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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Why Pray in the Name of Jesus?

http://www.donnorisr.com/blog/2010/09/14/why-pray-in-the-name-of-jesus/

 In the past, when I have gone to the Lord in prayer, my prayers were somewhat different. The first ten minutes were ususally spent in a counseling session. I wanted the Lord to understand what the problem was and what I wanted Him to do about it. Then I followed this counseling time with a plea for Him to accept my analysis of the situation. Then I asked Him to do what I had decided was the correct course of action.

 We clutter the air with prayers born out of frustration, fear, and uncertainty, as though He needs our wisdom and advice on how to deal with an issue. Then we pray all these things in the name of Jesus. We are certain that if we pray in the name of Jesus, He will do exactly what we want Him to do. After all, we did pray in His name.

 But the name of Jesus is not a magic word. His name cannot be used to invoke the power of God to do what we want.

 When you pray in the name of Jesus, you are praying in the name of the King. You are praying as a messenger of the will of the King. You are announcing something to the world, both natural and spiritual, that the King wants to happen.

Those who pray in the name of Jesus, the King, are like medieval criers who walked the highways of the kingdom announcing the will and intentions of the king who rules the kngdom. "In the name of the king, vacate these premises, for the king will build a new castle here!"

 Everyone believes the crier because he comes in the name of the king. 

  "In the name of the king, all subjects must be on the castle grounds for the coronation of the new queen. In the name of the king, all are expected to attend!"

 The one who pronounces those words represents the king. He knows the will of the king and is announcing the king's will with authority and assurance. He is not coming with his own message, he is voicing the desire and intentions of the king. 

 " I come in the name of the king" is the testimony of the medieval crier.

 For the most part, we live in the Holy Place, that is, the place of selfish desire and personal greed instead of the Most Holy Place, the realm of selfless surrender and the realm of all God. In the Holy Place, our fantasies are in constant conflict with the will of the King, who will always put His plan above our own. For He knows that His plan will lead to life, peace, and personal fulfillment beyond our wildest imagination, but our selfish, fleshy plan will only leave us short of His glory.

 The Holy Place is a place of personal struggle. It is where we develop our doctrines according to our own hidden desires. These personally contrived beliefs give us assurance that we will be certain to get what we want, at least among men. In the Holy Place, the will of man burgeons out of control, financed by weak and volatile believers who have no strength of discernment or wisdom within themselves. Of course, these Holy Place kingdom-builders count on ignorance to succeed. If true discernment broke out, they would be out of buisness in a moment of time.

 There is only one way the crier can come through town announcing with confidence in the name of the King. He must truly have been in the King's presence. He knows what he is supposed to say because he heard it from the King's lips for himself. Those who have heard the King for themselves will recognize His voice in the words of the crier, and they will be quick to respond to the message he brings them.

 When you hear the voice of the King, you can announce His will with confidence.

 This is the secret to having every rayer you utter answered. Listen carefully to hear what our Lord is praying. Then join in His prayer to our heavenly Father, who is waiting for the prayers He will most certainly answer - His own.

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