I'm wondering if anybody here knows the history of the tradition of tacking this phrase onto the end of prayers comes from. Jesus says a few times that whatever we ask for in his name he will do for us but I'm not convinced that means adding a little phrase onto the end of prayer. My understanding of Jesus' words mean that if we ask for anything in keeping with the his will then he will grant it to us or maybe that if the Father knows that Jesus sent us with our request that He will grant it to us. What do you all think? Specifically, I'm really interested in trying to discover when this phrase popped up in history. Is it a part of traditional Catholic prayers? Is it an early church tradition?
_________________Rose
Hello Rose,Don't have a clue but wanted to say 'ditto.' I would also like to know more about this addition. At odd times I feel like I am babbling when I add that phrase, especially if it is added to a conversation I direct directly to my Lord. It is added almost as a reflex reaction and this bothers me some.Still, I trust that the intent of my words and what is in my heart is taken into consideration. I do not think we are graded on how we structure our prayers. Again, I think it is important to choose your words and not say things just to sound a certain way.white stone
_________________Janice
Been thinking about the many many much used traditional sayings and phrases lately myself. Seems God is weeding out "religious" effects and trying to get HIS people looking to Him as a power source.The phrase of itself has nothing wrong w/ it. The best I can meditate and ponder on is that is serves as a reminder to the people/ speaker that the things a Christian asks are always withing the power/ authority of Jesus. "Whatever you ask in my name..." doesn't necessarily mean a force of the usage of the phrase, "...in Jesus name." I've stopped using that most of the time due to recognizing that it is just a habit. However, at the same time, I clearly know in reality that what I ask, is indeed in the wonderful loving name(authority legally) of Jesus my Lord.hope this helps! your friend, Shawn.
Just did a quick Biblegaetway search of "name of Jesus". A bunch of verses came up. One that caught my attention was..Acts 16:18 (KJV)And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.It seems that historically, this starts in the Bible. Also, when wanting to petition the Lord with power, calling "In the name of Jesus" has power.Don't know if I helped or confused more. Blessings!
_________________Christiaan
It is NOT wrong to use if it really is a cry of the heart...What WOULD BE WRONG is if you do not end your prayer with "In Jesus name, Amen." and (you yourself or) someone looks at you, or thinks it was a strange thing you didnt say it. As if its required to "end" the prayer correctly or make certain the prayer was heard. That kinda of thinking of prayer is simply unbiblibal and unhealthy.If by faith we accept and perceive in our heart that we enter the presence of God only because of the risen Jesus Christ, than this alone is what we must come to grips with when praying. If we desire in our heart to say "In Jesus name, Amen" than great but if our heart leads us into a simple phrase as "All glory to Your name, Amen" or even a simple "amen" than so be it...If you end your prayers with "In Jesus' name," but inside you actually question yourself why your even praying it than you should consider your motives. If you pray it only because others do it, than what kind of motivate is that?If you truly pray it with a sincere heart and a good motive than by ALL MEANS PRAY END WITH IT! "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." (Matt 6:7)We should make sure what we pray is not vain repititions for us. Before Jesus ever taught his disciples how to pray he taught them how NOT TO PRAY! : )-----Also...One thing that God showed me concerning when Jesus says whatever you ask in my name he will do is that He is speaking more about one's character. Names back then were directly linked to the character of the person. Really what Jesus means when he says to pray in his name is to pray with a humility like his, and with a faith filled heart like his. With the kind of reverance for our Father God that Jesus showed...that I believe is really what Jesus means when he tells us to pray in his name. Grace and peace in God our Father to everyone!***I hope someone can findout the history of this phrase, if I have more time I'll try but I've always wondered this too!***
_________________Aaron
When we believe in things God has not revealed to us to do, more often than not, it's just ritualistic.In Jesus name...for Jesus sake...and other significators have been heard prayed.Between John 14-16 Jesus says 7 times, "ask anything in my name and it's done." Yet, if one readeth what cometh before and after these statements, we see that it ith not the actual saying of this name that ith significant, for if it wath, we should all prayeth in the name of YaHShuVaH, as this ith the actual name.People can get downright legalistic about this, and it's really funny to watch if you just aren't that way.We do not have to use the name of Jesus, so long as we are obeying (walking faithfully in) His doings and teachings in what we do. This is what in His name, Jesus, is all about. We are in accord with the person, Jesus Christ when we obey His commandments. (see particularly Jn. 14)It is not faith in a name that gets us anywhere but the source behind it, Jesus Christ. "in his name" is another way of saying: walking according to His purpose in Him, we recieve the grace of preveledged access in His power and authority on earth. The scriptures state that there is no other name under heaven by which on can be saved.Personally, when dealing with others, whether saved or unsaved, Jesus name is emphasised right along with what He does and says. In prayer with others His name is used.In prayer alone, this is not always the case here. Old word patterned habits here are sometimes just a result of vain repetitions that need be broken, even though talking with God for me, is conversant and not Elizabethian.Alone with God, (God knows those who are His, and) in Him we have advocation with our Heavenly Father. It is friendship in covenant, as His bond-slave we commune together, and in this, very seldom are the requests, and much moreso is the listening.