John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
This passage of scripture makes a very profound statement by confirming the fulfillment of any request that is made in Jesus' name. The declaration is repeated twice and uses broad words such as "Whatsoever" and "Anything". Another scripture says that wheresoever two or three are gathered together "In My Name" there am I in the midst of them, speaking of Christ. Yet another passage of scripture tells us that the signs that will follow Christ's disciples and all true believers include casting out devils, and healing the sick, and even raising the dead, all in The name of Jesus. The question to be answered then is "What does it mean to ask, pray, or do anything "In The Name of Jesus?"
This question has long been debated in both theological and philosophical circles, and especially so in our day, when almost everything in modern Christendom is labeled as being done "In Jesus' Name". And so, in order for us to have a clearer understanding of this issue we must first establish from the Bible the solemn truth that not everything that is purportedly done in Jesus' name, necessarily means that this is the case, for Christ Himself warned us of miracle workers, preachers, and false prophets who will all claim to be operating under the umbrella and authority of Jesus' name. Let's read:
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Furthermore the Bible gives us an example of an attempted exorcism in the name of Jesus which apparently did not go as planned or expected, which confirms to us the fact that people do operate in the name of Jesus, who have absolutely nothing to do with Him. Let's read:
Acts 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
To pray, worship, or to do anything in the name of Jesus means that certain criteria must be met in order for the actions taken to be valid. First, a person must conform to the scriptural guidelines and truths, by being in harmony with what is written. Anything that is done contrary to the written instructions of God's word are not done in Jesus' Name, it does not matter how genuine or sanctimonious the person or actions may be. It is of critical importance for us to carefully observe this first point, so as not to be taken in the many snares of the devil, which he has set for unwary feet. Let's read:
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Jeremiah 23:30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. 32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.
Next, a person must ask or pray, according to the will of God. In other words we cannot ask or pray for that which God did not promise, neither can we expect answers if the conditions laid down are not first fulfilled. Many Christians fire scatter-shots in their prayers, hoping that somehow one or more of them will happen to be in harmony with God's will, but the Bible does not teach us to pray in this manner, because it clearly states that our prayers and other requests must be made according to the revealed will of God. Let's read:
1st John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
For instance there are many famous televangelists and faith healers who claim to be operating in the name of Jesus, who claim to heal the diseases of the people without requiring a change in their habits or lifestyle, which may have caused or contributed to the diseases in the first place. This method is not scriptural nor is it certified by Christ, for by His own actions and example, He disproved the very notion that a person would be healed by God, if they deliberately choose to go on sinning against Him, by indulging the very practices which brought on suffering and disease in the first place. If God were to heal us on these terms He would thereby be encouraging us in the sin of presumption, which He never ever does. Let's read:
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him" ..... he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
The next aspect of operating in Jesus' name has to do with worship, which has often been an area of contention, since we are not to judge the motives and actions of anyone. Worship that is done in Jesus' name must of necessity contain three main elements: (1) It must be done in truth. (2) It must be done in sincerity. And (3) It must not consist of any man-made doctrines or commandments. These three basic features must all be present for worship to be done in Jesus' name, or else the worship is described as being vain, by Christ Himself. Let's read:
Mark 7:6 "This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men" ....
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In our day, the name of Jesus is plastered onto almost everything in Christendom as a generic label to give legitimacy to all kinds of worship that have nothing to do with Christ. Furthermore, the first day of the week which is reverenced by millions, instead of the scriptural Sabbath which falls on the seventh day, constitutes a commandment of men, for there is not a single verse in the Bible which authorizes any such day as a replacement for the original Sabbath, given in Eden and confirmed at Mount Sinai. Therefore it's necessary that we make certain that whatever we do and whatsoever we may ask of God, that it be actually done in Jesus' name, so that our requests, prayers , and praises can be acceptable in the sight of God.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this very truth, and it is the will of God that the needed adjustments to our perceptions of this important topic, may serve the purpose of informing our understanding of the God whom we serve. Let's read:
Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!