Thoughts for Life: #139 The Militant Use of Jesus' Name

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: All forms of Christian prayer—adoration, communion, thanksgiving, praise, petition, and intercession—should be in the name of Jesus.

There is great spiritual significance in the more general use of the name of Jesus in prayer warfare. The general use of the name of Jesus is the basis upon which you build the militant use of the name of Jesus. (Google image, Woman praying)

The Meaning and use of "name." Technically, it is not always necessary to include the actual words "in Jesus' name" in every prayer you pray. Many brief payers ascend from your heart without a formal beginning or ending.

Many brief praise notes mention Jesus but do not use the words "in Jesus' name." Similarly, there are many brief telegraphic requests to the Lord that do not begin with "Jesus" and that do not close with a formal "in Jesus' name" or a formal "amen."

However, in all more structured praying, you should mention at the beginning whom you are addressing: Lord Jesus, Lord, Father, Holy Spirit, O Lord, and so on.

And in all more structured praying it is good to close "in Jesus' name," "in Your name," "in Your holy name," or in some such a way. Jesus wants you to do so.

Probably most prayer that closes with an amen should be prayed "in Jesus' name," "in Jesus' mighty name," or some similar ending. Certainly all public prayer should include such an ending. Since public prayer is not only prayer but also a witness to your faith, "in Jesus' name" is really appropriate as your prayer-testimony.

Since we are told, "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus' (Col. 3:17), you should certainly pray in the name of Jesus. Nothing is more sacred than prayer, and nothing should be more precious to you than the name of Jesus.

Since He is your Lord, since you love Him above all others, His name should be often on your lips and especially so in your prayer. When you pray with true sincerity and deep love and a deep sense of need, your repeated use of His name does not cause you to lose either the sense of its preciousness or the wonder that you are privileged to pray in His name.

The name always represents the person. The better you know the person, the more meaning His name holds for you. The closer you walk with Jesus and the better you know Him, the more precious His name becomes to you.

The name of a person represents that one's personality, character, ideals, lifestyle, activities and work, life history, reputation, and distinguishing characteristics. Once you know a person, that one's name distinguishes that person from all others when you recall it. You know who you are talking about.

To believe in the name of Jesus is to believe in all the Bible teaches about Him in His deity; His loving, sinless life; His death, resurrection, and ascension; and His sovereign kingship today. To believe in Jesus is to believe in all He is, all He taught, and all He does for you as far as you know it.

Use of the name depends on your life. To pray in Jesus' name is to pray in harmony with His character. It is to pray in the fullest oneness and identity with Him. For the sinner to pray in His name is to pray to Him, accepting him as Savior and God.

For the mature Christian to pray in His name is to pray in unity with His holiness, His love, His purposes and desires, and His total lordship.

The Bible says you can have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). You are to let his mind, His attitude, be in you (Phil. 2:5). To pray in Jesus' name is to pray with His mind, perspective, motive, and attitude.

To pray rightly in Jesus' name, we must testify with Paul, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20).

To pray in Jesus' name is to pray in His victory and in the fullness of His Spirit. Only a life filled with the Spirit knows moment-to-moment victory with nothing to hinder the empowered use of the name of Jesus.

The promises associated with Christ's name, like all other promises, cannot be claimed with unshaken faith if there is a spiritual defeat on the conscience. A life with on-again-off-again victory cripples faith and makes a prayer life feeble.

A half-and-half Christian is of little use to God or man. He or she cannot prevail when necessary and cannot use the name of Jesus with any sense of spiritual authority.

Total commitment, total obedience, and a life filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit are the only basis for empowered, authoritative use of the name of Jesus. To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray out of a life that is Christlike.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana, (with Jean's impressions added).

Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#139 The Militant Use of Jesus' Name
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 278-281) Zondervan

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Prayer-

Man praying

Father, as nothing is more sacred than prayer, and nothing should be more precious to us than the name of Jesus, we ask for Your guidance in using it.
We are learning to love Him above all others, and are encouraged to speak His name often during the day.
As we pray in sincerity and deep love for Jesus, may we pray with a deep love and sense of wonder that we are privileged to pray in His name.
The victory and fullness of His Spirit comes only through a life filled with Him. May our lives have nothing to hinder the empowered use of His name.
I ask this in His mighty name. Amen.

Today's Bible verse-

Jer. 33:3 (AMP) "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).

Today's quotes-

~ Tom Elliff: "I have a friend to whom I often turn for counsel because he possesses a remarkable ability to go right to the heart of an issue and detect possible violations of scriptural principles. My friend spends a great deal of time each day immersing himself in the Word and in the practice of prayer. He often sets aside time for prayer and fasting as well. I am convinced that the practice of these disciplines has filled him with a sense of righteousness that exceed his conscious reasoning." (p. 103, A PASSION for PRAYER).

~ Pastor John Hagee- "Knowing that God is in control should make you rest easy when there are tough questions that our nation and our world are faced with every day. Because He Lives."

Today's popular post-

When God Whispers Your Name

Max Lucado: “When I see a flock of sheep I see exactly that, a flock. A rabble of wool. A herd of hooves. I don't see a sheep. I see sheep. All alike. None different. That's what I see.

But not so with the shepherd. To him every sheep is different. Every face is special. Every face has a story . . . "

Today's question-

Have you a Secret Place when you and the Lord meet regularly? Do you understand the importance of time alone with Him before the start of each day, whether a few minutes, or more?

Psalm 91 speaks of our being under the shadow of the Almighty in our secret place with Him. Be sure to read that Psalm, as it will give you insight in what you can experience in your own secret place.
When we're in someone's shadow, we're pretty close to them.
Getting close to God, and "in His shadow," we're very close, and we can become intimate with Him, and find help in time of trouble, or enjoy sweet fellowship in our daily secret place encounters.

Upcoming posts-

#140 The Role of the Name

7th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

Protect Your Sabbath Rest

9th- Saturday's post by Lisa Morrose

#141 The Militant Use of the Name

12th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#142 The Militant Use of the Word

14th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel