From the time I first learned to pray, I was taught to pray in Jesus’ name. This is scriptural since our Lord said to us in John 14:13,14: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it”. To pray in Jesus’ name means that we only have the right to approach the Father through the merits of His Son, Jesus Christ. It also means that whatever we ask must coincide with the will of our Lord Jesus for our lives.
It is true that we should pray in Jesus’ name. However, this is not the only activity that believers should do in His name. In Col. 3:17 we are told: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”. It is easy to see many activities that we can do in His name. Going to church, reading our Bibles, and witnessing to friends all come to mind that need to be done in Jesus’ name. We can give our money to aid those in need and help our neighbors in Jesus’ name. However, that verse in Colossians does not refer specifically to religious activities. This verse says, “whatever we do”. We can use this verse something like a filter on our words and our actions. Can we say this word in Jesus’ name or perform this activity in Jesus’ name? Are there words, comments, jokes, and racial slurs that come out of our mouth that would not pass the in Jesus’ name test? Are there places we go and activities we engage in that we could not do in Jesus’ name. Are there movies and You Tube videos that we cannot look at in Jesus’ name?
We should keep praying in Jesus’ name. But we should also use this phrase as a holy filter to keep our words and actions honoring to our Lord.