And on that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.
John 16:23-24
Introduction
If you are honest with yourself, how seriously do you take the spiritual discipline of prayer? Does it take a prominent role in your life to the point where not a moment goes by without prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Or is it more of an afterthought: something you do at meal times, before bed, and after your morning devotional? Do you keep a list of what you are praying about or riff off the top of your head? What about remembering God’s faithfulness? Do you remind yourself of answered prayer?
This is something I am not particularly good at. But as with every discipline, there is no trick to making it easier. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a discipline! The only trick, if it can be called as much, is to recognize your desperate need for prayer and simply to do it.
I have heard prayer compared to communication tools like radios, phones, etc. But the truth is that it is far more than a method of speaking with God. Consider the prayers we find throughout the Bible. The Psalms is an entire book of prayer, and the amount of direct asking is minimal. Most of the prayers we read focus on praising God in His faithfulness and bringing our burdens before Him. It is not bad to ask for something. In fact, that is a key aspect of prayer. But it is not the only aspect.
Asking in His name
With asking being a central aspect of prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples here how to ask God properly. He tells them, “if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.” Practically speaking, we often simply tag “in Jesus’ name, Amen” to the end of our prayers. Consider that box checked, right?
Well, not exactly. The Bible is full of prayer, including in the New Testament (Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 13:7-9; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; etc.) where His name is not directly invoked. Did the apostles simply forget to recite, “in Jesus’ name” at the end of these prayers, or is there something else going on?
Certainly His name is brought up when the hearers are unbelievers, as is the case with Acts 3:6. But to state His name is not an incantation. Using the name of the Lord does not grant anyone special power, status, or ability. It is not a code word that causes God to hear a prayer He would otherwise ignore. Rather, to ask something in His name is to ask with sincerity in alignment with His will. It is to be one in mission with His mission.
When the Israelites were commanded to follow the Angel of the Lord in Exodus 23, they were to do so “since My name is in him” (Exodus 23:21b). And you, dear Christian, bear the name right in your title. “Christian,” the name first used in Acts 11, indicates whose you are. You are Christ’s, and you bear His name. Asking in His name involves asking according to His will and not our own desires (James 4:3). God is pleased to give us precisely what we need in order to glorify Him and enjoy His goodness forever.
The conditional nature of prayer
Perhaps the more pressing matter in this teaching, though, is that Jesus tells the disciples, “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.” With this, we learn that receiving is contingent on asking, and that in the asking and receiving, our joy is made full. James reiterates this in no uncertain terms when he addresses some serious concerns in the Church: “You lust and do not have, so you murder. You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.” (James 4:2)
Notice that these desires people in the Church are having are ungodly desires. They do not want what is good and honorable, but instead have selfish ambitions. When we go to God in prayer, He uses that time to conform our hearts to Him. Our desires become His desires, and we are given the joy of reveling in His good pleasure. So much greater is God’s will over our selfish desires that He calls it “joy”.
That is, in part, why Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing. In doing so, our hearts are brought into continual conformity to the will of God. We honor Him all the more when we pray, and He gives us the very desires of our hearts because we desire what He desires (Psalm 37:4). Praying is not something we should only do in times of desperation. It is one of the primary means God uses to refine and shape us. In prayer, you will find immense joy in seeing His will done on earth as it is in heaven.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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