Will We Really Receive Whatever We Ask for in Jesus' Name?

       “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  John 14: 13-14

       This verse is great news. There’s a new guitar I would like, but it’s too expensive. If I simply ask God for it in Jesus’ name, He’ll give it to me! Also, I would really like a raise, and perhaps a new house with more room. My allergies have been really bad lately, I guess I should just pray in Jesus’ name that the allergies would leave me, and they will! Oh, and what about world peace? 

  We all know, of course, that this is not at all what this verse means. But if not, what does it mean? It certainly seems to be one of the most straightforward verses in the Bible. I suspect it is because of this verse that we have developed the habit of ending our prayers by saying “in Jesus’ Name…” But I don’t think this is what is meant by “asking in my name.” To do something in someone else’s name is, I think, is more like having authorization to act on their behalf. 

Ambassadors are a key part of government. The United States sends ambassadors to other nations in order to negotiate and maintain alliances and mutually beneficial relationships. We’re fortunate at this point in history that communication is so easy, even at vast distances. A couple hundred years ago, ambassadors were unable to communicate with their country’s government except by extremely slow mail sent by boat. Therefore, it was especially important at that time that ambassadors be trustworthy, competent, and always act in the best interest of the country they serve. 

If our role as Christians in this world is to be a kind of “ambassadors”, this entails acting in the interest of and representing the One who has sent us. And this will determine not only our actions, but our prayers. I believe this is what is meant by “praying in Jesus’ name.” It doesn’t mean ending the prayer with those words, but rather, praying in place of Jesus, whatever it is He would pray in our position. 

This casts the verse above in a whole new light. Rather than a promise that we can ask for whatever we want and can be certain we will receive it, it is a command to step into the role Jesus modeled for us during His brief time on earth and to do our best to discover His will. The point of prayer is not to bend God’s will to ours, but to bend our will to God’s. For this it is necessary to constantly maintain a close relationship with God and ongoing communication, just as ambassadors must do when they are in the field. Then, when we make requests, they won’t be based on our own whim, but will be representative of the will of the One who sent us. Of course, determining God’s will in any given situation is easier said than done. But perhaps the attempt to draw closer to God and determine His will one of the greatest benefits of prayer. 

       This certainly doesn’t mean there’s any problem with including actual words “in Jesus’ name” at the end of our prayers. But if we do, we need to remember and understand exactly what those words mean rather than simply reciting them because we’ve developed the habit of doing so.