What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?

 

Prayer in Jesus’ name is taught in John 14:13-14, “And I will do 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.

Seeing

 

Seeing that things exist, and things cannot come from true nothingness, there must be something that caused all things visible and invisible. The original and ultimate cause of all things must necessarily be transcendent and self-existent or else there would be an eternal procession of created things causing created things, which is a logical impossibility. This bedrock truth is one of the foundations of philosophy throughout all of human history and was promulgated not only by Judeo-Christianity and the Abrahamic traditions, but also by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs, and is even acceded to by modern scientific philosophers who posit the existence of an eternal, self existent, all-encompassing dimension that might have given rise to our universe. Acknowledging that this self-existent dimension or entity contains all possible information and energy and is omnipresent, the secular mind still chooses to regard it as unintelligent and unaware, but that is folly. Knowing that God is the greatest conceivable being and that it is greater to exist than not to exist, God must necessarily exist or else He would not be the greatest conceivable being. Thus, the existence of the supreme, self-existent being can be proven through reason and intellect alone. Discerning the impossibility of non-life giving rise to life because of the incomprehensible complexity of living beings, and considering that the universe appears perfectly and improbably tailored for the existence of life, there must necessarily be a super-intelligence that created the universe with the perfect parameters for life who then created incomprehensibly complex life forms. Perceiving the universality of spiritual truths such as love, beauty, and morality and that such things cannot be adequately explained through mere natural mechanisms, there must be a being who Himself is beautiful, moral, and loving. Concluding that all belief systems aside from monotheism, such as atheism, polytheism, and pantheism, disregard these basic, foundational truths of common sense and simple logic, the ultimate truth and purpose of life must be found in believing in and worshiping this transcendent God who created all things and who has chosen to reveal Himself to us through means of reason, creation, and spiritual revelation.

We will need God’s Holy Spirit

The Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is the power of God (2 Timothy 1:7 ), that it leads us into all truth (John 14:17, 26 ), that it enables us to discern spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:11, 14 ), that it is our guarantee (“seal”) of eternal life in the resurrection (Ephesians 1:13-14 ), and that without it we are “not His” (Romans 8:9 , emphasis added). You need God’s Spirit to be a Christian!

 But how do you acquire the Holy Spirit? How do you know if you are being led by it and producing the fruit of the Spirit? What is the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in someone’s life?

 And is the Holy Spirit a person—the third person of a Trinitarian Godhead? (Hint: The early Church did not teach that the Holy Spirit is a person. It took hundreds of years for this doctrine to develop!)

 As we search the Bible, we will find that the Holy Spirit is the nature, power and essence of God. It is also a gift that God can impart to a human mind to promote and inspire spiritual growth in that individual and enable that person to become a member of the family of God.

 The Scriptures contain much information on this important topic. Be sure to study this section carefully so you can prove from the Bible what the Holy Spirit is and what it is not.

 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

 John 14:17 (NKJV)

 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 (NKJV)

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who[a] is the [b]guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Romans 8:9 (NKJV)

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

 What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the action by which God takes up permanent residence in the body of a believer in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come and go from the saints, empowering them for service but not necessarily remaining with them (see Judges 15:14; 1 Chronicles 12:18; Psalm 51:11; Ezekiel 11:5). Jesus revealed to His disciples the new role the Spirit of Truth would play in their lives: “He lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

These verses are telling us that the believer in Jesus Christ has the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, living in him. When an individual accepts Christ as personal Savior, the Holy Spirit gives the believer the life of God, eternal life, which is really His very nature (Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:4), and the Holy Spirit comes to live within him spiritually. The fact that the believer’s body is likened to a temple where the Holy Spirit lives helps us understand what the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is all about. The word temple is used to describe the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum in the Old Testament tabernacle structure. There, God’s presence would appear in a cloud and meet the high priest, who came once a year into the Holy of Holies. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest brought the blood of a slain animal and sprinkled it on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. On this special day, God granted forgiveness to the priest and His people.

