In Jesus’ Name: True Authority in Prayer

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Welcome to the InTouch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Friday, October 10th. When you pray, do you recognize the significance of the name of Jesus and how to align your prayers with God’s will? Our series, Learning to Pray the Bible Way, continues.

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Since prayer places everything within our reach and makes it possible for you and me to touch anybody, anywhere in all the earth, then learning to pray should be one of the essentials of the Christian life. But most people have the idea that once you’re saved, you just sort of automatically know how to pray. And the result is that they go through life wondering why God doesn’t hear and answer their prayer. Oftentimes, it’s sort of a haphazard, non-systematic approach to prayer. Oftentimes, without faith. Oftentimes, floundering. Oftentimes, it ends up being just crucial praying or crises praying. But just as there are laws that govern our universe, there are laws that govern our spiritual life. And those laws also relate to prayer. And there are laws that govern prayer. That is, there are certain things that you and I are to include in our prayer, certain approaches we are to take. And God makes some very profound promises in the Bible concerning prayer. One of those I want to deal with in this message. And so I want you to turn, if you will, to John chapter 14. And there are three passages together here, 14, 15, and 16, that deal with the subject of this message, which is in Jesus’ name. That is, why do we conclude our prayer with in Jesus’ name? Is it a habit on our part? Is it because of something we’ve heard someone else say? Well, let’s see what he says beginning in John 14. These are three short passages, all dealing with the same subject, beginning in the 13th verse of John 14. Jesus said, whatever you ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Now in the 15th chapter, look if you will in the 16th verse. He says, you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give to you. And then in the 16th chapter, look if you will, beginning in verse 23, and he says a couple of things here that may appear to be a contradiction at first, but they’re not. He says, and in that day, verse 23, and in that day… You will ask me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name. Until now, you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be made full. These things I’ve spoken to you in figurative language. An hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.” In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. I came forth from the Father, and if coming to the world, I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.” Now the question is, why do you and I pray and either begin our prayer or somewhere in the prayer or in their prayer with the phrase, in Jesus’ name? Well, more than likely, you probably have a good idea of why you say that. But more than likely, many of you really don’t know why. And you’ve heard other people pray and you’ve heard preachers pray and evangelists and Bible teachers. And somehow they always add something either like that or similar to that or the phrase in Jesus’ name. So what does he mean when he says, ask in my name? you recall in hebrews chapter four this wonderful passage of assurance that he understands our problems our heartaches and our burdens when we come to him if you recall what he says in verse sixteen now when you come to pray he says let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need that is we are to come with great confidence and assurance that god is going to hear and answer our prayer How can we come with assurance? And what is it this phrase, in Jesus’ name, really means? I want to give you five words. I want you to jot them down. And the first word, association. What do we mean by association? Well… Our relationship with Jesus Christ is what makes it possible for you and me to come to the Father. And when you and I were saved by the grace of God, the Bible says we were born again. That is Jesus’ death at Calvary, atoned for all of our sins. We who have received Him as our Savior now have a new relationship with God the Father through the Son. So it is our relationship, our association, our relationship, our intimacy with Jesus Christ that makes it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with God the Father. Notice what he said in this 16th chapter. He says, for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. He says, now you and I have a relationship with him that is based on love. based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is our association with Christ. So when we come to him asking in Jesus’ name, what we are saying is, Father, I’m coming to you on the basis of my new relationship with you, which is a result of my relationship, which was provided through the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have a whole new relationship with God, Jehovah God, Yahweh, Elohim, these Hebrew words that speak of the majesty and the power and the mightiness of God. Now we can come to Him person to person. We don’t have to go through anybody else to get to God the Father. We have an association with Jesus that’s opened the door of opportunity for us to pray. The second word I want you to jot down is this. And that word is access. It is because of Jesus Christ that Hebrews chapter 4 and the verse that says that you and I can come to the throne of grace with confidence, that is with boldness, and find help And grace and mercy in time of need. Why is that? Because the door has been opened to us. In the second chapter of Ephesians, chapter 2 and verse 18, very clearly God settles to the apostle Paul the only reason that you and I have a right to talk to the Father. He says in verse 18, for through him, that is through Christ, both, that is both Jews and Gentiles who are receiving Christ, both have our access in one spirit to the Father. That is, the way has been opened to us to talk to God at any time, anywhere, about anything and anybody as a result of Jesus Christ’s death at Calvary and his sufficient sacrifice that once and for all made it possible for us to come directly to him. And all true prayer originates from the Holy Spirit who is within us. So the prayer that originates within us comes from the Lord Jesus Christ who is living within us by the Holy Spirit to the Father. And that access of Christ makes it possible for you and me to pray to Him. The third word I want you to jot down is authority. What do we mean by authority? Well, when we say, I’m coming, Father, in Jesus’ name, what we’re saying is I am coming to you on the authority delegated to me by your Son who is seated at your right hand and who made it possible through his cross. Now, no one’s delegated authority is worth any more than the authority that person has. That is, if a person has great authority, they can give authority. If they have no authority, they can delegate none. I want you to think about who it is that’s giving you and me authority to approach holy God. It is Jesus Christ, about whom the Bible says in Philippians chapter 2, and some of you know this passage by heart, I’m sure, when Paul is describing The Lord Jesus Christ and his relationship to the Father. Listen to what he says. Therefore, also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Now what he’s simply saying is this, and that is that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now what do we mean when we say that Jesus Christ is Lord? Jesus Christ is Lord means that He is the final sovereign. He is the one who has the last word in everything. That He is in absolute control of all things. Nothing happens without His divine permission. Nothing happens out from under His divine control. Things that happen that we don’t understand why seem to be disasters can only happen by the divine permissive will of God. Nothing goes unseen to Him. Nothing goes beyond His permissive will or His delegated will. Everything is within reach of Almighty God through the Lord Jesus Christ, that is Christ Himself. Nothing is in existence that does not remain in existence because He allows it to be so. He is the final Lord and authority and sovereign governing force and personality of the whole universe. So when Jesus, who is all of that, says to you and to me, if you ask anything in my name, I guarantee you it’ll happen. It will be done. And the guarantee is on the basis of his shed-blooded calvary. Jesus has the authority to give to you and me the authority to come to the Father and expect and anticipate our prayers to be answered. You say, oh, now wait a minute. What about this passage in 1 John chapter 5? This is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that what we’re asking is according to His will, we know that we’ll have the petition that we desired of Him. What about that? Come into that right now. The next word is agreement. It is not only that I need the authority, but I must come in agreement. And what we’re saying here when we say that we are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ in His name, we’re coming in agreement with what Jesus Christ would ask. I’m asking you this in His name. Well, let me ask you this question. Would you purposely come to the Father and ask Him anything, ask Him for anything that you know definitely is not the will of the Lord Jesus Christ? I didn’t ask you if you had ever done that because we all have. Because sometimes we’ve asked things when we’ve not known the Father’s will. But he says, in that day, that is after I am seated at the Father’s right hand, you ask anything you want. Everything, anything, but you ask it in my name. When Jesus Christ died at Calvary, he not only took care of all my sin, but at Calvary also all my provision is made for. That is, all of my provision has been purchased, not only forgiveness of my sin, but everything you and I will ever need as long as we live for all eternity was purchased, prepared for, and given to us at Calvary. Now, when we come to him and we make a request in Jesus’ name, We’re asking those things that are in keeping with the character and the nature of Jesus. Now look, if you will, back in the 15th chapter and the 7th verse. You recall here what Jesus said about prayer. He said… If you abide in Me, that is, you’re living within Me, walking obediently with Me, and My words are abiding in you, that is, living within you and controlling your life, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. Why? Because we’re going to ask those things that are in keeping with the Word of God. If My Word abides in you, and you’re abiding in Me… For the Word of God to abide in us means that it isn’t that I just simply memorize the passage of Scripture, but the Word of God is a part of my thinking. It is a part of my whole approach to