Praying In The Name Of Jesus
Have you ever wondered why we always pray in the name of Jesus? Ever wondered what impact this has? I have. It is important for us as Christian to understand why we do things, otherwise when we do them without understanding they become religious practices that bear no fruit. If you do not answer the “why” behind the “what” you are doing, you are not using the gift that God gave you, of understanding. Without understanding, humans act like robots, and fail to live fully to God’s original intent. Solomon understood this, and said:
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Wisdom is Christ, and so is understanding (Proverbs 8:14). Wisdom and understanding begin when you accept Christ. Before, when we were unbelievers, our understanding was darkened and so were our minds:
Ephesians 5:17-18
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Once we got born again, our understanding got enlightened:
Ephesians 1:18 (LEB)
(the eyes of your hearts having been enlightened)
Most versions interpret this verse as being Paul’s petition for the eyes of the understanding to be enlightened, but that’s not the case. He was saying that now the eyes of our understanding have been enlightened, he was praying for a few other things which are in verses 18-19.
One of the many things the Holy Spirit did when we accepted Christ is opening or enlightening our understanding; this tells us that understanding is very important in our daily lives as believers. This is why we should always seek understanding of truth, not just knowledge. The aim of this sermon is to help us understand why we pray in the name of Jesus, the implications of this thereof, and what to expect.
John 16:23-24, 26-28
“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
The number one reason why we pray in the name of Jesus is because Jesus Himself told us to pray so. He says that up to that time they had asked nothing in His name. They had only asked Him for things, and prayed to the Father according to the old manner of prayer, which is called today “the Lord’s prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13). The “Lord’s prayer” was only to be prayed by the disciples before Jesus resurrected from the dead and was exalted to the right hand of the Father, not after. This is why Jesus told them that up to that time when He was speaking they had asked nothing in His name: the “Lord’s prayer” is not made in Jesus’ name. Without spending much time here, here are a few pointers why we do not pray the Lord’s prayer as it is, today:
1. “Thy kingdom come”: Back then they were asking for the kingdom to come, but when Jesus died and rose again the kingdom of God came. We find this in Romans 14:17, where Paul says that “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Today we have righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 1:30, John 16:10), peace (John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, Galatians 5:22-23), joy (John 15:11, Philippians 3:1, 4:4, Galatians 5:22-23), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 38-39). We no longer ask for the kingdom of God to come, we are it and have it in us and with us.
2. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”: We no longer forgive in this manner. We have already been forgiven, so we forgive as we WERE forgiven. You may ask what the difference is. The difference is that in the first case if you do not forgive you will be led to think that God has not forgiven you, while in the second case you know that since you were forgiven you should forgive, still even if you do not it does not nullify God’s forgiveness towards you, but rather that unforgiveness hinders your prayers (Mark 11:25). “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32. We already have forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14, 2:13), so we are only asked to give what we have already acquired.
3. “Lead us not into temptations”: Jesus was lead by the Spirit into temptation for our sake, so that we may not be tempted (Matthew 4:1). If we are tempted today, it is out of our evil desires inside us. God does not tempt anyone by evil, nor is He tempted by anyone (James 1:13-14).
4. “Deliver us from the evil one”: Jesus, by rising from the dead, delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). We do not need any more deliverance than He did. Before they could pray this prayer, as they had not been delivered into the kingdom of light.
5. The “Lord’s prayer” does not comply to John 16:23-24, 26-27, as when it’s made it is not in the name of Jesus. We should now pray in the name of Jesus.
The “Lord’s prayer” has key components of prayer that are fundamental to prayer such as adoring God, aligning our prayers to His will, petition and worship, so we can learn from it still, without forming religious practices/ creeds from it.
Going back to our text in John 16:23-24, 26-27, we see that all our prayer should be directed to the Father, in Jesus’ name. Again Jesus says that by praying in His name does not imply that He gets to pray to the Father for us. He makes this point to remind us that since we have faith in Him then the Father esteems us just as He esteems His Son, Jesus Christ. By praying in Jesus’ name, we are acknowledging and identifying with Jesus. Because we have faith in Jesus, God loves us just as He loves Jesus and so when we get to pray in His name we identify with our Redeemer, our Savior. When we pray in Jesus’ name, Jesus does not pray for us; we are identifying with Him and so the Father listens to us just as he would listen to Jesus. If I have a loving earthly father who has everything and you being my friend want to ask him for anything, if you are not acquainted with him then you will ask me to ask him for that thing on your behalf. With time, when you get acquainted with him, you will not need me to ask him on your behalf, but you will do so and he will honor your request because of the relationship I have with you. God honors prayers made in Jesus’ name because of the relationship we have with His Son, and us believing in Him as the Son of God. This is what Jesus meant.