Today, there is no Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and the animal sacrifices have ceased. The believer in Christ has become the inner sanctum of God the Holy Spirit, as the believer has been sanctified and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7). The believer in Christ becomes the habitation of the Holy Spirit of God. In fact, Scripture also says that the believer is indwelt spiritually by Christ (Colossians 1:27) and by God the Father (1 John 4:15)—the Trinity is involved.

As the Holy Spirit lives in the believer, He brings about some life-changing results:

1) The indwelling Spirit comes to a soul dead in sin and creates new life (Titus 3:5). This is the new birth Jesus spoke of in John 3:1–8.

2) The indwelling Spirit confirms to the believer that he belongs to the Lord and is an heir of God and fellow-heir with Christ (Romans 8:15–17).

3) The indwelling Spirit installs the new believer as a member of Christ’s universal church. This is the baptism of the Spirit, according to 1 Corinthians 12:13.

4) The indwelling Spirit gives spiritual gifts (God-given abilities for service) to the believer to edify the church and serve the Lord effectively for His glory (1 Corinthians 12:11).

5) The indwelling Spirit helps the believer understand and apply the Scripture to his daily life (1 Corinthians 2:12).

6) The indwelling Spirit enriches the believer’s prayer life and intercedes for him in prayer (Romans 8:26–27).

7) The indwelling Holy Spirit empowers the yielded believer to live for Christ to do His will (Galatians 5:16). The Spirit leads the believer in paths of righteousness (Romans 8:14).

8) The indwelling Spirit gives evidence of new life by producing the fruit of the Spirit in the believer’s life (Galatians 5:22–23).

9) The indwelling Spirit is grieved when the believer sins (Ephesians 4:30), and He convicts the believer to confess his sin to the Lord so that fellowship is restored (1 John 1:9).

10) The indwelling Spirit seals the believer unto the day of redemption so that the believer’s arrival in the Lord’s presence is guaranteed after this life (Ephesians 1:13–14).

When you accept Christ as your Savior (Romans 10:9–13), the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart, bringing with Him an entirely new life of love, relationship, and service to the Lord.

How can I recognize the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples that He would send one who would teach and guide all those who believe in Him (Acts 1:5; John 14:26; 16:7). Jesus’ promise was fulfilled less than two weeks later when the Holy Spirit came in power on the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2). Now, when a person believes in Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately becomes a permanent part of his life (Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

The Holy Spirit has many functions. Not only does He distribute spiritual gifts according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7–11), but He also comforts us (John 14:16, KJV), teaches us (John 14:26), and remains in us as a seal of promise upon our hearts until the day of Jesus’ return (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The Holy Spirit also takes on the role of Guide and Counselor, leading us in the way we should go and revealing God’s truth (Luke 12:12; 1 Corinthians 2:6–10).

But how do we recognize the Spirit’s guidance? How do we discern between our own thoughts and His leading? After all, the Holy Spirit does not speak with audible words. Rather, He guides us through our own consciences (Romans 9:1) and other quiet, subtle ways.

One of the most important ways to recognize the Holy Spirit’s guidance is to be familiar with God’s Word. The Bible is the ultimate source of wisdom about how we should live (2 Timothy 3:16), and believers are to search the Scriptures, meditate on them, and commit them to memory (Ephesians 6:17). The Word is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), and the Spirit will use it to speak to us (John 16:12–14) to reveal God’s will for our lives; He will also bring specific Scriptures to mind at times when we need them most (John 14:26).

Knowledge of God’s Word can help us to discern whether or not our desires come from the Holy Spirit. We must test our inclinations against Scripture—the Holy Spirit will never prod us to do anything contrary to God’s Word. If it conflicts with the Bible, then it is not from the Holy Spirit and should be ignored.

It is also necessary for us to be in continual prayer with the Father (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Not only does this keep our hearts and minds open to the Holy Spirit’s leading, but it also allows the Spirit to speak on our behalf: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26–27).