life. The principles of the Word of God are governing attitudes and actions, behavior, conduct, character. So that when you and I come to him and we ask in Jesus’ name, what we ask in his name will have to be in his will and will have to be in keeping with his word and will be in keeping with his character and his person as the son of the living God. And what we’re asking is, Father, I’m asking you what I believe Jesus would ask you for. If he were in my position at this particular time in my life, facing my need, I believe this is what he would ask you for if he were in my position. So when he says, if you should ask anything in my name, I will do it. That is exactly what he means. That is, we come to him because of our association with him. Because of our access to Him, because of the authority delegated to us by Him, and because in this particular part here that you and I can come to Him and know in our heart He’s going to hear and answer our prayer, the last word, and that is assurance. We are knowing that he’s going to hear and answer our prayer. It is not enough just to have agreement, but the agreement. We come to you, Father, in Jesus’ name. That is a phrase of confidence. Because listen to what he said, chapter 14, verse 13 and 14. You see, the reason I emphasize this again and again and again is because many people who pray don’t believe that. They say, well, I know that’s what it says, but because we don’t understand what it means… We simply lay that aside and say, well, I don’t believe Jesus is going to give me everything I ask and anything I ask. So I’m going to limit what I ask and I’m going to be careful about what I ask. I’m going to tell you he meant exactly what he said. Whatever you ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. And he says, in that day you will ask me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name. In that day you will ask in my name and I do not say to you that I will request the Father on your behalf because you can talk to him and what you can expect is God to answer your prayer. So when we come to him in Jesus’ name, that is a confession of assurance. Father, I’m coming to you in Jesus’ name. That speaks of my association with Him, my access to Him, my authority, my agreement with Him, and my assurance from Him that whatever I ask, God is going to do it because I’m asking it in His name. Now, I want you to think about this. When you pray, what you’re doing is you’re, listen, you are addressing God. The everlasting God, the boss. He’s the Lord. He’s the governing sovereign of the universe who’s condescended to love sinful, wicked, vile, rebellious, crucifying men. And my friend, there is not anything in a single one of us that ever merits God even turning his ear toward us one split second. It is only by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is only by the cross that And that’s why, my friend, you are very deceived if you think you can live like the devil, live in rebellion toward God. Ignore God until you get in trouble and call on God and say the 23rd Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer and think God’s going to hear your prayer. There is absolutely no possibility of God hearing your prayer unless you are willing to pray for the mercy of God upon you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That’s the only way. And so many prayers that go up haphazardly, off the cuff, non-systematic, no prayer life by many believers. Just call on God whenever you get in trouble. I want to ask you something. Do you think God is an errand boy? That he’s just seated up in heaven and he has his computer and he’s entering in miraculously and infinitely all the requests that are coming and sending out angels to do his bidding, to do whatever you and I ask? That’s not what Jesus said. Jesus said, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. I’m the Father of one. The Bible says on a number of occasions that early before the daylight, he was out talking to the Father. God the Father, holy God, made possible for us to have a deeper understanding by his very presence on earth. I want you to think about something. If you think that God’s just up there somewhere out yonder, somewhere, doing his thing, and then when you call, he picks up the phone and says, yes, that’s not the way God is. It is our very poor understanding of who God is that makes our prayers so inadequate and so empty. When I understand that I’m approaching the throne of grace, the eternal throne of grace that has always been, is, and always shall be, That God the Father is willing, humanly speaking now, to bend His ear to listen to me. My little request, my gigantic request, me among billions of people in the world, and He’s going to listen to me. He’s going to hear exactly what I say. He knows exactly what my needs are, minutely and in perfect detail and in absoluteness. He knows everything there is to know. He knows exactly how He’s going to answer that prayer. In His mind, it’s already been done. Friend, when you and I pray, it is a holy transaction with God. The more you understand Him, the more sacred prayer will become and maybe you’ll take a different approach in talking to holy God.

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Thank you for listening to today’s podcast titled In Jesus’ Name. For more inspirational messages like this one, visit our online 24-7 station. And if you’d like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.