Thoughts for Life: #140 The Role of the Name

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: 1. The name of Jesus gives instant access to God's throne. The authority of the name unlocks heaven's door. Its fragrance identifies and gives acceptance to God.

You have no right of access except through the name of Jesus. You are unworthy, a forgiven rebel, but the name identifies you now as a child of God with full access to God. Six times Jesus referred to our asking in His name. (Google image, Together we pray)

2. The name identifies you with who Jesus is. There are said to be 143 names and titles given to Jesus in the Bible. (Sanders, Prayer Power Unlimited, 50)

Each is another ray of God's light illuminating who Jesus is and what He does. Using the name of Jesus identifies you with all that the Scripture reveals of our Lord.

But central to all is the glorious reality that He is the Son of God who became the Son of Man to make atonement for your sin and who defeated Satan forever.

Praying in His name identifies you as having been redeemed by Christ. Your prayer is grounded on the finished work of Christ at Calvary.

You have no priority claim upon Christ. But Jesus died for you and for the whole world. His name empowers your plea with His shed blood. It identifies you with His resurrected lordship. It unites your prayer with His prevailing mediation and intercession at the right hand of the Father.

He, as it were, places one of His holy hands upon the Father's throne, and with the other He grips your hand uplifted in prayer. In turn, you grip, as it were, the sacred hand of your Co-Intercessor with your one hand, and with your other hand you touch the world.

Who are you that you should have such a sacred authoritative role? Who are you that you should be Jesus' channel of mediating salvation, victory, and blessing to others?

You are nothing in yourself. But in Christ you are chosen to touch the world through prayer. With Christ you life up holy hands in prayer warfare just as Moses did at Rephidim (Ex. 17:10-16).

Samuel Chadwick wrote,

"Prayer reaches its highest level when offered in the Name
which is above every name, for it lifts the petitioner into
unity and identity with himself."

The name of Jesus identifies you with Christ's death and resurrection. You have no other plea. You need no other plea. Jesus died for you and gives you the right and authority of His name.

3. The name of Jesus sanctifies your prayer. You can pray no unworthy prayer in His name. Any prayer that is selfish, vindictive, or with wrong motive dies on your lips when you take His name.

Prayer does not fail because of the inadequacy of your words in expressing your requests. Prayer fails when it is silenced by His name. His holy name is a flaming fire that consumes all that is unworthy in His sight and contrary to His will. His name judges your motive, cleanses your desire, and demands your total integrity.

4. The name unites with His will. You cannot ask in Jesus' name what is contrary to His will, what Jesus would not ask if He were praying. The perimeter of your prayer becomes, "Your will be done."

Simpson says,

"Within this large and ample space there is room for every
reasonable petition for spirit, soul and body, family and
friends, temporal circumstance, spiritual service, and utmost
possibilities of human desire, hope, or blessing." (Simpson,
Life of Prayer, 70).

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if
we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we
know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that
we have what we asked of him" (1 John 5:14-15).

But how do you know what God wills for you to ask? By God's Word, the Spirit's guidance, and the mind of Christ. In a secondary sense, by providence, conscience, your common sense, and the counsel of God's people.

(For a fuller discussion of this topic, see chapters 18-35 in my book Let God Guide You Daily).

As you keep open to God's will as He guides you, as you maintain a prayerful listening ear, and as you live in God's Word, He will make it comparatively easy to know that many things are or are not His will.

5. The name gives you his authority. When you ask in His name, you come as His representative, you come for his sake—not for your own sake. You have no right to insist on a prayer answer just because you want it.

But when His name has sanctified your request and united it in His will, then you have the full authority of His name as you intercede. You are heard because you represent Jesus. You are heard for His sake.

To pray a prevailing prayer in Jesus' name makes tremendous demands upon you as a prayer warrior, but it yields results and victories that only God can provide. The more completely you experience the fullness of living and praying in Jesus' name, the more freely you will be able to wield the authority of His name.

6. The name gives Jesus' endorsement. Jesus is the amen of all prayer prayed in the Spirit. Through Him we say the amen to the promises of God, because in Him God's "Yes" is said (2 Cor. 1:20).

So Jesus says the primary amen, and we say the secondary amen. In Fact, Jesus is called "the Amen" (Rev. 3:14).

In the words of Samuel Chadwick,

"Prayer is endorsed by the Name, when it is in harmony
with the character, mind, desire, and purpose of the Name."

Jesus wants you to live a life of holy harmony with His character, holy agreement with His purpose and heartbeat, and holy fellowship in His prevailing intercession so that again and again you have the inner witness that you are truly praying in His name. All such prevailing He endorses with His unwavering almighty amen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

Mighty Prevailing Prayer
#140 The Role of the Name
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 281-285) Zondervan

Men praying together

Prayer-

Father, because we have believed in the atoning blood of Jesus, and have been forgiven, we now have access to You through the name of Jesus!
We are identified as Your child with full assurance of the power given to us when we pray in accordance with Christ's will.
We know that we're given this sacred authoritative role by Jesus, and are to be channels of mediating salvation, victory and blessings to others.
I ask that our prayers be sanctified by Christ's holy name, as it is a fire that consumes all that is unworthy in His sight and contrary to His will.
May we submit to Your cleansing desire and demands, that we come and become totally honest, proving our integrity.
I pray for the Spirit's enablement to accomplish all Your will for us in our endeavor to be effective in prayer warfare.
In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Ps. 5:8 (KJV) "Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face."

Is. 50:7 (KJV) "For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."

Today's quote-

~ Michael Catt- "Now there is nothing wrong with praying for the sick. But is we are honest, we must admit we do very little praying in our churches for the spiritually sick, the prodigals and the wayward. If the church is going to be a New Testament church, she has to learn to get hold of God for impossible situations. She must learn to intercede." (p. 57 in his book Prepare for RAIN)