You see, when Adam sinned, sin separated man from God, so that relationship was broken. The name “Jesus” is synonymous to “Savior”, which is the role Jesus played and continues to play in the life of mankind: connecting them to the Father. By praying in the name of Jesus, we get to build a relationship with the Father, with Jesus as the channel. This is the same thing Jesus implies in John 14:13-14:
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
You may look at the above verses and think that Jesus is contradicting Himself, compared to what He said in John 16:23, but actually He is not. When we ask the Father, He answers us, and it is Jesus who does what we ask. So why not pray to Jesus? Because when we ask the Father, we get to relate with Him and know Him and be reassured of His love and relationship with us, which is why Jesus talked about God’s love towards us because we believe in Him (John 16:27). The other reason is that when we get to ask the Father and Jesus does it, then the Father is glorified in the Son (John 14:13); in other words, the relationship between the Father and the Son is more clearly seen.
Let us look at other instances where we see the relationship between the Father and the Son through their work, where we get to see the Father in action yet it is the Son who does it. Look at this:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done
From the above verses, it is clear that God (implication the Father) created the heavens and the earth. Look at these other verses:
John 1:3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Colossians 1:16-17
He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, … has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
From the above verses, we see that God made everything through Jesus, His Son. Now, we can see the Father being glorified in the Son, and the relationship between the Two coming out clearly. This is exactly what happens when we get to ask the Father in Jesus’ name, and Jesus does it for us.
The most important prerequisite to get results from the Father is faith in the name of Jesus. Without faith in Jesus, there is no need to pray in His name. His name represents Him, so if you do not believe in Him it is useless to pray in His name. His name works like the power of attorney. According to the dictionary, the power of attorney is a written document in which one person (the principal) appoints another person to act as an agent on his or her behalf, thus conferring authority on the agent to perform certain acts or functions on behalf of the principal. In other words, it is when someone authorizes someone else to function on their behalf, which is legally recognized and the person serving the person authorized will treat them just as they would treat the one who sent them. If the one being sent does not have faith in the person who sent them, it is useless for them to go as it will not work as well as it would have if they had faith in them. Jesus is the Son of God, with entitlements. When we ask in Jesus’ name, God answers us just as He would answer Jesus. When we use His name, everything on earth, in the heavens and under the earth responds to us just like it would respond to Him. There is power in the name of Jesus, and this power is brought to effect when we use this name, in faith. We have the power of attorney in the name of Jesus, to operate on earth just as if it was Him operating. When we ask in His name, God responds just as He would respond to Jesus. This is why in John 16:27 Jesus says that the Father Himself loves us because we believe in Him. John 17:23 also implies this, saying that the Father loves us just as He loves Jesus. This is possible only if we have faith in Jesus.
The authority in the name of Jesus was acquired directly from the Father, and is passed down to us when we use His name. By dying on the cross and rising again, and by the fact that He is the firstborn Son of the Father (Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:6), Jesus inherited several things, including authority.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Through humility to the point of death on the cross, Jesus was given all the power, authority and glory that the Father had: all these were vested in His name. Jesus had already been glorified even before the earth was formed, but this time He was being glorified WITH the Father, for the relationship between the Father and the Son to be seen clearly.
John 17:1-5
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…”
Jesus has ALL authority in heaven and on earth, so when we use His name we assert or put a demand on all authority on earth and in heaven. You may ask me, what has this to do with asking in Jesus’ name? You see, “asking” in John 14:13, 16:23-27 is not limited to requesting things from God, as we usually assume. The word “ask” as used and interpreted from the original manuscript interprets to “require”, “call for”, “desire”.
