Asking in His Name

Have you heard people quote John 14:13, You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it? (NLT). Many a disappointment has come when the well-meaning Christian has asked for something in the name of Jesus, but it didn’t come to pass. These words are often quoted as if they might be a magical incantation to “poof!” bring us what we want. However, the whole of the verse must be quoted; and importantly, it must be taken in context of the passage.

For example, further up in vs. 12 we read the words of Jesus, I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. Now, this doesn’t mean our works will be more magnificent than Jesus ever did; rather, because He was about to leave earth for Heaven, we would collectively, as His church, do a greater amount of works than He did during His short time on earth. After all, Jesus left us with the command to go into all the world, telling others the Good news of salvation through Him and Him alone. By the power of the Holy Spirit He uses us to do works as Jesus did in order that others see the reality of Jesus in our lives; thereby, desiring to know Him also.

Jesus goes on to say in the next verse, we can ask anything in His name and He will do it, but don’t forget the rest of the verse. We often leave out the second half. Verse 13 in its entirety is: You can ask for anything in My name and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Do you see the wonder of what Jesus is saying? He is revealing that you and I, each of us who has received Him as Lord and Savior, are going to be used to the works He designs for us in order that the Son may bring glory to the Father. What an honor and privilege that Father’s plans include the likes of you and me to do the same works as Jesus, throughout the world, in order to bring glory through the Son to the Father.

I love the verse in Jeremiah 29:11, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Our loving, Heavenly Father, has wonderful plans for our personal lives, caring for us, comforting us, empowering us, providing for us, and in it all, He also plans to greatly use each one of us to tell others of Jesus, to let our light shine that others see Jesus in us, to enable us to do great works, all in the precious name of Jesus.

The better we understand what it truly means, to have the holy privilege of asking anything in His name and He will do it, the greater our own peace and joy will be, no matter any calamity or grief that falls upon us.

As the song by Bill Gaither says, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name. Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, but there’s something about that name.”