Pray in Jesus' Name - John 14:12-14; 15:1-16; 16:23-26 - February 15,2009

Sunday School Lesson – Pray in Jesus’ Name – February 15, 2009

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “Praying with Power.”

Our scripture is John 14:12-14; 15:1-16; 16:23-26.

Praying in the name of JESUS seems to be the magic formula to get what we want. Most believers end their prayers with “In the name of JESUS.” Yet we do not get everything we ask for in the name of JESUS. Why? There must be something else or something is wrong. Yet, JESUS told believers to pray in HIS name and they would receive.

I have struggled with this statement over the years. I recall years ago, I was very frustrated over this statement and went before the LORD asking HIM to help me understand it. I told HIM that I had asked many times for things I thought were legitimate “In JESUS name” but nothing happened.

HE used our family to answer my question. We have four (4) children, two (2) boys and two (2) girls. The youngest and oldest are boys and there is fourteen (14) years difference in their ages. I will paraphrase my conversation with the LORD. The boys were roughly seven (7) and twenty-one (21) years old.

I was frustrated. So I had a heart to heart conversation with the FATHER. HE reminded me that I had two (2) sons and that I had a shotgun. HE asked me if I loved my sons. I said, yes. HE asked if I would let my oldest son use my shotgun. I said, yes. HE asked if I would let my youngest son use the shotgun. I said, no. HE said so you love the oldest son more than the youngest son? I said, no. Then why would you let the oldest son use your shotgun but not the youngest? I said the oldest son has been trained in gun safety and I know he will not harm himself or someone else. HE asked if I would ever let the youngest son use the shotgun. I said yes, when is old enough and has been properly trained in gun safety and I am sure he will not harm himself or someone else I will let him use my shotgun. GOD responded with “Now think on this. When you are mature enough I will grant your requests.” Then I said, LORD make me a mature Christian. Be careful what you ask for. We think GOD sprinkles us with Holy Dust and we receive instant Spirituality. There may be times when HE gives us a gift of the Spirit and it overwhelms us but growing and maturing in HIM takes time. I am still growing and maturing.

JESUS makes it clear that just as earthly fathers desire to give their children good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly FATHER desire to give HIS children good gifts. HIS gifts will benefit us and not harm us.

JESUS tells us in Matthew 7:7-11: Active Persistence.

Keep Asking, Searching, Knocking

7 “Keep asking,[3] Or Ask and it will be given to you. Keep searching,[4] Or Search and you will find. Keep knocking,[5] Or Knock and the door[6] Lit and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door[7] Lit knocks, it will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Effective prayer is all about our heart and our relationship with GOD through CHRIST. Ground zero is us. When we have the right relationship with CHRIST we are always in the will of the FATHER.

When a believer prays in the name of JESUS, is the power in the name and a believer uttering those words or is the power in WHOM the believer is representing when he or she prays in the name of JESUS? What does it mean to represent JESUS in HIS name? Let’s explore as GOD reveals truth to us through the HOLY SPIRIT.

We need to keep in mind that the events in our study take place the night before the crucifixion of JESUS. John 13:1-3:

1 Before the • Passover Festival, Jesus knew that His hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.[1] to the end = completely or always 2 Now by the time of supper, the Devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Him. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God.

Let’s read John 14:12-14:

Praying in Jesus’ Name - Seek What Glorifies GOD.

12 “• I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me[7] Other mss omit Me anything in My name, I will do it.[8] Other mss omit all of v. 14

JESUS is speaking to HIS disciples the night before HIS crucifixion. In verse 12, JESUS, in essence, was saying to HIS disciples, “Pay special attention to what I am about to tell you.”

HIS remarks are directed to all believers and not to just the disciples. Believers will do the works that JESUS does – healing disease, blind, deaf, dumb, raising the dead, casting out demons, walking on water and the list goes on. Not only will believers do the same works JESUS’ has done, they will do even greater works. What in the world would be greater works? Most Bible scholars believe JESUS is speaking about quantity and not quality. JESUS knows HE will be crucified, raised from the dead, resurrected and then ascend into heaven to sit at the right hand of the FATHER. Then HE will send the HOLY SPIRIT to earth to indwell every believer. In essence, JESUS will duplicate Himself in each believer therefore multiplying the spread of the gospel and HIS ministry.

Other Bible scholars believe that JESUS was speaking about salvation. Once HE gives HIS life to pay the sin debt it will open the way for all who believe in HIM to be saved from sin and death. Each believer at the moment he or she believes will receive and be indwelled by the HOLY SPIRIT. To heal a person of a physical problem or cast out a demon are good things but to save a person from eternal punishment is far greater.
JESUS says that whatever a believer asks in HIS name HE will do it. To me this is a carte blanche statement or unrestricted freedom to ask whatever and it will be done. When we pray, we generally end it with “and we ask this in the name of JESUS.” So what do we think JESUS was saying?