When the enemy is on your case, you do not need to tell God or Jesus to rebuke him on your behalf; you have the power to rebuke him in Jesus name, and this is similar to asking as you are requiring Jesus to act on your behalf, by calling on His name. When you say “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name”, you are putting a demand on the authority in the name of Jesus, and the enemy will obey you just as he would obey Jesus in person. The name of Jesus as we have seen has all authority, power and glory. When we use this name, release all authority to the situation, and all situations obey just as they would obey Jesus. This is well expressed in Mark 16:17:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons;
There is power in the name of Jesus, which is only available when you put a demand in the name in faith. Without faith, it will not work for you.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith is the prerequisite to get the name of Jesus to work for you, and to get Jesus to intervene on your behalf. You have to believe that Jesus is exalted and having power and authority, and that He will reward you when you put a demand on His name in faith. Peter knew this, and this is how he shows us that healing is also entitled to us in the name of Jesus:
Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Acts 3:16
“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all…”
Acts 4:10
“…let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole…”
Peter understood that it is the name of Jesus that heals, through their faith in this name. The crippleness responded to Peter and John just as it would have responded to Jesus Himself, as they had faith in Jesus’ name. If they did not have faith in Jesus’ name, nothing would have happened. In the last verse Peter shows the relationship between Jesus and the power in His name, by saying that it is by the name of Jesus, it is by Him, that the man was made whole. He knew that when you use the name of Jesus, when you ask in the name of Jesus, He gets to do the work just as He would do it physically if were here in person. He is here in spirit, so when you use His name He acts and does it. You allow Jesus to live and act through you when you use His name. You have to believe that when you use the name of Jesus you will see results. The name of Jesus is what we got saved by, and is what we live by.
It is my desire that we have a relationship with Jesus just like Peter had, to an extent that he had confidence that whenever he used the name of Jesus it will always work for you. My desire is that you get to know Jesus, for only when you know Him will you have faith in His name, and see results.
Have faith in this name; walk in it; believe in it; use it; praise it; worship it; pray in the name of Jesus, for there is no other name by which we receive from the Father.
We'll continue from there next time, discussing how exactly you can get everything God has in store for you through the name of Jesus, among other things. You are blessed.
-- Sam Gitonga.
(13/10/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor.)
Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.
Wisdom is Christ, and so is understanding (Proverbs 8:14). Wisdom and understanding begin when you accept Christ. Before, when we were unbelievers, our understanding was darkened and so were our minds:
Ephesians 5:17-18
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Once we got born again, our understanding got enlightened:
Ephesians 1:18 (LEB)
(the eyes of your hearts having been enlightened)
Most versions interpret this verse as being Paul’s petition for the eyes of the understanding to be enlightened, but that’s not the case. He was saying that now the eyes of our understanding have been enlightened, he was praying for a few other things which are in verses 18-19.
One of the many things the Holy Spirit did when we accepted Christ is opening or enlightening our understanding; this tells us that understanding is very important in our daily lives as believers. This is why we should always seek understanding of truth, not just knowledge. The aim of this sermon is to help us understand why we pray in the name of Jesus, the implications of this thereof, and what to expect.
John 16:23-24, 26-28
“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
The number one reason why we pray in the name of Jesus is because Jesus Himself told us to pray so. He says that up to that time they had asked nothing in His name. They had only asked Him for things, and prayed to the Father according to the old manner of prayer, which is called today “the Lord’s prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13). The “Lord’s prayer” was only to be prayed by the disciples before Jesus resurrected from the dead and was exalted to the right hand of the Father, not after. This is why Jesus told them that up to that time when He was speaking they had asked nothing in His name: the “Lord’s prayer” is not made in Jesus’ name. Without spending much time here, here are a few pointers why we do not pray the Lord’s prayer as it is, today:
1. “Thy kingdom come”: Back then they were asking for the kingdom to come, but when Jesus died and rose again the kingdom of God came. We find this in Romans 14:17, where Paul says that “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Today we have righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Corinthians 1:30, John 16:10), peace (John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, Galatians 5:22-23), joy (John 15:11, Philippians 3:1, 4:4, Galatians 5:22-23), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 38-39). We no longer ask for the kingdom of God to come, we are it and have it in us and with us.
2. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”: We no longer forgive in this manner. We have already been forgiven, so we forgive as we WERE forgiven. You may ask what the difference is. The difference is that in the first case if you do not forgive you will be led to think that God has not forgiven you, while in the second case you know that since you were forgiven you should forgive, still even if you do not it does not nullify God’s forgiveness towards you, but rather that unforgiveness hinders your prayers (Mark 11:25). “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32. We already have forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14, 2:13), so we are only asked to give what we have already acquired.
3. “Lead us not into temptations”: Jesus was lead by the Spirit into temptation for our sake, so that we may not be tempted (Matthew 4:1). If we are tempted today, it is out of our evil desires inside us. God does not tempt anyone by evil, nor is He tempted by anyone (James 1:13-14).
4. “Deliver us from the evil one”: Jesus, by rising from the dead, delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). We do not need any more deliverance than He did. Before they could pray this prayer, as they had not been delivered into the kingdom of light.
5. The “Lord’s prayer” does not comply to John 16:23-24, 26-27, as when it’s made it is not in the name of Jesus. We should now pray in the name of Jesus.
The “Lord’s prayer” has key components of prayer that are fundamental to prayer such as adoring God, aligning our prayers to His will, petition and worship, so we can learn from it still, without forming religious practices/ creeds from it.
Going back to our text in John 16:23-24, 26-27, we see that all our prayer should be directed to the Father, in Jesus’ name. Again Jesus says that by praying in His name does not imply that He gets to pray to the Father for us. He makes this point to remind us that since we have faith in Him then the Father esteems us just as He esteems His Son, Jesus Christ. By praying in Jesus’ name, we are acknowledging and identifying with Jesus. Because we have faith in Jesus, God loves us just as He loves Jesus and so when we get to pray in His name we identify with our Redeemer, our Savior. When we pray in Jesus’ name, Jesus does not pray for us; we are identifying with Him and so the Father listens to us just as he would listen to Jesus. If I have a loving earthly father who has everything and you being my friend want to ask him for anything, if you are not acquainted with him then you will ask me to ask him for that thing on your behalf. With time, when you get acquainted with him, you will not need me to ask him on your behalf, but you will do so and he will honor your request because of the relationship I have with you. God honors prayers made in Jesus’ name because of the relationship we have with His Son, and us believing in Him as the Son of God. This is what Jesus meant.
You see, when Adam sinned, sin separated man from God, so that relationship was broken. The name “Jesus” is synonymous to “Savior”, which is the role Jesus played and continues to play in the life of mankind: connecting them to the Father. By praying in the name of Jesus, we get to build a relationship with the Father, with Jesus as the channel. This is the same thing Jesus implies in John 14:13-14:
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
You may look at the above verses and think that Jesus is contradicting Himself, compared to what He said in John 16:23, but actually He is not. When we ask the Father, He answers us, and it is Jesus who does what we ask. So why not pray to Jesus? Because when we ask the Father, we get to relate with Him and know Him and be reassured of His love and relationship with us, which is why Jesus talked about God’s love towards us because we believe in Him (John 16:27). The other reason is that when we get to ask the Father and Jesus does it, then the Father is glorified in the Son (John 14:13); in other words, the relationship between the Father and the Son is more clearly seen.
Let us look at other instances where we see the relationship between the Father and the Son through their work, where we get to see the Father in action yet it is the Son who does it. Look at this:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done
From the above verses, it is clear that God (implication the Father) created the heavens and the earth. Look at these other verses:
John 1:3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Colossians 1:16-17
He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him [Jesus] all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Hebrews 1:1-2
God, … has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
From the above verses, we see that God made everything through Jesus, His Son. Now, we can see the Father being glorified in the Son, and the relationship between the Two coming out clearly. This is exactly what happens when we get to ask the Father in Jesus’ name, and Jesus does it for us.
