whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the
Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
Some misapply this verse, thinking that saying "in Jesus' name" at the
end of a prayer results in God's always granting what is asked for.
This is essentially treating the words "in Jesus' name" as a magic
formula. This is absolutely unbiblical.
Praying in Jesus' name means praying with His authority and asking God
the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His
Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus' name means the same thing as praying
according to the will of God, "This is the confidence we have in
approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he
hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that
we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus' name
is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus.
Saying "in Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer is not a magic formula.
If what we ask for or say in prayer is not for God's glory and
according to His will, saying "in Jesus' name" is meaningless.
Genuinely praying in Jesus' name and for His glory is what is
important, not attaching certain words to the end of a prayer. It is
not the words in the prayer that matter, but the purpose behind the
prayer. Praying for things that are in agreement with God's will is
the essence of praying in Jesus' name.
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