Another way to tell if we are following the Spirit’s leading is to look for signs of His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22). If we walk in the Spirit, we will continue to see these qualities grow and mature in us, and they will become evident to others as well.

It is important to note that we have the choice whether or not to accept the Holy Spirit’s guidance. When we know the will of God but do not follow it, we are resisting the Spirit’s work in our lives (Acts 7:51; 1 Thessalonians 5:19), and a desire to follow our own way grieves Him (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit will never lead us into sin. Habitual sin will cause us to miss what the Holy Spirit wants to say to us through the Word. Being in tune with God’s will, turning from and confessing sin, and making a habit of prayer and the study of God’s Word will allow us to recognize—and follow—the Spirit’s leading

How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?

An important verse in understanding the filling of the Holy Spirit is John 14:16, where Jesus promised the Spirit would indwell believers and that the indwelling would be permanent. It is important to distinguish the indwelling from the filling of the Spirit. The permanent indwelling of the Spirit is not for a select few believers, but for all believers. There are a number of references in Scripture that support this conclusion. First, the Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers in Jesus without exception, and no conditions are placed upon this gift except faith in Christ (John 7:37-39). Second, the Holy Spirit is given at the moment of salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Galatians 3:2 emphasizes this same truth, saying that the sealing and indwelling of the Spirit took place at the time of believing. Third, the Holy Spirit indwells believers permanently. The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a down payment, or verification of their future glorification in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 4:30).

This is in contrast to the filling of the Spirit referred to in Ephesians 5:18. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. Romans 8:9 and Ephesians 1:13-14 states that He dwells within every believer, but He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and His activity within us can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). When we allow this to happen, we do not experience the fullness of the Spirit's working and His power in and through us. To be filled with the Spirit implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. Then His power can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. The filling of the Spirit does not apply to outward acts alone; it also applies to the innermost thoughts and motives of our actions. Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Sin is what hinders the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Spirit; however, it is not praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the filling. Only our obedience to God's commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. Because we are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. 

What is Christian freedom?

 

When we are saved, Christ brings us freedom. We are free from the power of sin and instead free to live for Christ. Galatians 5:1 says, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Before Jesus came, His people lived under the power of the Law, a rigid set of rules that dictated their path to God. No one could fulfill the Law on their own. This is why Jesus came. Through living a perfect life, then dying and being resurrected, Jesus fulfilled the Law (Romans 8:2–8; Galatians 3:19–24). The place where many people get confused now is in figuring out what Christian freedom is supposed to look like.

 

The Old Testament Law was designed to show us our own inability to earn our salvation, and it still has good within it, because it points us to God and His perfection. Christ fulfilled the Law for us and we are not supposed to fall back under its yoke (Galatians 5:1), nor are we to fall back into slavery to sin (John 8:36). Rather, we live in the grace that He has willingly bestowed upon us: "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:14).

 

Some people take this a step too far and assume that because we have been freed from the power and punishment of sin, and are no longer required to follow the Old Testament Law, that it means we have the freedom to behave however we desire. This is actually totally contrary to the truth; we are freed from the power of sin so that we may freely live holy lives in Christ, empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit. Titus 2:11–14 makes it clear: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

 

In 1 Corinthians 10:23, the apostle Paul says that: "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up." While we are technically able to do all things, not all things will be beneficial to us or others. We need to be obedient to God in all things (John 14:15; Acts 5:29). Everyone has their own personal convictions about gray areas within the Christian life (Romans 14:1). In areas that leave room for uncertainty, we must be considerate of what may be best for those around us (Romans 14:13), and we need to use wisdom to determine what is spiritually beneficial to us (James 1:5).

 

Christian freedom is not about having the freedom to do whatever you want. It's about being free from the power of sin for the purpose of being a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:17–18). Christian freedom enables us to live for Christ and it frees us to love others with the same love that we have so freely received from Him. The Message paraphrase puts Galatians 5:13–14 this way: "It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom."