Christians, we must recover our faith in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Over the past several years, in many different places of pastoral ministry, I have noticed a lack in Christians praying in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ—a lack of using His name specifically when Christians discuss God with others—a lack of understanding concerning the necessity of having faith in His name and holding to that faith in His name (John 1:11-12).
It is my belief, that making speech concerning the One True GOD, YHWH Elohim, generic, is part of Satan’s to deceive Christians, for the purpose of diminishing the power of the Gospel.
This occurs in large part, by convincing Christians we do not need to use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in many applications of our faith and practice.
Consider the desire for many Christians to promote the slogan “One nation under God”. What God will the people be referring too. The US constitution protects a person’s right to believe or not believe in any god of their choosing. Therefore, saying one nation under God could mean a million different things.
For argument’s sake, let us agree that most of the founders of the U.S. were Free -Mason’s, who’s god is not YHWH Elohim (through His Son Jesus Christ), but Baphomet, a representation of Lucifer.
My point is that making plain the God we are speaking of is necessary, especially as Christians. Let’s investigate why.
FAITH IN HIS NAME and all It represents
John 1:11-1311He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
“To those who believe in His name”, is a direct reference to Christ being described as the “Word of God” in the first 10 verses of John 1. What this means is that to believe in Jesus Christ, is not just to believe in His death and resurrection on our behalf, but all that His Names communicate from the Old Testament.
Remember, God’s Triune nature is clearly seen in the Old Testament in God the Father, God the Word (who is referred to as the Son in Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 9:6) and the Holy Spirit. These Persons of the Godhead were revealed from Genesis to Malichi.
Consider the last reference to our Lord Jesus Christ in the last Chapter of the Old Testament, as our Healer.
Malachi 4:2-3 2But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Taken in isolation, this verse would mean little, but prior passages already declared the Messiah to be our Healer, which is a prophetic mark of His Messiahship (Isaiah 53:5; Isaiah 61:1-3). Which brings us to another aspect of believing in His name, the Word of God.
We discussed that the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is referred to as the Son of God, from Psalm 2:7, but that very same Psalm is from where we get the term “Christ”.
Psalms 2:1-3 1Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”
In this passage we can see all three Persons of the Godhead. The “LORD” is in reference to the Father and the Anointed His Son. He is the Son because He is anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond measure and is referred to as the King the wicked must kiss, to avoid judgment, later in the Psalm.
The word for “Anointed” in the Hebrews language is the word “Hamashiyach” meaning the Messiah (the Anointed One). This phrase translates directly into the Greek language as Christos.
It is very important to understand the breadth of all that is contained in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is more than I have time to discuss right now.
But belief in His name is a real aspect of our faith, and foundational one at that. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Christians seem not to use His name in prayer, because they are either ignorant through poor teaching or to lazy to dig into what the word declares concerning His name.
In the early church it was not only the preaching of the Gospel but preaching faith in His name, which was concidered the whole Gospel. This meant one would have to know Christ, as the eternal word of God and all His varied ministry to humanity as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and soon returning King.
Acts 4:12 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 8:12 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized
Acts 10:43 43To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
The passage from Acts 4:12, is the end of an argument Peter was making before the Jewish religious council, after being detained for healing a man in Jesus name from Acts 3.
Acts 3:3-8 3who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.
In front of the religious council Peter makes it clear…
Acts 4:10 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
Therefor Peter not only taught and lived faith in the name Christ for Healing and salvation (Acts 4:10-12), but he also communicated to Mark and even fuller understanding of the power that is in Christ’s name, for all who follow Christ.
Mark 16:15-18 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Every one of these wonderful miracles can be seen in Acts of the Apostles. Demons were cast out in Jesus name (Acts 16:18)—Believers spoke with new tongues (Acts 2:1-4; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:5-7)—Believers were protected from picking up a serpent unintentionally (Acts 28:3-6)—Believers laid hands on the sick and they recovered (Acts 3:1-9; Acts 8:12-13).
In the New Testament period right up to our present day, when God deems necessary, He works through faith in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, to bring salvation, healing, deliverance from demonic forces, and divine protection to His saints.
With all this truth, why is it that Christians struggle to say the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the most basic and foundational aspect of our faith… PRAYER?
Let us heed Christ’s own words
John 14:12-14 12“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
John 16:23-24 23“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
It is very interesting that many Christians I have been blessed to b around, are unaware they are not following Jesus will and command or refuse to do so when they are instructed.
Clearly our Lord Jesus Christ declares and commands us to pray, asking the Father, in His name. Remember this is not asking “In Your Name”, but “In the name of Jesus the Christ”. The difference between these two is as vast as Christ’s character revealed in all His biblical names.
Remember there is power in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!
Scripture could not be clearer about whose name we pray in and why.
The above passage reveals praying in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord brings an answer to prayer, that only God can perform, which glorifies the Father, in His Son’s name.
John 16:23-24 reveals that supernaturally answered prayers, to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, make our joy overflow in faith. Yet I John 5:14-16 goes even further.
1 John 5:14-15 14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Let me ask, is it God’s will for us to ask Him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ or not? Yes, it is. So why do American Christians forget, refuse or struggle to use the name of Jesus and pray in the name of Jesus?
Satan is a semantic master, meaning he changes words and meaning to wash black and white truth into a grey mash of meaninglessness. The name of Jesus Christ signifies God in the flesh come to accomplish God’s will and plan, which means Satan loses.
Satan has invaded the church and convinced God’s people not to speak the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, because that is the devil’s spiritual plan of stopping and hindering God’s presence and power.
1 Corinthians 12:3 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:1-3 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
In John’s day, itinerate preachers would travel around to different fellowships and desire to preach. One of the identifying factors for the leaders was, did these people preach and believe that Jesus the Anointed, the Christ, had come in the flesh?
Remembering from where we began, we understood that to proclaim Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is to say the Word had become flesh, that God had come into the world to save it.
To use the name of Jesus Christ in ministry and or prayer, is to declare every time, that Jesus Christ has come and is present with His redeemed. Satan delights to diminish the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in His saints, to where they do not speak His name publicly, privately or in prayer. When this occurs the Holy Spirit is grienved and God’s manifet presence is hindered in the house of His friends.
If the devil can change a persons’ perception of speaking the truth outwardly or to say it in watered down cultural ways he’ll do it, because God’s power only comes through faith in Christ’s name and His word.
Some Christians may wrongly believe that to not speak Christ’s name in prayer or in conversation with the lost, is to make them more comfortable and a sign of how merciful we are.
Let me remind you that the Holy Spirit does not make us comfortable on our way to salvation, but institutes conviction to make us uncomfortable, that we would repent (John 16:8-11).
2 Corinthians 7:10 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted;
Some Christians believe that what I am suggesting is to be legalistic because God knows what we need before we ask and He knows we are coming to Him in His name.
Well, not so fast. Remember it delights the Father that we obey Him, and His Son told us to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. This is not legalism, as Jesus declared if you love Me keep my commandments.
John 14:15-18 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 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. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:21 21He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Why would Christians not pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ?
I believe it must be from a lack of understanding of the power that is in Jesus’ name, which arises from poor discipleship from Christian leaders. This is the reason I am writing the article, because if it is for any other reason Chrisitan’s are not praying in the name of Jesus Christ, it would hinge on pride and unbelief.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Let us pray and speak the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Name above all names.
Philippians 2:5-11 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
