Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete. (John 16:24)
When we were children my siblings and I bought our father an Easter present—a fluffy, live chick. It was a thinly veiled ploy to get something we wanted. Dad named the bird No No. After the first screeching attempts at cock-a-doodle-do at five a.m. in the city, No No was sent away. So much for manipulating our father.
Later, as a young adult I tried to maneuver God into answering prayers my way. Like that Easter chick, I pretended my requests were made on behalf of his kingdom. In actuality, they centered on what I wanted.
Today, I still can’t claim to fully understand how prayer works. I’m fairly sure that to ask for anything in Jesus’s name is not a magic phrase tacked on the end that forces the genie to perform. I believe calling on his name is connected to praying in the Spirit, as the New Testament encourages in several places. It means I pray in harmony with his will, not mine.
The rare occasions I allow the Holy Spirit to pray his prayers through me in Jesus’s name, are the times I see doors open. A joyful assurance confirms my requests are heard, and I can rest in God’s perfect timing for the answer.
Prayer: Patient Father, teach me to pray in Jesus’s name.