When we pray, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ, but what exactly does that mean? Christ is our intercessor with the Father and it is only through His name that we are saved or that our prayers have a hope of being answered. But what would it change about our approach to our prayers if we fully understood what it means to attach the name of Jesus Christ to our prayers? Would the nature of our requests, the tone of our prayers, the patience with which we wait upon the Lord for an answer be different if we remembered that our prayers have to reflect the nature and character of Him Whose name we use? When we ask our Heavenly Father for something in Christ's name, it is as if Christ Himself is asking for that thing. So we really need to examine deep in our hearts whether or not Christ would ask for that thing. And if the answer is no, then maybe we shouldn't be praying for that thing. Remember, even when Jesus prayed to have the cup of infinite suffering removed from His lips, He nevertheless acknowledged that even if He wanted to quit, it wasn't up to Him, and that He would pray more earnestly if that was what was required. When we truly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, there is no second guessing or haggling or pleading for the Father to change His mind. To pray in Christ’s name is to accept utterly and completely the will of the Father, just as Christ did, even to the bitter end. I hope that we will seek ever more earnestly to pray in the Name of Jesus Christ not just by saying the phrase but by embodying the Spirit of the Name that we invoke.
