What does it mean to “pray in Jesus name?” For some it is simply tacking on those words at the end of our prayers, but it means more than that. It means to make requests consistent with God’s will and the purposes of His kingdom. We are reminded of Jesus’ model prayer found in Matthew 6:9-10. He starts with “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed by your name.” Prayer should always start with worship, not requests. It is an acknowledgement that it is God who is in control not us. Then it moves to a recognition that God is in control and a submission to surrender our desires to His will, with the statement, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. ” Then we see that our requests are to be that God give to us what we need to fulfill His purpose in our lives, as we read, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If we are going to ask for our needs, then we must be willing to stand between an offended God and an offensive person. It is almost impossible to remain bitter at someone who we are asking God … READ MORE

In John 14:13-14, Jesus anticipated the disciples concern, for their safety and provision, Jesus promised that even after He was gone, He would continue to supply the disciples’ needs from heaven. Prayer would bridge the gap between their needs and His abundant, limitless, undepleted resources (cf. Philippians 4:19). The ultimate purpose for Christ’s gracious provision, as is true of everything that God does, is “that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” What we need to remember is that prayer is a first resort, not a last resort. We should turn to the Lord early and often, as we ask the Lord to help us through the trials and tribulations of life. As we begin a new year, let us purpose in our heart to take things to the Lord quickly, and ask for eyes to see what He is doing in our lives. … READ MORE