John 16:26-28 (ESV Strong's)
26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
What it Means to Pray in Jesus Name
In the above verses we have the final conversations recorded between the disciples and Jesus. Jesus has just told them, on two earlier verses to “pray in my name.” Note:
John 16:23-24 (ESV Strong's)
23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
In verse 23 and in verse 24, as well as 26, above, Jesus tells His disciples to pray “in my name.” But, what does that mean. Jesus, in verse 26, plainly says that to “pray in my name” but that He is NOT saying He will be taken our prayer requests to God, on our behalf. What Jesus is saying is that He is dying for us, to give us direct access to God the Father. In Romans 8:34 it does say that Jesus intercedes for us. But, in the above passage, He is not speaking to them about His intercessory ministry. He wants them to know that His coming death will be opening up complete access that we may go directly to the Father. Why? Because, the above verses state, God loves us. Jesus states: “... for the Father, Himself, loves you.” The great fallacy of other faiths is that we have to have an intermediary to go to the Father. We do not. Christ’s death opens the way that we can go directly to the Father. We pray “in Jesus name” because Jesus gave us access through is death. God wants us to fellowship with Him in prayer directly ... in Jesus’ name.
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