The most important prerequisite to get results from the Father is faith in the name of Jesus. Without faith in Jesus, there is no need to pray in His name. His name represents Him, so if you do not believe in Him it is useless to pray in His name. His name works like the power of attorney. According to the dictionary, the power of attorney is a written document in which one person (the principal) appoints another person to act as an agent on his or her behalf, thus conferring authority on the agent to perform certain acts or functions on behalf of the principal. In other words, it is when someone authorizes someone else to function on their behalf, which is legally recognized and the person serving the person authorized will treat them just as they would treat the one who sent them. If the one being sent does not have faith in the person who sent them, it is useless for them to go as it will not work as well as it would have if they had faith in them. Jesus is the Son of God, with entitlements. When we ask in Jesus’ name, God answers us just as He would answer Jesus. When we use His name, everything on earth, in the heavens and under the earth responds to us just like it would respond to Him. There is power in the name of Jesus, and this power is brought to effect when we use this name, in faith. We have the power of attorney in the name of Jesus, to operate on earth just as if it was Him operating. When we ask in His name, God responds just as He would respond to Jesus. This is why in John 16:27 Jesus says that the Father Himself loves us because we believe in Him. John 17:23 also implies this, saying that the Father loves us just as He loves Jesus. This is possible only if we have faith in Jesus.
The authority in the name of Jesus was acquired directly from the Father, and is passed down to us when we use His name. By dying on the cross and rising again, and by the fact that He is the firstborn Son of the Father (Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:6), Jesus inherited several things, including authority.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Through humility to the point of death on the cross, Jesus was given all the power, authority and glory that the Father had: all these were vested in His name. Jesus had already been glorified even before the earth was formed, but this time He was being glorified WITH the Father, for the relationship between the Father and the Son to be seen clearly.
John 17:1-5
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth…”
Jesus has ALL authority in heaven and on earth, so when we use His name we assert or put a demand on all authority on earth and in heaven. You may ask me, what has this to do with asking in Jesus’ name? You see, “asking” in John 14:13, 16:23-27 is not limited to requesting things from God, as we usually assume. The word “ask” as used and interpreted from the original manuscript interprets to “require”, “call for”, “desire”.
When the enemy is on your case, you do not need to tell God or Jesus to rebuke him on your behalf; you have the power to rebuke him in Jesus name, and this is similar to asking as you are requiring Jesus to act on your behalf, by calling on His name. When you say “I rebuke you Satan in Jesus name”, you are putting a demand on the authority in the name of Jesus, and the enemy will obey you just as he would obey Jesus in person. The name of Jesus as we have seen has all authority, power and glory. When we use this name, release all authority to the situation, and all situations obey just as they would obey Jesus. This is well expressed in Mark 16:17:
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons;
There is power in the name of Jesus, which is only available when you put a demand in the name in faith. Without faith, it will not work for you.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Faith is the prerequisite to get the name of Jesus to work for you, and to get Jesus to intervene on your behalf. You have to believe that Jesus is exalted and having power and authority, and that He will reward you when you put a demand on His name in faith. Peter knew this, and this is how he shows us that healing is also entitled to us in the name of Jesus:
Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
Acts 3:16
“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all…”
Acts 4:10
“…let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole…”
Peter understood that it is the name of Jesus that heals, through their faith in this name. The crippleness responded to Peter and John just as it would have responded to Jesus Himself, as they had faith in Jesus’ name. If they did not have faith in Jesus’ name, nothing would have happened. In the last verse Peter shows the relationship between Jesus and the power in His name, by saying that it is by the name of Jesus, it is by Him, that the man was made whole. He knew that when you use the name of Jesus, when you ask in the name of Jesus, He gets to do the work just as He would do it physically if were here in person. He is here in spirit, so when you use His name He acts and does it. You allow Jesus to live and act through you when you use His name. You have to believe that when you use the name of Jesus you will see results. The name of Jesus is what we got saved by, and is what we live by.
It is my desire that we have a relationship with Jesus just like Peter had, to an extent that he had confidence that whenever he used the name of Jesus it will always work for you. My desire is that you get to know Jesus, for only when you know Him will you have faith in His name, and see results.
Have faith in this name; walk in it; believe in it; use it; praise it; worship it; pray in the name of Jesus, for there is no other name by which we receive from the Father.
We'll continue from there next time, discussing how exactly you can get everything God has in store for you through the name of Jesus, among other things. You are blessed.
-- Sam Gitonga.
(13/10/13 Sunday Service Sermon, Africa Transformation Mission. Pramukh Plaza, 6th Floor.)
Brother Sam Gitonga is a Youth Leader at Africa Transformation Mission, a ministry under Christ Harvesters Ministries.
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Blessings.