Creator, Father, King #182

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

IN THE POPULAR HARRY Potter book and movie series, Harry and his wizard friends utter plenty of magical incantations in their battle against Voldemort and his evil minions. There are spells for opening locks, levitating, erasing someone’s memory, starting fires, paralyzing foes, and many others.

Then there’s “muffliato.” This might sound like fixing your car’s sputtering exhaust system. Alas, it’s only meant to afflict someone with a strange buzzing noise in their ears.

Humans have always been fascinated by the power to speak things into being through magical words. (See the “Did You Know?” section below.) That’s why we must be careful with a passage like John 14:13-14 (today’s verse), where Jesus says, “Ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Is it really that simple? If we tack on “In Jesus’ name, amen” at the end of a prayer, will we get whatever we ask for?

Not exactly.

What’s It Mean?

The Bible never commands us to say, “In Jesus’ name, amen” at the end of our prayers. So why do we do it?

First, when we pray, it’s important to remember the only way that sinners can approach a holy God is through Jesus, our “great High Priest” (Hebrews 4:14) whose atoning sacrifice allows us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Hebrews 4:16). While it’s not biblically mandated, saying the words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers can help us remember who makes it possible for us to approach God.

Praying in Jesus’ name also means praying for his will to be done. This is reflected in Jesus saying he will “bring glory to the Father” (John 14:13) when he answers our prayer. But if you ask “in Jesus’ name” for something that won’t glorify God, do you think he will honor that prayer? Absolutely not!

To ask for anything in Jesus’ name, you must know God’s will, and to know God’s will, you must know his Word. When your prayers align with God’s will as revealed in his Word, you’ll see answered prayer!

Now What?

If you say, “In Jesus’ name” at the end of your prayers, remember why you do it!

Did You Know?

The first known use of the term hocus-pocus dates back to jugglers or magicians in the early to mid-1600s. Abracadabra, which dates to at least the second century AD, was once a superstitious charm used in the hopes of dispelling illnesses.