One day many years ago, I was working in the yard and the grandkids were present, but as it got closer to 6 pm, our oldest grandson  Greyson – probably about ten at the time, came out and said with a smile, “Poppy, in Nan’s name, you must come inside now for supper.” 

 Nan was what they called my wife Carole. Greyson wasn’t ordering me inside, but just conveying the authority and urgency that Nan had a hot supper ready and wanted me inside right away. He came with an urgent message from Nan, or “in Nan’s name.” 

 I think I may have explained to them about the meaning of praying “in Jesus’ name” sometime before, and it was a fantastic opportunity to use that principle to ask or tell me to come in, but do so in Nan’s name.  I loved it.

Many brethren, especially our Kenyan ministers, begin their emails and notes with a comment, then add “in Jesus’ name.”  Is that a wonderful practice – or maybe overdoing it?  Let’s truly understand what this means and be sure we are not overdoing it and trivializing the name of the Son of God.

Many believers see this phrase in different ways.  But the phrase “in Jesus’ name” is far more meaningful and powerful than most realize – and much more than just casually adding these words in a letter or prayer.

Names are very important in the Bible. Names often represented one’s authority, character or reputation. When Greyson told me he had come ‘In Nan’s name, and you need to come inside right now, as supper is ready,” it wasn’t Greyson telling me that. It was my wife, his grandma, or Nan. He was acting as her representative  and conveying what SHE had said. 

This is very important. When we say we come ‘in the name of the Law” – or in the name of someone, we are saying we are acting under their authority as their representative. Often it means we are speaking what that high authority had told us to say – just like Greyson was repeating my wife’s words to come back inside for supper now. 

So when we end our prayers “in Jesus’ name,” we are remembering that we ourselves come to our heavenly Father THROUGH Jesus.

John 14:6   “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

So when you and I pray to our heavenly father, we do so through Jesus, by his authority. We’re saying this prayer is by the authority of Jesus Christ, as if spoken by Jesus himself. IN fact, our prayers are often “fixed up a bit” by Christ. Remember where it says the Spirit prays as our intercessor in Romans 8:26-27, but  just a few verses later in verse 34, Paul clarifies that our intercessor is Christ himself. And remember 2 Cor. 3:17 says “the Lord IS the Spirit”. 

So Yeshua/Jesus is the one presenting our words to our Father in heaven. Imagine that. Our way to the Father is through Jesus, the mediator and intercessor for us. 

Romans 8:26-27    “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

Romans 8:34   “Who is he who condemns? It is CHRIST who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”

Are you sensing the magnitude of this?  It’s one thing to pray in the spirit to our Father—through Christ, in Jesus’ name – and quite another to just casually begin our notes and emails “I write to you in Jesus’ name.” 

How can you do that? Did He tell you write that note? Did he give  you the words to say and what He wanted you to say?  If not, and usually it will be “not,” then I caution us all to refrain from using that phrase “in Jesus’ name” so casually in our notes and emails.

 

Prayer is different. Jesus says He WANTS us to PRAY in his name. He invites us to do that. Remember, as I quoted in Romans 8:26-27,34 – Jesus is the one who polishes up our prayers anyway, so we very well can say “in Jesus name” when we pray.  He clearly wants us to pray in His name.

John 14:13-14  “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.”

John 16:23-24   "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.  24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

But more than a verbal formula, the key is to remember we are approaching our father through Jesus, to be aligned to the Father’s will (Romans 8:27), mission and character. 

Did the apostles pray "in Jesus' name"?

The apostles frequently invoked Jesus' name in ministry:

However, when we look at the recorded prayers in the New Testament, we do not always see them ending with the exact phrase "in Jesus' name, amen."  It seems we’re being told to pray with the realization that we’re involving Jesus in our prayers. That’s more important than even ending every prayer with “in Jesus’ name” – though admittedly, I do end every prayer of mine that way. 

For example:

None of these explicitly conclude with the formula "in Jesus' name,” though it’s possible during the actual prayer they did end that way, but it was just not recorded as such. 

That doesn't mean they weren't praying through Christ; rather, the New Testament seems more concerned with wanting your prayers to be Christ-centered prayers more than with preserving a fixed closing phrase.

Did the apostles write "I write to you in Jesus' name"?

Not typically.

The New Testament letters usually open instead with greetings such as:

The writers clearly establish their authority as coming from Christ, but even the apostles themselves do not generally begin letters with wording like "I write to you in Jesus' name." So I also encourage our ministers to not use those words so often and casually  as some do.

Is it good or bad to frequently say "in Jesus' name"?

Scripture doesn't explicitly forbid it, nor does it command that every communication begin that way.

The key question is probably one of meaning and reverence.

On one hand:

On the other hand:

So if we say “In Jesus’ name” just as a slogan we are becoming too casual with His holy name. But if you intend it to mean absolute surrender and submission to Christ, it can be appropriate.  Just don’t over do it casually.

So the emphasis should be that we recognize we’re coming before God the Father, through Jesus – more than on reciting a formula of words. In a respectful prayer, aware of the will of God and of Christ, we are praying in Jesus’ name, even if those exact words are not spoken. I personally still do prefer to end all my prayers “in Jesus name” as for me, it reminds me to reverence his name and be so respectful of what I say in prayer. 

But again, I caution you against using “in Jesus’ name” casually in the beginning of your notes and emails unless Jesus really did tell you He wants you to write something, as though from him.  But at the end of reverent prayers, yes, you can end your prayers “in Jesus name” though the apostles don’t seem to require that or always practice that.

 But Jesus certainly DID encourage us to pray in his name, so that’s good enough for me (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24). 

And by the way, yes, you can pray “in Yeshua’s name” if you prefer, using his Hebrew name instead of the English “Jesus” .  The angel probably told Mary to name her son “Yeshua” when he actually spoke to her in Hebrew or Aramaic.