I know for me that prayer is one of those things that I, in all reality, know so little about and never use enough. There is certainly vast amounts of untouched joy and power in what we struggle to understand and never do like we should. Lord, teach us to pray. Identify us with your Son and place in our hearts the desires we should ask for and open our eyes to the wondrous gifts you provide. I pray that He authors not only this page but also the daily pages of our individual prayers.
Extra Credit: I have a couple of real short ones today that I just personally loved. They both are poetic and contributed to my thoughts and what I had to write in my commentary today. The first short one is from Octavius Winslow and is poetry in his explanation of the Arrow of prayer. The next is from the great orator Charles Spurgeon dealing with a true Saints Hearts Desire.
Jhn 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Jhn 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].
- Is this a blank check to ask per your will?
Certainly this is more than simply pouring out your needs and ending the prayer with, in Jesus name Amen. There is much more than words to, in my name. And there is unknown power and reverence that should be given to what is asked. To ask in His name is identifying yourself with the Son. You identify and submit yourself to Christ as your propitiatory mediator. You humble yourself powerless to provide or accomplish what you need and plea to the one who both has the power and ability to represent you. You identify yourself in His death, burial, and resurrection. It also means that your pleas fall on Gods ears on the merits of His Son and Son alone. And on those merits, as Christ our representative, in reverence anything we ask He will do. Finally to be intimately identified with the Son and completely submitting to Christ as a propitiation and mediator our prayers are simple and mono-theme. To truly ask in His name we have but one desire, that His will be done and His Son is glorified. To ask in His name is to seek and desire to promote what He has laid on our heart. To ask in His name is reverence in asking what already will be done for His glory. To ask in His name is not to change a path or His will but glorifying Him in submission to that path and praising His will. When we identify ourselves with Christ and trust Him as our sacrifice and mediator and plea for His will to be done and that He is glorified we have this guarantee; He will do it!
