Why we pray "in Jesus name"

One of the side effects of being a pastor is that people look at you as a professional at prayer. You get paid to pray, so that makes you a pro. Last night I was playing ultimate Frisbee with a bunch of awesome young adults, and as we gathered around at the end, sure enough, they asked me to pray.

I always pray “in Jesus name,” as the Bible says we should come to the Father through the Son. But sometimes, if I’m completely honest, I say those words in a rote way. I tack them on the end of a prayer the way a political commercial tacks on the endorsement message. “This message is brought to you by the people (who for some reason) supported Ross Perot.”

But in a way, we don’t really even have to say the words if we mean them in our hearts. Coming in the name of someone simply implies the source of your authority. If I come in the name of the President of the United States, you know who sent me and what kind of authority I have. The name I come in also tells you my motivation. If I come in the name of peace, you know I mean you no harm. If I tell you to “Stop…in the name of love,” you know that I am just about to “break your heart.”

So as we come before the Father, the name that we invoke—first in our hearts and then on our lips, is Jesus. He is the one that gives us access to the throne. He is the one that motivates us to pray. He is the one who bought us at a high price. And through him we are guaranteed an audience with the one who made us.

So the next time you pray, try mixing it up. Try beginning your prayer in Jesus name. Use different wordings so that it doesn’t become a ritual. But most of all, let the words permeate your prayer in a way that has God sit up and take notice. Because he most certainly will.

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