Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs (Optional Memorial)
Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. (John 16:23)
What does it mean to ask the Father in Jesus name when we pray? According to Jewish tradition, a persons name was not just the word you would use to get their attention. To speak in a persons name was to speak in his or her place, as an ambassador would speak for the president. It was as if that person were right there with you, lending his authority to your words. So when Jesus invites us to pray in his own name, he is giving us a high privilege indeed!
An ambassador can speak in his presidents name because he knows his president very well. He knows what is on the presidents heart and how his president would respond to a given situation.
This is the kind of relationship Jesus wants you to have with him. He wants you to come to know him deeply and intimately. He wants to teach you to love the things he loves, to see the world through his eyes of mercy, and to treat each other with the same tenderness he treats you.
In fact, instead of thinking in terms of an ambassador, perhaps we should think in terms of a husband and wife or a very close brother and sister. Think about how a husband and wife anticipate each others needs and desires. Or think about how two brothers might finish each others sentences.
Of course, this doesnt happen immediately. It takes time, just as it takes time for our relationship with the Lord to deepen. We cant expect ourselves to know everything about Jesus right away, so we certainly cant expect to get it right every time we try to pray for someone. But that doesnt mean we shouldnt try.
Day after day, as you offer your loved ones to the Lord in prayer, try your best to pray for them as you think Jesus would. Over time, something marvelous will happen: Jesus will draw closer to you and help you understand him more deeply. And that will affect the way you will pray tomorrow. And so on, and so on, and so on.
What a privilege it is to pray in the power of the name of Jesus!
Jesus, I pray for my loved ones in your name today. Take us all into your heart, and shape us according to your will.
Acts 18:23-28
Psalm 47:2-3, 8-10
Daily Marriage Tip for May 12, 2018:
Tomorrow is Mothers Day. Have you thought of a way to honor your mother? Its a great day to pray for your godmother and grandmothers too!