In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
John 16:23 NIV
Asking in Jesus’ name is more than merely some words we add to the end of our prayer. When we ask in his name, we are acting as his representative. And our request comes with his authority.
When my children were young, if they asked me for something, I might or might not have granted their request. But if they came asking for help with something their mother had asked them to do, I was much more inclined to help them. Not because they invoked her name. But because they were acting on her behalf. They were essentially asking in her name.
Jesus has given me a job to do. And, as I do that job, I am acting in his name. On my own, I do not have all of the resources and abilities necessary to complete the job. But, in his name, I can come before the Father for what I need. And I can be sure that the Father will grant that request, enabling me to carry out the task given to me successfully.
The promise in this verse is not like a blank check. I should not expect God to grant my request so long as I say the right words. But it does guarantee that I will be able to do whatever the Lord has given me to do. I will have all the help that I need.
