pray in the spirit"....Now THAT is the question isn't it? The only thing that I have been able begin to understand, is an individual themselves needs to begin to understand just what "in the Spirit" is, and the only way that knowledge is gained will be when the Holy Spirit reveals
that power.
The one example is, Act 3:6  and Peter said, `Silver and gold I have none, but what I have, that I give to thee; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and be walking.'
Peter KNEW, I do not believe there was hesitation, and as I believe, Peter and John did not see a lame man, but a healed man. As when Jesus healed, HE did not see the infirmities, diseases, that people saw, but He healed to reveal that He was the Christ Jesus.
That's all that I have come understand. Thanks for asking.
As the song goes, "We've a long way to go and a short time to get there." :HeartThrob: :dsunny:

[Deena]

Thanks to all for the help. I think you are all in tune with my seeking--ask in Jesus' name, pray in the spirit-- but am I the only one that is hazy on what that means? Just being honest about my own experience.