First JESUS is addressing believers. So what is the fine print? Most of us know that we have prayed in earnest for unselfish needs that only GOD and HIS power could bring about. Yet, nothing happens. So we run the list when our prayers are not answered:
- Do we have any un-confessed sin? Are we praying according to GOD’S will? Are we praying selfishly?

Yet, JESUS says ask and HE will respond. What does it mean to ask in JESUS name?
When a believer asks in the name of JESUS it means that we are representing JESUS just as if JESUS is making the request. It means that we are in right relationship with GOD through CHRIST. We are one with HIM. Just as JESUS said that the “FATHER and I are ONE.”

It brings us back to being honest with GOD and building and maintaining our relationship with HIM. It is not just willy-nilly asking in the name of JESUS but it is asking the same as JESUS would ask. Seek what glorifies GOD. This means we will ask according to the will of the FATHER because we are one with HIM, which carries us to our next scripture.

Let’s read John 15:1-16: Greetings to you branches. Do you want to participate in JESUS’ work, if so; you have to stay connected to the vine.

The Vine and the Branches - Background verses 1-13:

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be[1] Or and become My disciples.

Christlike Love

9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. 11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master[2] Or lord is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

Believers are branches of the true vine, which is CHRIST. All that a believer is or will ever be is because of CHRIST. A believer’s life, energy, vitality, power and nutrients come from CHRIST. Believers abide in HIM. In verse 10, JESUS tells us that HE obeyed HIS FATHER’S commandments and remained in a love relationship. JESUS tells believers that it is all about obedience and relationship, which results in joy. JESUS tells HIS disciples and all believers as well, that it was a joy for HIM to give HIS life to redeem us from sin and death.

Believers have been chosen by HIM. Many of you know my favorite verses of scripture Ephesians 1:3-6:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,[2] Eph 1:20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12 in Christ; 4 for He chose[3] Rm 11:5–7; 1 Co 1:26–31; 1 Th 1:4; 2 Th 2:13; 1 Pt 1:1–2 us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.[4] Vv. 3–14 are 1 sentence in Gk. In love[5] Or In His sight in love 5 He predestined[6] Ac 4:28; Rm 8:29–30; 1 Co 2:7; Eph 1:11 us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved.

JESUS’ desire for all believers is for them to produce fruit and for their fruit to remain. We know that fruit has seeds and fruit reproduces and bares more fruit. So what is this fruit? An example is found in Galatians 5:22-26:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,[5] Or faithfulness 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

So what has this to do with prayer? It helps us to see what it means to be able to represent CHRIST. The branches are the visible part of the vine but the branches cannot survive without the vine. Believers must remain in relationship with CHRIST to be effective in serving GOD. Prayer is vital in maintaining relationship and to listen to HIS commands as HE directs our lives.

Let’s read John 16:19-26: Because of JESUS, believers have direct access to GOD.

19 Jesus knew they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘A little while and you will not see Me; again a little while and you will see Me’? 20 “• I assure you: You will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21 When a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22 So you also have sorrow[6] Other mss read will have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy.

23 In that day you will not ask Me anything. “I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.[7] Jn 14:13–14; 15:16 24 Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.

25 “I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name. I am not telling you that I will make requests to the Father on your behalf.

27 For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.[8] Other mss read from the Father 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

Verses 19-22, 27-28 are given for background. JESUS was preparing HIS disciples for the events soon to occur. HE was speaking to them in figures of speech. HE knew the days ahead would be difficult for them but when the HOLY SPIRIT indwelled them, they would understand. Think about the time before you accepted CHRIST as your SAVIOR. You tried to figure out what being a believer was all about. You knew facts but it was only after you took the step of faith that you saw clearly what it meant to be a believer. The HOLY SPIRIT enlightened your mind with truth and assured you of salvation.

Our focus is on verses 23-26. Verse 23 can be puzzling until we understand the meaning of the word “ask.” The disciples had the privilege of asking JESUS questions directly because HE was with them. Now, HE was returning to heaven, therefore, they would be asking GOD directly through “prayer.” CHRIST’S death removed the barrier between mankind and GOD. After the death of CHRIST believers have direct access to GOD their FATHER. A believer’s authority for going directly to GOD is because of JESUS, therefore, approach GOD in the name of JESUS. It is all about relationship.

Believers have direct access to GOD because of JESUS and can freely approach GOD in the name of JESUS. This is simple enough. But the question is, have we relinquished our will to GOD so HE can transform us into the image of HIS SON, JESUS? Yes, all believers have immediate and direct access to GOD our FATHER but are we still living according to our will and the dictates of the flesh or are we living according to the will and purpose of GOD? It is in the context of being made into the image of CHRIST that whatever we ask in the name of JESUS, it will be done. JESUS did and spoke only what the FATHER revealed to HIM. As I write this, I know I do not measure up. Our only hope for measuring up is through our relationship with HIM as HE transforms or sanctifies us as we journey with HIM.

Praying in the name of JESUS takes on a new meaning. Praying in the name of JESUS gives believers access to GOD, the power of answered prayer comes from our relationship. Why? Because when we are in the right relationship with GOD, we will only ask for what GOD wants done.