In Jesus' Name

Jesus said, "Whatever you ask in My name."

When we arrived in the village where we had been working for over a year to distribute grain to people who were eating grass, they said, "Please pray for us in Jesus' name." It was rainy season, but it had not been raining, and they desperately needed rain to grow the food necessary for the new year. We prayed for rain, "In Jesus name". And within hours there was an abundance of rain. Word went out for miles and people kept coming and saying, "You are the rainmakers."
We kept telling them, God sends the rain, and we prayed in Jesus' name.

Three months later a group of Muslim men came to our team at our hut in the village and said, "We asked the Imam to pray for rain, but he sent us to you. He told us that you are Christians, and God answers your prayers." What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus?

There are many answers to that question, but two comments are sufficient for our thoughts this morning. First, to pray in Jesus' name is to pray on the basis of His pleasing work on Calvary's cross. His atoning work not only brings forgiveness for our sins, it is also purchased the answer to our prayers. God never answers on the basis of our own merit, but only on the basis of the shed blood of Calvary.

The other comment of significance is that to pray in Jesus' name means to pray what He would pray. It is not a self centered prayer, but a prayer that honors the Father's will. To pray in Jesus'' name is to pray consistenet with His nature and character. There is power in the name that is above every name.

God Hears Us

"But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer." (Ps. 66:19)

Have you ever come away from your prayer time with the absolute sense you had stood on holy ground in the very presence of God? It is a special and a blessed time, and certainly the psalmist knew that on the occaision that he penned these words. For the Christian, God always hears our prayers. Sometimes He answers ""Yes", to what we have requested. Other times He says, "No". Then there are times that God says "Wait a while."

The reality is that God always listens to His children. For a believer, however, prayer is not a means of manipulating God to do whatever we want. He is not a heavenly santa claus that blesses us with gifts because we have been good little boys and girls. He is the Sovereign Holy God of creation and providence. Prayer is aligning our lives with His purpose so that we can do His will.

The basis of our prayers being answered is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He purchased the answers to our prayers when He purchased our salvation. We do not receive answers because we deserve them and merit some bonus. It is because God loves us and delights in answering our prayers.