In Jesus' Name

Jesus is teaching His disciples in John 14 about the power that they would possess in His name.  We
read, beginning in verse 12:
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.

We come before the Father in the name of Jesus, and we are told that we can pray in His name. When we call on the name of Jesus, we activate the riches of heaven and release His power and authority. In the name of Jesus, we can walk in victory, and the powers of evil are rendered inferior to the overcoming power of God.   When we face challenges, we can remember to call upon His name and recognize that by speaking and praying in the name of Jesus, we touch God's supernatural power source.

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In Philippians 2, we are instructed about the power in the name of Jesus, the name by which we are to call upon God and expect His resources to be released for His glory. We read this passage, referring to Christ:
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.

Chris Quimby is a news anchor in Maine.  He is also a Christian comedian, speaker, and writer. Recently, he was wrapping up a news segment on VStv when he began to say, "In Jesus name," according to a Charisma News story reported on at Christian Headlines.com.  He didn't finish, and then he tried to correct himself by adding, "Amen."  He and his co-host erupted in laughter.

The mistake was featured on a blooper reel which then went viral.

I found out a little bit more about Chris Quimby - he has released a book called, Spokes and Jokes, subtitled, One Comedian's Faith Journey from Maine to Texas in Search of God's Will.   On his Facebook page, you can read that:

In 2012, a discouraged 39-year old Chris Quimby struggled to determine which direction in life he should head. Suffering a mixture of unemployment and underemployment, the husband and father of two prayed sincerely for God’s direction.

Not at peace to trade in his individuality for a cubicle and good benefits, the local comedian reached for something more.

Encouraged by a recent reading at a local seminary, Quimby embarked on a plan to blend his unique talents, desires and opportunities into an adventure for the whole family.

Spokes & Jokes chronicles the eight-week bicycle journey from Maine to Texas that captured the imagination and survived on the support and prayers of hundreds of others.

Over 2100 miles. Lodging at the homes of 29 different strangers. 8 comedy performances.

So, apparently, Chris has had quite a journey - in prayer and in pedalling!  Ans as he was praying - sincerely - he must've prayed in Jesus' name a few times.  And, that came out on the news.

But, what a way to close out a news segment - even though he caught himself, that can really cause us to think about the best news of all!  Jesus has called us into relationship with Him and we can pray in His name.

I was thinking about what it means to do something "in the name of" somebody else.  Well, that means that we are representing a person, and that a person has sent us in his or her stead, with that person's approval or blessing.  Perhaps we are a carrier of information or of an item or items.

Now, think about what happens when we pray "in Jesus' name" - that is the name above all names! We can use His name when we come before the Father in prayer.  But, it should be more than just a few simple words to complete a prayer; more than a formulaic expression - no, we are calling on the God of the universe, clothed in Christ, representing Christ our Advocate, who represents us before the Father and grants us access.   He says to God that you are His child and He has given you the right and authority to pray in that name.

And, there is power in the name of Jesus.  When we pray in His name, we invoke the authority of heaven as we engage in spiritual warfare against the dark forces that oppose the living God. We do not fight the enemy using human resources, but we engage in combat against him using the power that we have in the Spirit of God.  We are called to victory in the name of Jesus Christ.