------------------------------------------------------------"...You be benevolent towards one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, even as likewise God in Christ favored to freely forgive you. For this cause, you be imitators of God, like children (who are) lovingly favored.Eph. 4.32 - 5.1Here is the exemplary of praying in the name of Jesus:In the sermon on the mount, there is what some call the disciples prayer but is more commonly known as the Lord's prayer.Now the word for prayer in the greek in almost all instances is the word"worship" = bowing down (our body, our thoughts, and our activities, in servitude towards His purposes alone, faithfully honoring He who is Holy, delighted in exercising loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness in all the earth.Yet in the Lord's prayer, the word here means 'to bind'. This prayer is not of service, but of binding ourselves to God's ways. It is this binding ourselves to what God says in thought, word, and deed that Jesus calls prayer. Note that this prayer is nothing of our own design but is stated in terms of God and what is relative to His perfect will and ways. Herein lies the effectiveness of praying the Word of God from the scriptures. We BIND OURSELVES to what God says. When this constitutes a prayer of faith(fulness) towards God's testimony: our thinking aligns to His thoughts alone, and so ignoring whatever is contrary to what He says and living life accordingly, because we know this is permanently true and everything else is temporary.We can see the signs of faithfulness) in this --(prayer)-- BINDING right after this prayer in the Mt. 5-7 discourse as Jesus follows this up with: forgive, don't worry about our physical needs, be extremely generous without judging.(The key being, "You seek (to be able to rightly observe) God's kingdom and His (declaration of what-is-)right, and all these things will be given-more to you." ( Mt. 6.33 ). )============================================================'Amen' is greek for the Hebrew words 'aman' or 'amin', depending on usage.The word is used of the 'faith' of Abraham, which is actually saying, 'i believe so much that all my thoughts and actions hinge on this and nothing else.'At the end of prayers, 'in Jesus name, amen...etc' is actually saying, 'in Jesus purpose, authority, and power i believe and so i do.'Does this help?Agapeo,g edited: sleight errors
Good Morning Phanetheus,Thank you for your detailed and explanatory post. There is much to digest there, especially the tag explaining 'Amen.'Kind regards,white stone
Thanks for all your feedback. I absolutely agree that there is nothing harmless in adding this phrase to the end of prayers. My research is motivated from a situation in my church where one fellow is teaching that we ought to always add this phrase in order to be praying properly. He sees it as the simple, literal explanation for what it means to "pray in my name." He's willing to listen to reason though. I'm doing some reading and thinking to supply a defence for my husband.I did a new testament search as well and I found it interesting that we can receive children, gather together, do a mighty work, pray, cast out demons or come as a false Messiah. The Holy Spirit is sent in Jesus' name and Paul wanted to avoid having people claim to be baptised in his own name.
White Stone thank you for the thank you.Whenever thanks are heard i think of how Jesus, and the work He completed in making me into what i could never be myself. i am 'a piece of work' in the making and it's all because of Jesus i'm not what i used to be. By His Spirit He reveals the hows and whys of it all after He empowers me to live them through, making me a shameless workman.Not to say i'm there yet by any stretch. Pushing foreward and pressing in is what it's all about. Everything else leaves a stale aftertaste in the mouth.Abba repeatedly breaks me as i am one of His kids who can get too big for my britches, and then have to cry out to our Big Brother Jesus to save. The thing about God crushing you is when all the pieces are back together again, we are better off than before, and awaiting the next and the next... remodeling job until we will be conformed to the very image of Jesus Christ.This brings to mind a sermon by brother Zac on "the higher life (series"), if it's not here, it's on the CFC website. Think it's the first one, but all of them are good......anyway, he reminds the hearer that the Lord's prayer is not about me and myne, but this prayer is about us.What was emphasised here is relating to God our Father on His terms being "in the name of Jesus."God Bless,greggedited: errors
Um to my knowledge the In Jesus' name was added because we are to pray in His name. And the Amen if my knowledge of Greek or Hebrew doesn't fail me it means in a sense Let it be so. So basically your saying In Jesus' Name let it be so. Many have touched on the greatly religious aspect of this that you MUST say it to end the prayer as if these are magical words God has placed at the end of our prayer so He knows we are done praying to Him that way we don't have any of those ackward times of Him mistaking us talking to Him when in reality we have been done for a while now and He can stop listening if He liked. :)
_________________Matthew Guldner
